MINOCQUA – They will be running the bases in Minocqua again this summer when the Small Town Baseball World Series returns for the third consecutive time here. The tournament dates are July 23-26.
Event organizer Rick Westfall told the Minocqua town board Tuesday that the number of teams will be down significantly this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re going to practice as much as we can of social distancing,” he added. “We’ve eliminated a lot of stuff to keep people apart.” He quipped that you “can’t find a better game than baseball (for social distancing)...because if you’re within six feet of somebody, usually (you’re) out. The World Series is one of several baseball and softball tournaments his organization is fielding this summer. They now have tournaments in more than a dozen states. The Wisconsin State Championships for baseball in Marshfield June 26-28 starts off the season in the Badger State. “You guys have a beautiful place,” said Westfall of the baseball diamonds at the Minocqua Park Complex on Highway 70 West.
Most of the games will be played there, perhaps all, due to the lower numbers this year. In past years, teams have played at the high school diamond and the field near the chamber office. Teams will be coming from Crandon, Eagle River, Edgar and a few from the Upper Peninsula, among other locales “There is no Milwaukee coming, no Chicago coming,” said Westfall, saying the teams must come from schools with enrollment of 700 and under.
In the prior two years, the teams, families and supporters have filled motels and other accommodations in Minocqua, Tomahawk and Eagle River, said Westfall. Their presence gives an economic boost at other venues, including restaurants and attractions.
The town board gave its unanimous approval to use the town park for the World Series. In another baseball matter, the Lakeland Area Baseball Association (LABA) received board permission to construct a 24-by-30-foot storage building and batting cages at Minocqua Park Complex.
The association will be responsible for all costs, including insuring the structure, the board told LABA president Doug Etten. Approval is contingent on the association providing a drawing of what the building will look like when finished.
