Any other May weekend, Trevor Dannegger might’ve been in Hartford or Richmond or Akron on a Double-A diamond, wrangling players, coaches and managers.
In a day or so, he could be on a field in northern Missouri -- tending peas, corn and melons. All across baseball, farm systems are shut down because of the virus outbreak.
So for Dannegger, a 24-year-old umpire prospect with a promising trajectory in the minor leagues, this unforeseen break from the Eastern League means more trips to the family farm. “Getting away from the stress,” he said.
It also affords more time to sort through the process of filing for unemployment. After working games from California to Maine last year, it’s complicated. “I’m still waiting,” Dannegger said.