MLB stalled but baseball still played near and far

This feels like 1994 -- and I'm not thrilled about it.

Let me explain.

My historical frame of reference is in the form of baseball. Name the year (within my baseball-watching years) and I'll tell you who won the World Series and maybe an anecdote about where I was at the time or something memorable about that season.

Which brings me to the summer of 1994. A young Lucas Presson was in West Park Mall with his mother. I remember telling mom that I wanted to watch the Cardinals on TV. She reminded me that Major League Baseball was not being played because of a players' strike. For some reason, I didn't realize that applied to my beloved St. Louis Cardinals. A summer without baseball. I hoped no one would have to endure this again.

Then came March 2020. My first trip to Cardinals spring training in Florida was canceled when Major League Baseball suspended games because of the coronavirus. At the time they said the season would be suspended for at least two weeks. That turned into several months. And while some professional sports are returning to action, the baseball players' union and MLB continue to negotiate compensation parameters for resuming the season, if only to be seen on TV.

The bad news: There's been no Major League Baseball thus far this year. The good news: There's still baseball being played elsewhere.

The KBO (Korea's professional baseball operation) resumed games with no fans in the stands, though stuffed animal toys can be noticed in some of the seats. ESPN broadcasts six of the games per week with American broadcasters calling the games from their homes. It's been an interesting experience, particularly when you compare it to baseball in North America.

Take the art of flipping a baseball bat. In the KBO, it's not uncommon for a player to flip his bat after a hit. And it's not only the home runs. Players have been known to do this after a single or double. Do that in Major League Baseball, and the opposition will be less than thrilled.

The KBO also limits the number of foreign-born players. Each team can have three. The KBO, along with Japan, have become landing spots for many American players in previous years who could not secure contracts with an MLB team. Some have used the league as a launching pad to return to Major League Baseball.

I've enjoyed watching the games. But more than baseball on TV, I've enjoyed the return of local baseball.

With college and high school sports suspended this spring, Capaha Field has been a lonely place. Last weekend, however, baseball returned with a four-day tournament sponsored by the Charleston Fighting Squirrels. American Legion canceled its summer season, but a number of teams have regrouped with parent-sponsored Base Ruth League squads.

The spacious Capaha Field allows for plenty of social distancing, including my favorite spot behind the left field wall atop Cherry Hill.

The Cape Titans 18-and-under team will play several more games at Capaha Field into July. The Capahas, America's oldest known amateur baseball team, will start their season at the end of June or early July. For baseball fans, that's great news. Even if MLB doesn't return this year, local baseball fans can be happy that good baseball is being played close to home. Capaha Field never looked so good.

Lucas Presson is assistant publisher of the Southeast Missourian.