Friday, May 09, 2008

RAIN DELAY.

We knew they were going to call the game.
They knew they were going to call the game.
There were no ‘windows’ in the radar, there were no meteorological experts prognosticating, Mr. G didn’t appear on Diamondvision and tell us to hang tight, the weather was going to clear up soon.
The Rain Hotline advertised that the game was going to be played at 6pm…and when the 7 train came out of the tunnel at 6:30pm…and when TBF found me on the 7 at Woodside at 6:45pm… and when we got to Shea at 7pm.
There was no anthem. There were no marching bands or Cub Scout troops presenting the colors on the field. There were no players doing sprints and agility drills.
There was a big white tarp on which sat the biggest rain puddle in the world.
And then, there was an announcement…that the game was going to be delayed.
At 7:05pm.

But we are troopers. We traipse all the way over to Gate B so we can go to Mama’s (because of course given the huge crowds at Shea tonight, security couldn’t make an exception and allow us to walk around on the field level). We traipse all the way back to third base. We find Miriam and Julia and settle in in Section 12, where the security guard is being utterly ridiculous and not letting people sit in seats other than the ones they are ticketed for.

We eat sandwiches while Miriam and Julia drink. We’re having such a good time we don’t really notice how bad it’s getting until the rain started blowing sideways.

I put on another shirt. I put on my playoffs sweatshirt. I now have two shirts, a fleece and a sweatshirt on. I rummage for gloves and crankily scold TBF for forgetting a blanket.

When they started rolling a cart onto the field around 8pm, carrying what looked like square insulated bags, my first silly thought was: “Pizza going to the clubhouse!”
But no.
The person rolling the cart went into the dugout.
They started loading up the coolers.
And then they started loading the equipment bags.
The Rain Hotline tells us that the game is going to be played tonight.
TBF is turning on WFAN when a curmudgeon in Section 10 yells, “Day-night doubleheader tomorrow at 8:10pm.”
We wait a minute or two for an announcement, but when we see the field level stalwarts heading up the aisles, we say “fuck it.”

We are clearing the new team store near the subway when we finally hear the announcement… and that was with a stop in the Diamond Club lobby to try to find Coop (who was sensibly ensconsed there with her cousin). I’m still trying to figure out why there was at least a FIFTEEN MINUTE DELAY between the announcement on WFAN and the announcement IN THE PLACE WHERE THE PEOPLE WHO NEED TO HEAR IT THE MOST ARE WAITING, cold and wet.

When something similar happened to That Team In The Bronx last year the media jumped all over them for not calling the game until everyone had trekked uptown and spent some money. I know, Cincinnati isn’t coming back this year and no one wanted a day-night doubleheader, but this was also bullPUCKY.

Here, have a cannoli:

The only consolation tonight was learning that Mama’s has pastries on the field level.

Since I was going to be missing tomorrow’s game for Mother’s Day (don’t ask, we do it on Saturday and not on Sunday), at least I get to see a game this week.