Rain could delay World Series opener
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Weather or not, that is the question for managers Ned Yost and Terry Collins on a soggy Tuesday with forecasts calling for rain all day and into the evening, including the scheduled start of Game 1 of the World Series.
Rain delayed Game 6 of the American League Championship Series for the Royals, who beat the Toronto Blue Jays after a delay of nearly one hour to advance to the World Series.
The forecast Tuesday morning was for temperatures nearly 55 degrees and light rain at 8:07 p.m. ET, when the first pitch is scheduled to be thrown by Royals right-hander Edinson Volquez. If rain is heavier, the start of the game will be delayed, commissioner Rob Manfred said Monday. MLB has erred on the side of caution since 2008, when for the first time umpires suspended play in a World Series game.
“I think that I would be reluctant to begin a game or — even more reluctant to begin the warmup process if I didn’t think we could play a substantial portion of that game,” Manfred said. “I am not a believer, and I think you saw it with the forecast in Chicago in the game we played here on Friday night, if you get to 8:00 and it’s time for everybody to get ready to go at 8:00 and you don’t have rain, I think you have to play. I am a believer in that. By the same token, I think we know enough about the forecast that we’re not going to get in a situation that we start at 8:07 and get rained out at 8:12 and burn two starting pitchers.”
Mets manager Terry Collins reportedly kicked around the idea of using his long reliever, Bartolo Colon, as the Game 1 starter in the event he anticipated a weather delay. Scheduled starter Matt Harvey is on pace to establish a new record for innings pitched in the first year back from Tommy John surgery, the point of a lingering debate stirred by agent Scott Boras. The Mets would certainly avoid bringing Harvey back into the game following an extended break in the game.
MLB set up a schedule provision to adjust if Game 1 is rained out. That game would be played Wednesday night and Game 2 on Thursday night. No travel day would be used, meaning the teams could play five days in a row.
The next day during the World Series that currently has rain in the forecast is Game 7 on November 4 in Kansas City.
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