Players dream about moving World Series to warm, dry site

ST. LOUIS – Detroit Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson said he and some of his teammates were kicking around an idea Wednesday while they were stuck inside the visiting clubhouse at Busch Stadium because of the rain and chill outside.

“Both (the Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals) have spring training facilities in Florida. We could bring (the World Series) down there,” Granderson said with a smile. “TV could still pick it up for the rest of the people that want to watch.”

He said there was even talk among players that baseball adopts a revolving neutral World Series site – maybe in Texas or California – each year similar to what the NFL does with the Super Bowl. That way it can always be played in warm weather, said Granderson, who grew up in Chicago.

“I’d rather take warm over cold any day,” Granderson said. “It kind of puts you more comfortable. You don’t have to constrict yourself by covering up the whole day.”

Baseball is supposed to be played with one glove, not two.

But that hasn’t been the case this October. The temperature at the start of Saturday’s Game 1 was 52 degrees – by far the balmiest of the week. This World Series may not see another 50-degree night.

But Tigers Manager Jim Leyland doesn’t care. Any talk about moving a World Series away from the home cities because of weather meets his scorn.

“I would never go for that. I love this. I don’t care how miserable it is,” Leyland said. “I think it would be a crying shame to take something like this away from the fans of St. Louis or the fans of Detroit.”