Tigers Minor League Baseball Blog

It all starts with the forecast, what the percent chance of rain is and then what the radar looks like. Then the buzz starts to float around the team, “Hey there’s a chance we get rained out tonight.” Soon after all eyes know exactly where any possible weather will be coming from. Once you see the bullpen pitchers walk in before a drop of rain has fallen, this is usually the main indicator bad weather is on the way. What you don’t see is the elaborate drawings we bullpeners create in the dirt in honor of some form of a rain god. Then it happens, the field crew comes out to put the tarp on and the rain begins to fall.
The players who stay in the dugout usually are too tired to walk up to the clubhouse or the storm doesn’t look that bad. But for the guys you see dashing into safety, well, that is just a cover. The hurry is to go in and immediately check the radar to try their best at amateur forecasting. Prayers are said and the debate between coaches, umpires and team officials begins. Now to clarify, once the game has started it is up to the umpires to continue or cancel the game. However the coaches usually act as the lobbyists for player demands and can say some pretty persuasive things to get done what is “best for the team.” I have never been in one of these discussions so I am merely speculating at this point but based on body language, and hand movements I can pretty much tell what is being said.
If there was a heavy rain and it happens to be a night game there is a good chance that lobbying will win out for a rainout. For, you as a fan, if you manage to spot any of these tendencies at any point during a delay, the better you odds of either salvaging the night you took off, or taking the person’s seat who judged wrong.