George Arcurio III and the Johnstown Oldtimers Baseball Association weren’t sure how the organization would be able to bring back the AAABA Tournament after a COVID-19 pandemic postponement in 2020.
But Arcurio, the longtime Oldtimers president, was certain that if the tournament wasn’t played in 2021, it probably wouldn’t survive.
“If we would’ve missed two years of the AAABA Tournament, that would’ve been the end,” Arcurio told The Tribune-Democrat after confirming the dates of the 76th tournament as Aug. 2-7. “I firmly believe some of the franchises would have pulled out and gone other places.”
The good news is the tournament will be played after missing the 2020 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The AAABA Tournament Committee and Johnstown Oldtimers Baseball Association have adapted in order to keep a long-standing tradition going.
A link to The Tribune-Democrat column on the developments follows: