PHILADELPHIA (AP) -The World Series became the late, late show Saturday night.
How late?
By the time it ended early Sunday morning, the storm that delayed the start of the game 91 minutes was well on its way to New England, or maybe even England.
Boys and girls in Philadelphia and the Tampa Bay area likely were tucked in and asleep clutching their stuffed animals.
Shane Victorino’s buddies in Hawaii got to watch him play in the evening.
A few more innings, and the Phillies and Rays would have been prime-time TV – in Samoa.
A little later than that, and it would have been prime time – Sunday! – in New Zealand.
Forgot taco promotions, every fan should have been given free espresso.
Jamie Moyer, the Phillies 45-year-old starter, didn’t throw the first pitch until 10:06 p.m. No, he had not turned 46 by then.
. Sunday.
By the time the Phillies’ 5-4 win over the Rays gave them a 2-1 World Series lead, the “Saturday Night Live” cast had left the studio and the TV competition on many networks was infomercials.
Sleeping Bag Night, anyone?
No-Doze Day?
It was the latest start in Series history, according to Major League Baseball, beating out the 9:24 p.m. first pitch when Philadelphia hosted Toronto for Game 3 in 1993 at Veterans Stadium. That one started following a 72-minute rain delay.
Games have ended later. Famously, there was the New York Mets 16-13, 19-inning Fourth of July victory at Atlanta in 1985 that ended at 3:55 a.m.
While only about 8,000 fans remained at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium for that one, Citizens Bank Park was filled with nearly all of the capacity crowd of 45,900 stayed for this one.
Fans huddled under the overhangs and crowded the concourses during the delay to watch No. 3 Penn State play No. 10 Ohio State on television. A few hardy souls sat in seats behind the dugout, covered by plastic sheeting that whipped wildly.
d, and people are here.”
Colors from the ceremonial World Series logos bled onto the crushed brick warning track behind home plate. Puddles formed on the warning track around the outfield and pools collected on top of the tarp.
Once the game began, there was no more rain, and the crowd of 45,900 filled the seats, many waving white towels in support of the Phillies.
Rays manager Joe Maddon was happy the delay was in a ballpark that opened in 2004 and has modern facilities and space.
“If you’re in Fenway, in that clubhouse, it gets kind of annoying,” he said. “The clubhouse is, what, maybe half this size. And when you have all the amenities and you get yourself a nice cheesesteak while you’re waiting or watch a game on the tube – J.P. Howell is up there watching Texas versus Oklahoma State right now – this kind of facility ameliorates that situation a bit and permits you to get through the moment.”
His use of “ameliorates” brought laughter from a room of baseball reporters.
Maddon wondered how Rays starting pitcher Matt Garza would spend the time.
“Matt Garza is a different story. I don’t know what he’s going to do. If there’s a padded room around here, I’d really like to know about, so he can go there and bounce around for a bit,” he said.
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