Cropley adjusts to new workout plan during coronavirus shutdown

Cedar Rapids, IA — "You just don't think about the possibility of your entire season being cancelled."

Much like the rest of our country, that thought had never crossed the mind of Tyler Cropley, who played high school ball at Bishop Heelan, before going on to an outstanding career at the University of Iowa. And is now playing in the Washington Nationals minor-league system.

"You want to play, you want to get better on the field", says Cropley. "But there's a lot of things you can do when you're not on the field too. The only part that's bad right now is not getting into a weight room. We're making the best we can do with a couple of dumbells at the house. But that's the worst part-not being able to lift the weights."

Cropley and some former teammates have found a way to get back on the field. He's currently living in the Cedar Rapids area, where the Mount Mercy baseball team is allowing small groups access to their field. "There's only five of us that get on there at a time, so we're staying a plenty long ways away. We're cleaning everything and sterilizing all the baseballs afterwards with Lysol and Clorox wipes. We're taking the risk just being around each other to do our work. But as long as we're using our Germex and washing our hands and whatnot before we get in there and as we leave, we're doing as much as we can and that's all we can possibly do."

That's not the only pastime occupying the mind of Cropley, who just recently got engaged and plan to get married in November. "We're living here getting all the wedding plans figured out since I'm back now. I thought I was going to be able to get out of all of that but that's alright."

Major league baseball is exploring several possibilities to get back on the field this year. And Cropley is open to almost any option. "Everybody's worried about it. But I know they're going to try and do whatever they can to play a season. If that means no fans in the stands, then you get no fans in the stands. They'll figure it out, and if they don't figure it out then we won't play. But we're all hoping that we do."