Monday, April 9, 2007

Major League Baseball is moving the upcoming Anaheim Angels at Cleveland Indians series to Miller Park in Milwaukee after snow and cold has led to the cancellation of the Tribe’s four-game home opener against the Seattle Mariners at Jacobs Field. The games, which were rescheduled to be played in double-headers on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, will need to be made-up later this season. A venue change was needed to prevent more postponed games; cold temperatures in Cleveland are forecasted throughout the week, and precipitation is expected Wednesday.

The snow started falling Friday, the day of the Indians home opener against the Mariners, and never let up. After three “snow delays”, the game was postponed, just one out away from being considered an “official game”. The ground crew has been working nonstop, on Saturday clearing 10 inches off the field only to have it begin to snow heavily just hours before the game, leading to another postponement.

“ This is an unbelievable situation; We’ve had snow, we’ve had cold weather, but not everything at once, backing it up from day to day to day. The great uncertainty is still the lake-effect [snow] and the weather. Until the temperature gets above freezing, we’re not going to be able to do anything. Obviously the field underneath is iffy, at best, with all this snow and the way everything played out, trying to get the field ready. Everybody’s going to pitch, but it’s just a matter of when. The challenge is to keep these guys ready and know when to have them throw a side. Obviously, they can come in and play catch. With a foot of snow on the field, no one’s going outside to play catch. ”
 

Further complicating matters is the fact that Seattle is not scheduled to return to Cleveland during the regular season, so make-up games would need to be played during the teams’ off-days. The Tribe, who haven’t played since Wednesday’s loss to the White Sox, haven’t been resting either. All players reported Sunday for indoor practice. Cleveland outfielder David Dellucci said “I’ve been trying to get a partner to play long toss on the field, and nobody wants to throw with me. I think this is the first time in my career I’ve wanted to throw and no one wanted to. Usually, it’s the other way around.”