Alive and thriving: County League rises above pandemic, completes successful season
Ryan Encapera may have come up short in his quest for a second Fayette County Baseball League title but he was still a champion in the year of the coronavirus pandemic.
Encapera is manager of Mitch鈥檚 Bail Bonds and while his squad fell to a youthful, talented first-year Masontown team in the league best-of-three championship series, 2-1, the fact there was a season at all was an overall victory for the FCBL.
When the high school spring sports season was cancelled it seemed doubtful there would be any kind of local baseball played in 2020. The decades long run of the County League looked to be in jeopardy.
Encapera, the league president, worked with Carmichaels manager Dickie Krause and others to come up with a COVID-19 plan so that the season could be played.
鈥淩yan has done an exemplary job as the president of this league,鈥� said Krause, who watched Mitch鈥檚 snap the Copperheads鈥� run of four consecutive league championships with a 2-0 sweep in their best-of-three semifinal series this year.
鈥淲e were able to dodge any COVID incidents. It鈥檚 been wonderful to be on the field on the dirt again and, basically, be around the game. If you play enough, the game is in your blood. What happened to those poor high school kids was terrible. I felt so bad.
鈥淚 give Ryan a lot of credit. We wrote a COVID plan, put it in place and I thought it worked well. The other thing is Ryan鈥檚 really put some things together where when you come to games everything is organized and ready.鈥�
Encapera was determined to make the season a reality.
鈥淏aseball has always been an important part of my life and for this summer the goal that the other managers and myself wanted was to set a sense of normalcy by trying to play,鈥� he said.
鈥淧rior to the season we held a number of phone conferences and I appreciate the time and effort all of our managers and Toby McKnight, our umpire assignor, put in to set up a safe environment and competitive schedule.鈥�
The preseason diligence paid off.
鈥淭he league was a great success for all involved and we were very fortunate to have great weather, no COVID cases, and total cooperation with players, coaches, fans, and umpires in regard to personal safety,鈥� Encapera said.
Masontown manager John Palmer was just grateful for the opportunity to play, let alone winning the league title.
鈥淚t was great. I鈥檝e never been happier to play baseball,鈥� said Palmer. 鈥淲ith the coronavirus, it was a great thing to get out and play the game we all love.鈥�
The five-team league 鈥� which also included the Fayette Raiders and stalwart Mill Run, the FCBL鈥檚 longest-running current franchise 鈥� not only survived, it flourished.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a good competitive league,鈥� Krause said. 鈥淭his year the fifth-place team (Fayette Raiders) went 2-10 and they lost to us twice by one run and were in just about every game.鈥�
Even with his team losing its grip on the title 鈥� Carmichaels hadn鈥檛 lost a completed playoff series since 2012, although it didn鈥檛 participate in the 2015 season 鈥� Krause admitted parity is a good.
鈥淎nybody could beat you on any night this year and that鈥檚 what you want, you want balance in the league,鈥� Krause said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 never good to lose but this was the most competitive this league has been in a while and credit to all the coaches. It鈥檚 been a nice year for the County League.鈥�
Encapera concurred.
鈥淭he competition level was as close as it has ever been,鈥� he said.
Emcapera and Krause lauded the new squad for it鈥檚 success.
鈥淢asontown has battled all year and has had a great season,鈥� Encapera said before facing them in the final.
鈥淢asontown is athletic and really deep,鈥� Krause said. 鈥淛ohn Palmer has done a great job coaching that team. You could tell right from the beginning that they were really organized and a well-run team.鈥�
Mitch鈥檚 was a strong team as well, as it proved with its series win over Carmichaels before coming within one win of claiming the league crown. An infusion of youth into his roster gave his team a boost, according to Encapera.
鈥淚 spent a lot of time with this, really trying to get as many good players as we can and we鈥檙e fortunate this year to have a lot of them,鈥� Encapera said after eliminating the Copperheads. 鈥淵ou try to have your best team for every day and we鈥檝e been great from top to bottom with our roster and it鈥檚 helped us throughout the year.鈥�
Encapera, like his players did most of the summer, came through under pressure in running the league he loves.
鈥淢oving forward, I hope that our success this year will help grow the league for more players to be involved by adding new teams,鈥� Encapera said.
One group that already is considering entering a franchise is Laurel Highlands鈥� 2020 senior class, which led the Mustangs to the HARC Teener League title on Monday. Mustangs manager Buddy Marra said his players, after watching Masontown鈥檚 triumphant season in the FCBL, were strongly considering starting up a County League team.
Thanks to Encapera, Krause and all the league鈥檚 managers, when it was faced with one of its greatest challenges, the County League not only rose above the virus mayhem but showed it鈥檚 alive and thriving.
NOTE: If interested in entering a team into the FCBL for the 2021 season, contact Encapera at 412-596-3515 or at ryanencapera@aol.com.