Rockets ready despite change

Their holy grail has been taken away this year.

The Rockets are still hopeful to have a reason to play.

The National Amateur Baseball Federation, the governing body of the Portland Rockets’ national league, announced Tuesday it was canceling the 2020 world series set for Aug. 6 through 9 in Battle Creek, Michigan.

“It’s a punch in the gut for me,” said Portland Rockets manager Randy Miller. “I had six weeks ago, a notice from the head office they were going to wait to June 15 to evaluate all cities, organizations (and) governments.

“Someone has been shaking the bush, said we’ll cancel it all.”

The Rockets, who were set to begin their season May 24 before the coronavirus pandemic hit, had their season left in limbo when Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb issued his stay-at-home order March 24.

On May 7, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released a six-phase plan to reopen the Great Lakes State, but it does not include dates like Holcomb’s Back On Track Indiana plan.

So on Tuesday, the NABF had to make the decision to cancel the Charles Blackburn Major Division World Series, of which the Rockets are two-time qualifiers.

“The NABF has reached this decision due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has forced the cancelation of all baseball organizations in the United States,” the NABF said on its Facebook page.

This decision, along with Holcomb’s plan, left Miller and the Rockets scrambling for what to do.

And in true Miller fashion, games will go on.

“To be honest, it’d be easy to say we’re a victim too but that’s not the way we do it,” he said. “We’ll play baseball any way we can with whomever we can.”

Under Holcomb’s five-phase plan, recreational sports leagues can resume June 14, but that is also contingent on local government agencies. Portland Park Board earlier this month announced Portland Water Park would not open as scheduled during the Memorial Day weekend, and said it will meet again June 2 to discuss policies for its facilities.

That leaves the status of the Portland Rockets’ season up in the air depending on what park board — which oversees the Rockets’ Runkle-Miller Field at Portland Memorial Park — decides during its June 2 meeting.

If the Rockets get the go-ahead for its season, the original schedule will remain the same from June 16 on, with an obvious exception to the NABF World Series. The Richmond Roosters will not have a team this season, so the July 1 and 8 games will not go on as planned.

Portland is set to host the Muncie Chiefs on both June 16 and June 24. Runkle-Miller Field will host the Mishawaka Brewers for a 1 p.m. doubleheader June 20, and a twin bill against the Fort Wayne Jackers on July 11.

The Rockets travel to Carrington Field in Fort Wayne for two against the Fort Wayne Blues on July 11. The following weekend, Portland will make its annual trip to South Bend for two games against the South Bend Royals on July 18 and a doubleheader against the Brewers on July 19.

Miller said an end-of-season tournament will be played in Fort Wayne, and that he was asked by Fort Wayne baseball officials to host the annual Firecracker Tournament on July 4 weekend.

If the Rockets are able to start on June 16 as anticipated, 10 games will have been lost because of COVID-19.

“It’s a very sad story,” Miller said. “It didn’t bother me that I lost a lot of money umpiring baseball. When we can’t play for love of the game and there’s no (world series), that hits close to home.”