Pictured standing at second base following a double his junior year, Will Jarvis will suit up for Walpole Legion this summer in the MIBL for one final baseball season. Photo by Mike Flanagan.
By Mike Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
It's been a rough year for sports. While fall and winter athletes were able to play their full seasons (outside of winter state championship games), spring athletes had their entire seasons cancelled on them due to COVID-19. To make matters worse for baseball, the entire 2020 summer American Legion season was also cancelled.
Thankfully, baseball in Massachusetts was recently given some hope. On July 6, the newly founded Major Independent Baseball League will begin, with teams from Walpole (formerly Post 104), Medfield (Post 110), Needham (Post 14) and Westwood (Post 320) competing.
The entirety of District Six will take part in the newly founded league this summer. The news was announced on the MIBL's newly created Twitter account on June 15.
In the past, players from schools such as Xaverian, Wellesley, Dover-Sherborn, Millis-Hopedale and St. Sebastian's were allowed to play legion ball for other towns such as Medfield, Natick, Westwood and Needham. It appears as if these rules will carry over into the MIBL, with all teams hosting tryouts this past week.
Even with the league being considered "unofficial," the formation of the MIBL is exactly what athletes in this area needed. These athletes who've had almost every bit of normalcy cancelled or changed on them throughout 2020 will finally be given an opportunity to compete in organized sport for the first time in months. Baseball is back and the summer of 2020 just became a little more normal.
For funny and incisive sports analysis as well as game highlights, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter and Instagram @flano0.
