George Guido: Despite pandemic cancellation, high school streaks live on

By: George Guido
Saturday, March 20, 2021 | 1:08 PM

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We don’t quite know if 48 years of covering high school sports allows me to issue a decree, but if so, some streaks weren’t interrupted with the pandemic of 2020.

The high school baseball and softball seasons were wiped out last year.

So does that mean Leechburg’s softball streak of 33 straight WPIAL playoff appearances is stopped?

Not really. No season was played. So if Leechburg makes the playoffs in 2021, let’s say 34 straight seasons — not 34 straight years.

Same with Burrell’s softball streak of 14 straight playoff seasons — not years.

Same goes for Freeport’s track and field team streak and the Deer Lakes boys volleyball streak.

The pandemic did something last year that World War I and II couldn’t do, same with the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 and the Asian flu of 1957: cancel an entire high school sports season.

But local spring sports are set to go starting this Friday.

It seems, however, that the dark shadow of the pandemic isn’t ready to go away. Bishop Canevin’s boys basketball team, WPIAL Class A champion, had to forfeit its PIAA opener to Berlin-Brothersvalley Friday night because of a positive covid test just 20 minutes before game time.

One thing that also is being allowed now is out-of-state travel. Many baseball and softball teams have traveled South, particularly to the Myrtle Beach and Orlando areas, to get some games in and to advocate team bonding.

But various fundraisers have to take place months before the season starts, so the lifting of the out-of-state travel ban might have come too late.

Rules changes

There are no rules changes to high school baseball or softball in 2021.

Because most states had no seasons for either sport, the changes intended for the 2020 season are intact now.

In baseball, there is an expanded use of the designated hitter. Now, the DH can be used two ways.

First is the traditional way, replacing one of the other nine players when it is their turn to bat.

Now, any one of the nine starting players can be their own DH. In one scenario, a pitcher who is replaced can keep his bat in the game but come out defensively, particularly if the pitch count has been reached.

According to Eliot Hopkins of the National Federation of High School Associations: “With the change adding pitch-count restrictions, this will allow pitchers to remain in the game as a hitter while removing them from pitching.”

Hopkins, who was once with the PIAA office, also said the new rule can help coaches keep their strongest hitters in the game or add stronger defensive players.

Softball changes

A new definition for a damaged bat is one of three new softball rules changes, intended for 2020.

A damaged bat now will be defined as one that was once legal but presently damaged. Previously, a damaged bat was considered an illegal bat with the penalty being an out once the batter enters the batter’s box. Now, a damaged bat simply is removed from the game without penalty.

Also, older bats bearing the ASA 2000 or the ASA 2004 along with the newer ASA All Games certification are permissible unless those bats appear on the non-approved bat list.

An adjustment has been made to fast-pitch regulations. Pitchers now must take a position with the pivot foot in contact with the pitcher’s plate. Previously, pitchers were required to have the pivot foot on or partially on top of the surface of the pitcher’s plate.

Now, the foot has to simply be in contact with any part of the plate.

Tags: Burrell, Deer Lakes, Freeport, Leechburg