After further review, Port officials say play ball

The sounds of “hey batter, batter” could be heard on the City of Port Washington’s two ball fields as soon as Monday.

Aldermen agreed this week to allow Port Youth Baseball and Softball, as well as the men’s softball and girl’s fast pitch leagues, to play on city property this summer after Recreation Director Kiley Schulte compiled a safe operating plan for teams to follow.

The Common Council had been scheduled to hold a meeting Tuesday to discuss the matter, but in discussions with City Administrator Tony Brown last week aldermen authorized him to set the guidelines and finalize an agreement with the leagues, officials said.

That was done this week, they said.

Last week, representatives of Port Youth Baseball and Softball asked the Common Council to reconsider their decision not to open city fields this summer.

“Our kids are able to play away games but they cannot have home-field advantage at any point this season,” Nicole Ksioszk told the council. “The only reason we want the fields open is so our kids can play in their hometown.”

Ksioszk presented aldermen with a 50-page packet of information, including risk assessments and other documents to make the case that youth baseball is a low-risk sport for players and spectators. 

Port Youth Baseball compiled a set of rules for the summer to minimize the risk to players, coaches, officials and spectators, they said, including requirements to social distance, use sanitizer and avoid sharing equipment.

Ald. Jonathan Pleitner said Tuesday that while he was wary of approving the reopening last week, Port Youth Baseball made a compelling case to the council.

“I felt comfortable doing this after I read through the packet (of information) they gave us,” he said. “They had all their ducks in a row.”

Baseball and softball, he noted, are low-contact sports played outdoors, which helps minimize the spread of the coronavirus.

Ald. Dan Benning concurred, adding that if the city allows other low-contact sports to be played on its properties, it should also allow baseball.

“When I sat down and looked at this, I said, ‘Why are we allowing some low-risk activities (like golf and pickleball) and not all of them?’” he said.

It only makes sense, he said, to allow baseball, especially with the guidelines the city and Port Youth Baseball came up with.

“I think we’re being smart about it,” Benning said. “I think we’re being safe about it.”

Benning said that the council had in effect given Brown the authority to decide the issue when it approved a reopening plan for the city earlier this month, so the council didn’t need to meet to make a decision on its own.

“I look to the council to be setting policies the staff can execute,” he said.

Schulte said she based the safety plan on similar documents compiled by communities such as Cedarburg, Grafton and Glendale, as well as the recommendations included in the Washington Ozaukee Public Health Department’s Blueprint for Reopening.

Among other things, the plan calls for players to use personal equipment and social distancing to be observed. Only three players will be allowed in the dugout at a time, and players are not allowed to chew gum or chew and spit seeds or other items. 

Equipment and balls are to be disinfected between innings, bat boys and girls aren’t allowed, and  pitchers and players are not allowed to go to their mouth to lick or wet their fingers.

The bleachers will be removed, and spectators must stay beyond first and third base in foul territory or in the outfield as play allows.

Players and coaches should refrain from handshakes, high fives, and fist and elbow bumps, and after the game players should tip their hats to the opposing team’s dugout.

Concession sales and tournaments are prohibited.

“We all read the plan and saw they had a good plan,” Ald. John Sigwart said. 

Schulte said her department is in the process of preparing the softball fields for play, adding teams could take to the field for games as soon as Monday, when the men’s league starts up for the season.

The safety plan, she noted, applies not only to Port Youth Baseball and Softball and the men’s baseball and girls’ softball leagues but anyone who wants to use the city fields.

The city fields are at Kolbach Park and near Thomas Jefferson Middle School.

  “I’m glad we can allow this to happen,” Pleitner said. “They’ve been playing in other cities. Now, they can play home games. I’m glad for them that we can do this.”