Boise Hawks season is 1 week away. Will it happen? That’s still a mystery.
The season opener for the Boise Hawks stands one week away. But whether the Hawks will have any season at all remains in doubt days before the first pitch.
Northwest League President North Johnson told the Idaho Statesman on Wednesday night that the league is still waiting on news from Major League Baseball, which remains in negotiations with its players about a shortened season this summer amid the coronavirus pandemic.
All Boise Hawks players are employees of the Colorado Rockies. The rest of the Northwest League teams are also affiliates of MLB teams.
“We are still waiting,” Johnson said. “MLB is ultimately going to let us know what’s going to happen and when it’s going to happen. The reality is they are completely caught up with the players association and getting a deal done. We are in the backseat.”
The Boise Hawks were scheduled to open the season on the road June 17 in Tri-Cities, Washington. They would return for their home opener June 22 against the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.
The Volcanoes publicly put those starting dates, and the season, in doubt Wednesday. The Oregon franchise announced it would host drive-in fireworks nights June 19 and June 26.
Salem-Keizer was scheduled for home games both nights.
“While the Volcanoes are unable to begin their 2020 Northwest League season as scheduled, the team is keeping their 20-plus-year tradition of fireworks at Volcanoes Stadium alive,” the first line of a press release said.
The Idaho Statesman emailed the club about its plan. An unnamed employee responded, “We are just certain we will not begin the season as scheduled.”
The club later retracted its statement, saying it should have read, “It appears likely, in our opinion, the Northwest League season will not begin as scheduled.”
The Boise Hawks would normally begin receiving players from the Colorado Rockies this week in preparation for the season. They’ve received none so far. Minor-league camps dispersed in March and have not resumed since then.
That fact alone makes a June 17 season opener unlikely as players would need time to get ready. And minor-league teams don’t have the television contracts of their Major League affiliates, making playing without fans a nonstarter.
“We are all smart enough to know what’s going on,” North said. “What I can tell you is we have not been given any official notification from Major League Baseball. We have to base what we’re doing on that.”
The Northwest League has operated every summer since 1955.
This story was originally published June 10, 2020 at 8:02 PM with the headline "Boise Hawks season is 1 week away. Will it happen? That’s still a mystery.."
