Severe weather on the East Coast has caused major disruptions to MLB games all week, and Friday’s matchup between the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles was even postponed just hours before the game. New York’s forecast was no better, with rain, freezing temperatures, and gusty winds expected.
Despite the conditions, the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees decided to take the field after a 26-minute rain delay. The result was predictable: Yankees pitcher Marcus Stroman couldn’t make it out of the first inning due to knee discomfort, and by the sixth inning, manager Aaron Boone was pushing to end the game early, with his team already losing.
Boone admitted the conditions were among the worst he’d ever experienced, as he and bench coach Brad Ausmus struggled with the decision. Eventually, after Yankees pitcher Yoendrys Gomez nearly hit a batter and showed a noticeable dip in velocity, Boone, along with the trainer, convinced the umpires to call for the tarp.
After a 30-minute wait, the game was officially called, with the Giants leading 9-1. However, the fact that the game even got this far highlights MLB’s failure to properly assess the situation. According to MLB rules, the home team decides whether to call off a game before it starts, but once it begins, the league office takes over.
Boone was given conflicting weather forecasts, yet the Yankees chose to play in hopes of finding a clear window. The scheduling challenges are evident: the Giants won’t return to New York until a July series with the Mets, leaving little room for makeup games.
MLB’s push for more interleague play has created these scheduling issues, forcing teams like the Giants to play in notoriously rainy April weather. Faced with either playing through dangerous conditions or creating a scheduling headache, the teams opted to continue. Now, we can only hope there are no long-term consequences for the players involved.
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