Posted on 10/28/2008 11:30:22 AM PDT by GiveEmDubya
PHILADELPHIA -- Game 5 of the 2008 World Series will not resume Tuesday due to inclement weather, Major League Baseball announced. Game 5 is now tentatively scheduled to resume on Wednesday evening at 8:37 p.m. ET, weather permitting.
In a statement, Commissioner Bud Selig said: "While obviously we want to finish Game Five as soon as possible, the forecast for today does not allow for us to continue the game this evening.
"We are closely monitoring tomorrow's forecast and will continue to monitor the weather on an hourly basis. We will advise fans as soon as we are able to make any final decisions with respect to tomorrow's schedule."
Rays manager Joe Maddon is expected to address reporters via conference call at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, after his club was forced to relocate lodging 25 miles away to Wilmington, Del., following the suspension of Tuesday's game. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel is scheduled to speak at 3 p.m.
As expected, wet weather continued into Tuesday in the Philadelphia area, as Major League Baseball officials studied radar data to determine when Game 5 of the World Series would continue under conditions deemed "appropriate."
The Phillies and Rays remain tied at 2 going to the bottom of the sixth inning in a suspended game at Citizens Bank Park.
Early forecasts for Wednesday offer some hope for baseball. The Weather Channel predicts partly cloudy skies and a 20 percent chance of precipitation for 8 p.m., with temperatures in the low 40s and 15-mph winds from the west.
AccuWeather agrees, forecasting partly cloudy skies and 43 degrees for game time. Weatherbug marks the chance of precipitation for 20 percent at first pitch on Wednesday.
The forecast for resuming play on Tuesday evening never appeared promising, as early afternoon presented overcast skies, continuing precipitation and medium winds as Philadelphia woke up to a cold and gray scene. By game time, the continuing rain and winds would have made the temperature feel as though it was in the 20s.
Ultimately, the decision on when and whether to play remains in the hands of Selig. During the regular season, pregame postponements are controlled by the home club, and then after a game begins, by the umpires. Selig makes those decisions during the World Series, and he said he made the ruling to start Game 5 with some trepidation.
Up to this point, there had never been a rain-shortened game in Series history, and this was the first suspension.
"I had a nagging fear, because these forecasts have changed so much," Selig said after Monday's game was suspended. "I don't want to speculate now; we'll see what happens. But we're not going to resume until we have decent weather conditions."
Game 3 of the World Series, played Saturday evening, was delayed one hour and 31 minutes by rain. The Phillies and Rays played uninterrupted after the delay, with Philadelphia winning, 5-4, in the bottom of the ninth on Carlos Ruiz's bases-loaded infield hit.
The field at Citizens Bank Park is playable in a steady rain. The system in place allows the grass to drain and a sand-like substance is used to keep the dirt portion of the infield from saturating. As a backup, the system is equipped with a vacuum that pumps tons of water out of the drainage pipes.
Games 6 and 7, if necessary, would take place in the domed confines of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, though no determination has been made on the scheduling of those contests. They were originally to be played Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.
Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Should have added: if it were to be resumed tonight, it would have been at ~8pm.
Go Philly’s! I’m hoping sports fans will be mad at O for delaying the game.
That’s so Obambi to think himself so important to interrupt what Americans really want to see and that’s not him.
GOOD! I need sleep. Even though i don’t give a damn about either team, it is the World series, afterall.
Just out of curiosity, what is Bud Selig’s political affilication? (sorry if my tinfoil hat is screwed on too tight) But, since I’ve started, I might has well finish ... if the Philly’s had won on Monday night, the Series would be over. Would have taken the wind out of Obama’s 30-min infomerical.
I am especially hoping Phillies and Rays fans are mad at him.
In fact, I hope Philly goes on to lose the game and it has to go back to FL.
If that happens, then McCain will definitely win PA.
SELIG, ALLAN H
WEST ALLIS,WI 53227 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL/COMMISSIONER
9/20/07 $10,000 Democratic Senatorial Campaign Cmte (D)
SELIG, ALLAN H
MILWAUKEE,WI 53227 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL/COMMISSIONER
8/8/07 $1,000 Levin, Carl (D)
SELIG, ALLAN H MR
WEST ALLIS,WI 53227 MLB/COMMISSIONER OF BASEBALL
3/29/07 $2,300 Dodd, Christopher J (D)
Bud Selig has given upwards of $75,000 to Democrats in the past several years.
Ditto that! Obama getting bit hard on the behind with bad timing. That infomercial is becoming more a disaster.
According to one source I found, Selig donated to Biden in his ‘88 presidential run.
Like I said, I might have my tinfoil hat screwed on too tight, but Selig unilaterally changing a league rule seems odd. And it would have deminished The ONE’s informerical on Wednesday if the Series was over.
Well, the World Series never used to push into November either, and with TV in charge, it may someday become "The Winter Classic".
It has only gone into November once, but that was in 2001, and the reasons for the season being suspended for a week were obvious. November baseball becoming standard is something I might see happening if the Division Series gets expanded someday to 7 games. A future commish might do that; probably not Bud.
As for now, they might not need Games 6 or 7, as the Phils can still wrap it up whenever they play. Hamels coming out, assuming he does, probably works to the Rays’ advantage though. I think Selig and the top brass are hoping Philly just gets it over with tomorrow night.
There’s no way they could have finished the game last night. For the last half inning the field was soup and the weather only got worse.
And really given the crappy ratings this World Series is getting I don’t really think having a game after Obama’s speech is going to add any viewers, which is on most of the channels anyway.
Apparently this rule was already changed, post season games do not get shortened do to weather. Delayed, or suspended but never shortened.
I'm still not sure—at least in regard to some other posts—how this is some sort of nefarious plot to help Obama.
I think had he put it on “infinite rain delay” due to it not being tied that would have been Selig making up his own rules. But my understanding is thanks to the tie the suspension is inline with that 2007 rule change.
I’m with you, in general I disagree with anything Selig says, but this time he was right. You just can’t hand out the WS trophy on a rain shortened game. While I’ve never been accused of being a “purity of the game” junkie that would just be wrong.
I don’t see the Obama angle either. I can’t see millions of baseball fans not knowing the start time and tuning in at the wrong time only to be mesmerized by The Chosen One. It’s 2008, people look up start times on the internet.
I will trade a Phillies loss for a McCain win. And I bleed pinstripes.
So this suspension is what the rule book has required since 1980. Copy & paste the link below to see what the rule book required, in this situation, before 1980 and from 1980-2006.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AgNe20GzUY65DzgzusC2Mxypu7YF?slug=ap-worldseries-suspensionrule&prov=ap&type=lgns&print=1
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