I’m not going to lie – I was pissed as I dodged rain drops on the way back to our minivan.
My perfectly orchestrated plan for our first night in Sevierville, Tennessee had been foiled by a light rain storm that Floridians might call a “sprinkle.”
Not only had I convinced my baseball-hating wife that seeing the Class AA Tennessee Smokies was a great idea on night #1 of our recent vacation, I was certain that the rain that drenched our afternoon hike would subside by the time we reached the ballpark for a 7 p.m. first pitch.
Even after seeing the tarp covering the infield upon our arrival, I confidently proclaimed to my family, “The rain is so light, I bet they start in a few minutes.”
Nearly an hour later the official word rang from the stadiums speakers – the game was postponed. My plan was out the window.
My kids’ faces filled with disappointment while my wife glared in an I-told-you-so scowl.
I was wrong about the weather and had wasted our evening as a result. And, as I trudged back to my car after an hour of waiting with five antsy kids, I thought of several ways parents can sniff out a potential rain delay for a Minor League game.
If you have little kids and are thinking about braving the elements to attend a Minor League game near you, you should learn from my vacation evening strike-out.
Before the game checklist to avoid a wasted evening:
(1) Don’t go too early if the weather is iffy.
My Midwestern mentality usually has me arriving early to any event. On time (or even a bit late) is just fine for any MiLB contest.
Unless there is a major-leaguer making a rehabilitation start, a killer giveaway to the first to enter the stadium or Tim Tebow is playing, there is no reason to be early for a game – especially if rain is in the offing.
Trust me, missing the managers exchange lineups or a few pitches during the top of the 1st inning is a better trade than getting soaked during a rain delay.
(2) Check social media of the home team before you take off with the family.
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On the night of our Tennessee rain out, the Smokies tweeted about the delay ten minutes before we left our cabin. If I’d only checked Twitter before leaving, I would have saved myself a few hours that evening.
Alas, no Facebook post can help you when you’ve already arrived at the ballpark and see the infield tarp covering the field. I did notice, however, a few clues to detect a rain delay or an impending rain out from our seats.
While in the stands, take notice of:
(1) Grounds crew activity.
From my vantage point, I could see four members of the Smokies’ grounds crew in the visitor’s dugout – none of which were standing, all of which looked like they weren’t planning to take the tarp off of the field anytime soon. If you take note of an inactive crew, the game is likely to be a wash-out.
(2) Are the teams in the dugouts?
I should have been clued into the potential for a rain out while looking into the home team’s dugout. It was empty – and remained that way until the game was finally called off. The only uniform we witnessed that evening belonged to Tennessee’s manager who met the umpire at home plate briefly before returning to the dry comforts of the clubhouse just before the official cancellation announcement was made.
After arriving and before the official rain-out announcement can be torturous for parents of young kids. Fortunately, I found there to be free ways to keep my children entertained during the long rain delay.
When the impatient children become too restless:
(1) Go on a concourse tour.
When your kids can’t sit any longer during a delay, the concourse can provide a ten minute distraction. During our concourse tour, we found the mascot, gathered more trinkets from local vendors, checked out the merchandise shop and walked from foul pole to foul pole without fear of losing a kid.
(2) Make a friend at Will Call.
If your crew is tired of waiting and bedtime looms, you could try to befriend the local ticket office employee to request a rain check. If game is postponed, the club will offer up another ticket for a future game – why not preemptively ask for the same courtesy?
After all, Minor Leagues teams are part of the community and want nothing more than your experience to be great – whether that experience happens today or during a future, brighter day.
