Sox-Twins call Game 1 - then play Game 2
This is old news, but I’ve been meaning to post on it. Last Wednesday, the Sox had a doubleheader (due to a rainout from Tuesday night) against the Twins. In the afternoon game, the Sox were up 10-1 in the bottom of the 7th, with one out, and men on second and third. A rain delay was called - and about an hour and a half later, the game was called. Wakefield technically pitched a complete game, and the Red Sox got the victory. Several hours later, the rains let up - allowing the teams to play the second game of the doubleheader, in full.
The teams wanted to get both games in on Wednesday if possible, but Thursday was an off day for both - the Sox stayed home to welcome the Yankees on Friday, and the Twins were to travel to Cleveland (admittedly not exactly a cross-country trip). The Twins are not scheduled to come back to Boston the rest of the season, so if they were left to play a game - then they’d have to find a mutual off-day later in the season to have Minnesota fly back in, to play the one game.
The decision to *not* continue Game 1 after a four- to five-hour delay and instead start Game 2 fresh came under scrutiny by some, led by ESPN’s Steve Phillips. If I understand his position correctly, it was an afront to the intergrity of Major League Baseball and to the game. His feeling was that aside from the (remote) possibility that the Twins could still come back and win the game, neither team should’ve been allowed to “rest” the bullpen in a blowout… they should have to play it out (if they could’ve, on the same day).
That’s humorous - cuz if a team wanted to rest its bullpen, it could put a position player in to pitch (see Swisher, Nick - recent Indians-Yanks drubbing). As for the possibility that the Twins would come back, um… I suppose anything is indeed possible. However, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire summed it up nicely, I thought:
“When you’re down 10-1 with two men still on — it’s kind of a little silly there. How many times are you going to wait four, five hours for a rain delay?” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “Waiting around like that, umpires aren’t going to do that. … But definitely the score of the game makes it a little easier to bang this game. What are you going to say?”
He’s the leader of the team, and never wants to admit defeat when there are still outs to give… I get that. But he’s also a realistic guy. My interpretation is this: Both managers (and the umpires) recognized that the game was over and it was going to be a Boston victory. They’d waited 1-1/2 hours and there was no sign the rains were going to let up. Why wait four or five hours to play the final couple innings of a blowout - when you could wait four or five hours and try to get that second game in? Then take the scheduled off-day the next day, and go on from there. Why is that approach a problem?
I believe Phillips railed on that it’s been 100 years since this last happened - that is, one game was shortened by rain, and a second game was still played later that day… or whatever the time frame has been. So what. This was a unique situation… I think that’s the point.
Someone told me that “Mike & Mike” (I believe it was) were complaining about the proverbial “slippery slope”. That is, what’s to keep another manager from getting a blowout game called early so he doesn’t have to use up his bullpen - and what is the point where a game is unwinnable? Is it 9 runs with six outs to go… what about 6 runs with 9 outs to go… etc? Puh-leeze.
As indicated, the Sox had men on 2nd-and-3rd with one out, ahead by nine, and the Twins had six outs to go. At *best*, they would come back cold from a five-hour rain delay to try to make up nine runs in the last two innings. Realistically, the deficit would’ve been more - given the situation. Why waste time doing that?
Finally, what about the fans? I realize the fans don’t matter too much - but who the heck would’ve waited around four or five hours for the “rest of the game”. Very few. And then what to do with those fans for Game 2? I guess tell them that once Game 1 is concluded, they’d try to get Game 2 in, if they could get the park cleaned up… and if the rains held off… and if they could beat curfew… so just sit tight and we’ll let you know. Bull-puckey.
They did the right thing. Game 1 was over. They called it after 1-1/2 hours when it was clear they wouldn’t be able to re-start for at least another few hours - and everyone knew the outcome was not in doubt. Have the players, umps, and fans go get dried off - and get geared up for Game 2… if they would be able to get that in. If not, play that on Thursday… fine. As it turns out, they got both games in.
What’s the big issue?!