Mexican Baseball League sets plan to open play in August

The Mexican Baseball League is planning to start its season in August, according to a news release.

The league said in the release issued Thursday that it would play according to the plan “as long as there are the right conditions to carry out a season with the public in the stands.”

Originally set to open play in April, the Mexican league has been on hold, suspending its schedule because of the coronavirus pandemic.

A unanimous vote of team presidents and managers this week produced the following plan:

# 48 games per team

# Start of the regular season on Friday, Aug. 7

# End of the regular season on Thursday, Oct. 1

# Start of the playoffs on Saturday, Oct. 3, with playoffs expanded to 12 teams.

# Start of the King’s Series (Mexico’s World Series) on Monday, Nov. 2.

“Barring any setbacks, that’s the plan for the re-start of the season,” said Jose Melendez, president of the defending league champion Acereros de Monclova.

Melendez is a 39-year-old Laredo resident who attended college in San Antonio at UTSA and at the University of the Incarnate Word.

Asked what would happen if one or more of the league’s 16 teams could not get clearance to play with fans in the stands, Melendez said in a text that it’s possible games could go on.

“Some teams have made compromise to play with gates closed, in case that happens,” said Melendez, a former front-office staffer with the San Antonio Missions.

Because of the pandemic, travel restrictions between the U.S. and Mexico have been in effect since March. But Melendez said it’s his understanding that the border will be opened in June.