After Two Weeks, Baseball Season Leaves ‘Em Cold Wet, Cold, Windy Weather Wipes Out Games Scheduled For Midwest, East
Put it this way: That warm weather schedule sure seemed like a good idea.
Baseball’s plan backfired again Saturday, when eight more games were postponed because of snow, rain and cold.
That made it 17 major league games wiped out just this week. That meant the prospect of playing early-season doubleheaders or adding games in July and August to an already-crowded schedule.
There is no official record of most postponements in a day, said the Elias Sports Bureau, which keeps major league statistics.
“It seems like a big cloud is over us right now,” reliever John Franco said after the New York Mets’ home opener against San Francisco was called.
The April showers that covered the East Coast and Midwest cost several clubs. Other games postponed were Anaheim at Cleveland, Chicago at Detroit, Texas at Baltimore, Oakland at New York, Los Angeles at Cincinnati and San Diego at Philadelphia.
The game in Milwaukee between the Brewers and Texas was snowed out.
“Yeah, we don’t need a new stadium,” cracked Milwaukee manager Phil Garner, whose office ceiling was soaked.
And in places where they played Saturday, crowds were sparse and temperatures were numbing.
At Wrigley Field, Cubs shortstop Shawon Dunston bundled up in a hooded shirt as Chicago played Atlanta. It was 37 degrees and there was a 25-minute rain delay.
The Mets, having had a home opener postponed for the first time since 1981, will try to open with two games today at Shea Stadium. In an odd situation, the Yankees also will try to play a doubleheader at home.
To some, playing in bad weather would be better than not playing at all.
“My vote would be to play,” said Orioles manager Davey Johnson. “The pitchers are in pretty good shape, so right now I’d just as soon go.”
Baseball had hoped to avoid these problems by tailoring its schedule for early April, when bad weather tends to cause trouble. Every big league dome was in use during the first week of the season and every West Coast team was at home.
The result: Only two games were postponed, as opposed to 10 in last year’s opening week.
This week, however, the weather was the big winner.
The Royals lost games Thursday and Friday, then decided to play Saturday in chilly weather. Had they postponed Saturday’s game, Kansas City and Minnesota would have been forced to play a five-game series in a three-day span in July.
The Indians, with every 1997 home game a sellout, will make up Saturday’s washout with a day-night doubleheader on July 28.
xxxx COLD CROWD The wind-chill temperature was 15 degrees in Kansas City, where Minnesota took on the Royals. Hot chocolate was served free at concession stands. The crowd numbered 3,612 - none in the upper deck, which was closed because of icy footing.