FROM THE SEASON BEING SUSPENDED TO BEING BACK AT PRACTICE TO NOW FINALLY ALLOWED TO PLAY GAMES, CODY CUBS LEGION BASEBALL HAS OFFICIALLY RETURNED. BEFORE THE SEASON STARTED, EXPECTATIONS WERE HIGH AND THIS PANDEMIC HAS NOT CHANGED THAT. I GOT THE CHANCE TO TALK TO HEAD COACH BART GRENZ ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF PRACTICING DURING THE PANDEMIC AS WELL AS GETTING THE SEASON UNDER WAY. OVERALL COACH GRENZ HAS MAINLY BEEN GRATEFUL TO BE ON THE PRACTICE FIELD AT ALL.
“EVERYDAY SINCE THIS HAS STARTED OPENING UP LITTLE-BY-LITTLE, HAS BEEN A GREAT DAY DOWN HERE, PRACTICING AND GETTING TOGETHER. ITS GREAT TO SEE THE KIDS, IT’S GREAT TO BE AROUND THE OTHER COACHES. WE ARE STILL A LITTLE BIT LIMITED IN NUMBERS BUT NOW WE HAVE A FULL TEAM PRACTICING AT A TIME AND IT HAS JUST BEEN AWESOME DOWN HERE AT THE PARK WITH THESE GUYS.”
COACH GRENZ IS AWARE IT ALL ISN’T COMPLETELY BACK TO NORMAL, THOUGH. WITH REGULATIONS AND RULES, SPECTATING THE GAME COULD BE DIFFERENT BUT COACH GRENZ THINKS MILWARD L. SIMPSON STADIUM IS MORE THAN SERVICEABLE FOR THE JOB.
“WE’VE GOT A GREAT BALL PARK. PEOPLE CAN SIT UP ON TOP IN THEIR VEHICLES. THEIR IS PLENTY OF ROOM TO SPREAD OUT. WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE WATCHING OUR PRACTICES FROM UP ON THE HILL. I THINK PEOPLE ARE READY FOR SOMETHING AND I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO WATCHING.”
WHEN THIS SEASON BEGAN IT WAS UNKNOWN WHEN OR IF PRACTICES WOULD RESUME IN THE FIRST PLACE BUT COACH GRENZ NEVER THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE IN TROUBLE IF THAT WERE THE CASE.
“WITH THIS GROUP, WE WERE KIND OF THINKING, IF WE NEVER GOT TO PRACTICE AS A FULL TEAM, BECAUSE THEY KNOW EACH OTHER AND THEY HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE WE COULD PROBABLY JUMP INTO GAMES RIGHT AWAY. WE’VE CHOSEN TO WAIT A LITTLE BIT AND I THINK THAT’S OK FOR US. I THINK EITHER WAY, PLAYING EARLY OR LATE, THIS GROUP IS GOING TO BE FINE.”
THE MAIN GOAL OF THIS SEASON WILL BE TO KEEP EVERYONE’S SAFETY THE TOP PRIORITY. BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN WINNING AND EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS CUBS TEAM HAVE VANISHED.
“BECAUSE OF THE SUCCESS WE HAVE HAD IN THE PAST AND THE NUMBER OF KIDS RETURNING OFF OF LAST YEARS TEAM THAT WON A GAME AT THE NATIONAL REGIONAL, I THINK PEOPLE EXPECT A LOT OUT OF THIS GROUP. WE EXPECT A LOT, THE KIDS EXPECT A LOT OUT OF THEMSELVES. OBVIOUSLY, YOU HAVE TO START PLAYING THE GAMES TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS. WE HAVE SOME QUESTION MARKS, YA KNOW THE GAMES IN JUNE, HOPEFULLY THOSE QUESTION MARKS ARE ANSWERED AND WE KNOW WHAT TO DO GOING FORWARD AFTER THAT.”
AND THIS IS A VERY EXPERIENCED TEAM, RETURNING 8 OF TEN PLAYERS THAT WON ALL-STATE OR ALL-CONFERENCE A YEAR AGO. THAT MEANS ANY ONE PLAYER CAN STEP UP ANY GIVEN DAY.
“I DON’T KNOW WHO THAT KID WILL BE BUT IT’S PROBABLY SOMEONE PEOPLE HAVE WATCHED IN THE PAST THAT’S GOING TO SHOW A YEAR OF MATURITY, A YEAR OF MENTAL GROWTH, A LITTLE MORE STRENGTH THAT WILL PROBABLY STEP IN AND TAKE SOME OF THOSE PITCHING INNINGS AWAY, WILL STEP INTO MAYBE A DIFFERENT ROLE ON THE OFFENSE. ONLY TIME WILL TELL. I’M NOT LOOKING AT ANY ONE PLAYER. HOPEFULLY IT’S A GROUP OF PLAYERS, RIGHT? HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY’S A LITTLE BIT BETTER AND WE PLAY WELL TOGETHER.”
THE CODY CUBS WILL MAKE THEIR SEASON DEBUT AT HOME ON JUNE 2ND WHEN THEY HOST THE BILLINGS CARDINALS FOR A DOUBLE HEADER BEGINNING AT 5PM. YOU CAN HEAR ALL THE ACTION ON KODI.
FULL INTERVIEW HERE:
