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Pony League World Series canceled for first time

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Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter

Washington County’s Calvin Daniels, left, cheers Lucas Dantry home in a Pony League World Series game against Bay County, Mich., last August. The Pony League World Series, which has been held every year since 1952, was canceled Friday because of the coronavirus pandemic. Washington has hosted the event every year since 1984.

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Observer-Reporter

Chinese Taipei celebrates its win over Bay County, Mich., in the 2019 Pony League World Series championship game at Lew Hays Pony Field in Washington. The Pony League World Series, which has been held every year since 1952, was canceled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter

Youngstown’s Anthony Miller beats the tag of Puerto Rico’s Adrian Salas to score during an elimination game in the 2019 Pony League World Series at Lew Hays Pony Field.

One of Western Pennsylvania’s best sports traditions has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Pony League World Series, which has been held every year since 1952, was canceled Friday. The announcement was made by PONY Baseball and Softball president Abe Key, who added that the cancellation includes all PONY regional and zone tournaments and eight baseball and three softball world series scheduled for 2020.

The Pony League World Series, which brings together the top teams of 13- and 14-year-olds from across the globe, has been held 57 times in Washington, including every year since 1984. This year’s Pony League World Series was scheduled for Aug. 7-12 at Lew Hays Pony Field in Washington Park.

“It came down to us protecting the safety of our players and their families,” a somber Key said. “That is paramount for us. It’s even in our name: Protect Our Nation’s Youth.”

The announcement came one day after the Little League World Series, which is held annually in Williamsport, was canceled for the first time in its history.

“We have been talking about this for a long time,” Key said. “Our International Board of Directors had canceled competitions in several zones. And we’re not sure if kids from California would be able to travel to Pennsylvania, and if their parents would even be comfortable sending them out of their area. Safety had to be at the forefront for the players.”

Key, who said it’s a “sad day for Washington,” added that he realizes how much time and effort volunteers put in to stage a world series every year and how much it means to local communities.

“The Pony League World Series has a huge economic impact on Washington County,” Key said. “We don’t take this decision lightly.”

PONY previously announced that it was delaying all baseball and softball activities until at least May 1.

“Before making this decision to cancel, we based it on a lot of factors,” Key said. “There were guidelines from the World Health Organization, the CDC and what states are allowing, plus the restrictions on international travel.”

World Series Tournaments Inc. has been producing the Pony League World Series since 1984. Bob Gregg, who was Pony League World Series chairman for the last 35 years, agreed with the decision to cancel this year’s event.

“It’s certainly disappointing but absolutely necessary,” he said. “You can’t host a fan-based, sponsor-supported event without knowing what the situation will be like in a couple of months.”

Gregg said its requires 600 volunteers to stage the world series and takes more than a year of planning.

“It’s literally a 13-month operation,” Gregg said. “We went into last year’s world series with notes about this year’s world series, things we wanted to do.”

Key stressed that only PONY’s postseason all-star play has been canceled. He is hopeful that local leagues will be able to begin play sometime in 2020.

“We’re still promoting league play over a state-by-state basis,” he said. “We’re telling organizations that when outdoor recreation opens, we hope they offer league play. Those leagues might look different with social distancing and other things, but it’s important for kids to get outdoors and exercise and play baseball or softball.”

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