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October 06, 2005

Oh, Mudder

Here's the current weather forecast for NYC: Friday, rain. Saturday, rain. Sunday, rain. Monday, rain. And, for good measure, Tuesday, rain.

What a mess this is going to be for Games 3 and 4 of the Yanks-Angels ALCS. I know in the past, for April games where snow was expected, the Yankees would sometimes borrow a tarp from (if I recall correctly) Giants Stadium to help keep the OF dry during the night. That's not going to happen now. At some point in one of these games, some outfielder is going to think he's on a Slip'n Slide.

And, of course, there's the poor fans at the Stadium who are going to have to sit in and through all this. That's not fun.

How will this rain help/hurt the Yankees? The only way that it will possibly help is that a wet rack might slow down the Angels running game. But, that's minor.

Where it's going to kill the Yankees is the bullpen - in the sense that their roster weakness will be exposed. If there's a long rain delay, and the Yankees starting pitcher has to come out of the game, and it's before the 7th inning, here comes the Leiters, Proctors, and Embrees of the world. On the flip side, the Angels have more quality arms in their pen to cover for the early loss of a starting pitcher.

Just think, if the Yankees had won home field for this LDS, it wouldn't matter if it was going to rain here tomorrow and Saturday, would it?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at October 6, 2005 10:31 PM

Comments

Don't forget about Aaron Small. If a starter leaves early I would expect him to be the first one in.

Posted by: Jen at October 6, 2005 11:24 PM

Borrow a tarp from the toilet bowl in Flushing, Shea Stadium.

Thems the breaks.

As for Aaron Small, reality will eventually strike.

Posted by: Don at October 7, 2005 02:38 AM

FWIW, the turf was replaced, it drains a lot better now.

Steve, you are right, it was from Giants Stadium that the tarp was borrowed.

I agree, that it will kill the pitching staff. One of the long men in the pen is going to have to step up. If it rains as much as expected, I think we'll see a starter come in on his throw day, provided things are close enough.

Posted by: Raf at October 7, 2005 10:57 AM

I think the only throw day guy tonight is Mussina - and he won't come in, you know it.

Posted by: Steve Lombardi at October 7, 2005 11:43 AM

They're saying there's a great chance that here in Boston the game won't be played tomorrow. They're saying there could also be numerous delays tonight.

IF Boston forces a Game 5 and there is a rain out that greatly benefits them as Wells could start Game 5 and not Clement/Arroyo/Whoever.

Posted by: JJay at October 7, 2005 02:17 PM

You don't have to worry about any more games being played in Beantown this season!

Posted by: dom at October 7, 2005 07:47 PM

Dang, had they won last sunday, they'd be playing in sunny California right now

Posted by: Raf at October 8, 2005 09:57 PM