Canty on unique challenges of baseball in a pandemic

By DAN PAWLOWSKI

WAKEFIELD — Okay campers, rise and shine and don’t forget your baseball gloves because it’s cold out there today. It’s cold out there everyday.

That’s right it’s Groundhog Day for spring student athletes and coaches who wake up every morning in the midst of a pandemic containing them in a reality far more dismal than Punxsutawney in February. 

“You realize how much a part of your life it really is when you are not allowed to do it,” said Wakefield high baseball head coach Kevin Canty when asked to reflect on the sport during a time of year typically spent in the optimism of an auspicious season.

“Strictly from a baseball standpoint, the whole situation has been surreal and unlike anything I have experienced in the 14 years I have been coaching in high school. There have been many days when I am home and think ‘we should be scrimmaging at Lynnfield today or hosting Saugus’ but instead, every day sitting home after school hours pretty much feels like the movie Groundhog Day.”

It’s a feeling no doubt shared across the globe by athletes and coaches alike no matter the sport or level. 

In Massachusetts, it’s a feeling perpetuated by the ever-changing start dates of a potential season that is equal parts hopeful and discouraging. As the start date for school continues to be pushed back by the state, the MIAA continues to adapt and make new plans.

It’s kind of like Bill Murray answering what his chance of departure is. A confident 100 percent on Feb. 2 turns into a more hesitant 80 percent…75-80. 

“The hardest part for me has been how the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, has changed multiple times over the past few weeks,” said Canty. “In the past, when we have had weather issues to deal with, you knew that by mid-April snow would eventually melt and there you could plan for it. With that being said, the virus and indefinite hold on the season makes planning to get back extremely difficult. With weather and field issues, you can easily get into the mindset that everyone else is in the same boat and find ways to adapt. There is really nothing to adapt from when you are being told to stay home.”

The plan now, is to return with classes on May 4, play an 8-12 game schedule and set up a tournament to conclude on June 27. 

We are probably at the part of the movie where Murray is eating a table full of desserts at the local diner. 

“I don’t worry about anything anymore,” says Murray’s Phil Connors. “I don’t even have to floss.”

While the state of spring sports might now be coinciding with a daily routine more boring than the Pennsylvania Polka, Canty is hoping his Warriors can stay optimistic and stay ready.

That’s a huge challenge in baseball, especially for a hands-on coach like Canty whose passion for teaching the game is also being put on hold.

“This is the hardest part for me,” says Canty when asked what tips he has for players to work on their skills at home. “Unlike most other sports where you can have guys go on runs or stay in shape physically on an individual basis, there is not much you can do baseball-wise and still be responsible from a physical distancing standpoint.

“I feel like it really puts baseball and softball at a huge disadvantage compared to other spring sports. Especially with the focus on arm care and pitch counts coming into effect this year – truncating the season and any preseason will only complicate issues for kids’ arm strength and timing that you can’t replicate by yourself.”

For now, the best way to deal with this new reality is to treat it like Phil Connors at the end of the movie. Challenge yourself to make the most of your time, to the point where even if this continues, all will be well. 

Then, who knows, maybe by May 4 the spell will be broken. Today will become tomorrow.

“No matter what the season or tournament looks like, it will be good just to get back into the routine of practices and games,” said Canty. “We had some relatively high expectations for our team and program going into the spring so no matter what we are told the format will be for our season, we will be ready.

“I feel that the depth of returning talent we have and the experience we gained last year will be a big help for us when we do ultimately get started.”

Just watch out for that first step, it’s a doozie.