Daniel Larsen wasn’t expecting a response from Baseball B.C. when he wrote a letter to the Langley Advance Times to urge a return to the playing field.
He was pleasantly surprised to learn Baseball B.C. had taken to Twitter to post a reply to the 10-year-old player.
“We hear you Daniel!,” it read.
“We are working hard for you and all of our athletes and families.”
Baseball B.C. is the recognized provincial sport organization for amateur baseball in British Columbia, including B.C. Little League Baseball, B.C. Babe Ruth Baseball, B.C. Premier Baseball League, B.C. Junior Baseball Association, B.C. Senior Baseball Association, and B.C. Baseball Umpires Association.
We hear you Daniel! We are working hard for you and all of our athletes and families…. https://t.co/PVtTjM9ZeI
— Baseball BC (@Baseball_BC) May 29, 2020
Daniel’s reaction?
“That’s good,” he commented.
“It’s nice.”
READ ALSO: LETTER: 10-year-old Langley boy pleads for return of baseball
He was also pleased to hear Baseball B.C. has begun preparing for a possible return, by amending its current suspension of in-person baseball activities.
Activities related to start-up, maintenance, or shutdown of operations are now permitted – provided all current federal, provincial, and local COVID-19 requirements are met, “including those relating to physical distancing, cleaning, and personal hygiene and wellness,” an online statement said.
Updated COVID-19 Statement
May 30, 2020Please visit our official website for more information. pic.twitter.com/6lo4yshE1P
— Baseball BC (@Baseball_BC) May 30, 2020
It does not, however, permit the return of any “in-person playing activities” at this time, which Daniel had called for in his letter.
“I hope that games start, too,” Daniel reacted.
In his letter, Daniel, who played on the silver-medal winning Langley All-Stars team in 2018, argued for re-opening baseball, calling it “one of the only sports that you already social distance,” if you don’t count the dugout.
He proposed spreading out seating in the dugout, so players could maintain the required six feet of separation.
“This also goes for the fans,” he proposed.
“The fans don’t need to sit on the bleachers but can sit six feet apart on the outfield fence.”
“Every inning you could sanitize your hands and you could also sanitize the ball,” he went on to say.
READ ALSO: Langley All-Stars “represented Langley well”
It makes no sense to allow older, more vulnerable people to start going out, while keeping kids at home, Daniel concluded.
“People are now saying video games are good because it makes you feel connected,” he wrote.
“Going outside and playing sports isn’t good but video games are?”
dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
