FILE - In this Sunday, Aug. 25, 2019, file photo, River Ridge, Louisiana, takes a victory lap around the field at Lamade Stadium after winning the Little League World Series Championship game against Curacao, 8-0, in South Williamsport, Pa. The 2020 Little League World Series and the championship tournaments in six other Little League divisions have been canceled because of the new coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
The Associated Press
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) - This year's Little League World Series and the championship tournaments in six other Little League divisions have been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Little League President Stephen Keener announced the cancellations in a Facebook Live broadcast Thursday afternoon from league headquarters in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, saying it would be 'œimpossible'ť to hold the events amid ongoing restrictions on large gatherings and travel.
The Little League World Series has been held every August since 1947 and had never been canceled before. Next year was to be the 75th playing of the tournament; that milestone has been pushed back to 2022.
'œLet me tell the folks in all those communities and all the sites where we have regional qualifying tournaments how disappointed we are to have to do this, but it was inevitable,'ť Keener said. 'œIt would be irresponsible and impossible to bring teams and thousands of people from all over the world into the community of Williamsport as well as those six other communities that have been such great friends and supporters of ours over the years.'ť
He added that travel restrictions would make it equally impossible to hold qualifying tournaments for international teams and to bring those teams safely to the United States.
Little League has not, however, called off the 2020 regular season. Keener said there was reason for optimism that teams could play this spring and summer, depending on restrictions in states and localities.
The annual major league game in Williamsport, which this year was to feature the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles on Aug. 23, has been canceled, MLB said.
"While the cancellation of the 2020 Little League World Series is extremely disappointing, the health and safety of all of the people involved must be the paramount consideration. We look forward to our return to Williamsport for the 2021 MLB Little League Classic,'ť baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
Little League announced in March that the season was on hold until at least May 11 because of guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention against gatherings of 50 people or more.
After that date, Keener said, districts and leagues should look to states and localities for guidance on when or if the season can resume. He also urged districts to hold all-star tournaments to give kids at least a taste of the competition they'll be missing missing with World Series qualifying scrapped.
'œWe will be very amenable to (changing) eligibility requirements and be very flexible to allow as many kids the opportunity to play as possible for whatever can remain of the 2020 Little League season,'ť he said.
Along with the Little League World Series, which is held in South Williamsport, the other events canceled were the World Series of Little League Softball in Greenville, North Carolina; Junior League Baseball in Taylor, Michigan; Junior League Softball in Kirkland, Washington; Senior League Baseball in Easley, South Carolina; and Senior League Softball in Sussex County, Delaware.
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FILE - In this Sunday, Aug. 25, 2019, file photo, River Ridge, Louisiana, lines the third baseline and Curacao lines the first baseline during team introductions before the Little League World Series Championship game at Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport, Pa. The 2020 Little League World Series and the championship tournaments in six other Little League divisions have been canceled because of the new coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
The Associated Press
In this Aug. 24, 2019, photo, Little League fans watch from the hillside overlooking left field at Lamade Stadium during the International Championship baseball game between Curacao and Japan at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa. Little League has been benched. The youth baseball program that boasts more than 2.5 million kids spread over 6,500 programs in 84 countries is on hold at least until May 11 due to the corona virus pandemic. Even that target date for a return to the sports lineup seems optimistic, and the fate of its signature event, the Little League World Series in August in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania is unclear. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
The Associated Press
In this Aug. 23, 2018, photo, Little League fans watch a consolation baseball game between Coeur D'Alene, Idaho and Barcelona, Spain at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa. Little League has been benched. The youth baseball program that boasts more than 2.5 million kids spread over 6,500 programs in 84 countries is on hold at least until May 11 due to the corona virus pandemic. Even that target date for a return to the sports lineup seems optimistic, and the fate of its signature event, the Little League World Series in August in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania is unclear. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
The Associated Press
FILE - In this Aug. 18, 2019, file photo, Pittsburgh Pirates' Clint Hurdle, right, hands a commemorative pin to Barrington, Rhode Island player Owen Pfeffer in the stands at Lamade Stadium as they watched a baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa. A major league player for 10 years and a manager for 17 more before getting fired by the Pittsburgh Pirates last September, Hurdle was known throughout baseball for his positive approach _ with a big personality and frame to match. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File
The Associated Press
FILE - In this April 4, 2020, file photo, a youth baseball field sits empty at Monroeville Park in Monroeville, Pa. Doctors, scientists and sports leaders are outlining the path back to playing fields for children in grassroots sports -- an exercise that could inform major organizations on how to get their industries up and running as well in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. (AP Photo/Will Graves, File)
The Associated Press