SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- The Little League season may have been interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but after a three month hiatus, San Carlos Little League players and coaches are back on the field, looking to salvage as much of the season as possible.
"I get to finally see my friends," says 11-year-old Alex Kreisler. Teammate Mateo DeLeon feels the same way. "And I get to see all of my teammates."
Now the rules of baseball go back to the origins of the game of the early 1800's. Rules like three strikes and your out, ball four take your base, and hit the ball run to first. But these are different times, and twenty years from now, these kids will tell stories of how, for a moment anyway, hand sanitizer and social distancing were as important to the game as the ball, bat, and glove. 12-year-old Zach Willits says he starting to get used to the new normal on the diamond.
"I mean I understand it, but I don't like it."
The team has been back on the field practicing for two weeks, with the new rules being implemented. Temperature checks are done before players take the field, masks are worn by some players and coaches, and the six feet rule is in enforcement.
"We haven't had a quarantine in like ever really, so this is going to be a big change, " says Kreisler.
For now, the current status at San Carlos Little League means no parents in the stands, and disinfecting the dugout after practice. But some things will never change, like the enthusiasm kids bring to the game
"For now I'm just happy we get to play baseball and do what we love."
