MLB once again proves to be incompetent after WC Game 2 weather delay fiasco

If this is the way Masahiro Tanaka’s career ends in New York, Yankees fans should riot.

Game 2 of the AL Wild Card series between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians was set to take place at 7:08 p.m. ET on Wednesday night. However, the contest was delayed 42 minutes because of “incoming rain.”

Well, the rain never came, so Major League Baseball, after issuing the first delay, scheduled first pitch for 7:50 p.m. ET. Just in time! For the rain. Heavy winds were blowing at Progressive Field and buckets started flying down from the sky with two outs in the top of the first.

Instead of putting the tarp on then, they let Masahiro Tanaka pitch to the first three batters in the bottom of the first. After getting Francisco Lindor to ground out, he gave up back-to-back doubles to Cesar Hernandez and Jose Ramirez and the Indians took a 1-0 lead. And then the officials decided to put the tarp on the field.

The rain started less than 10 minutes into the game and put the Yankees in a terrible position. Depending on how long the delay lasts, Tanaka may not come back out on the field to pitch … and the Bombers are already facing a one-run deficit with a runner on second and one out.

If this is Tanaka’s final start in pinstripes, the league must do something about Rob Manfred. On top of all that happened prior to the start of the season with the COVID-19 safety protocols and the back and forth between the players’ union and the owners, this is the last straw. They can’t properly handle a weather delay during a playoff game?

And look, this is bad for the Indians, too! They could lose Carlos Carrasco in this one. But they very much got the start they needed and it was thanks to the weather, because we’d venture to say Tanaka would’ve had a much easier time if he wasn’t getting pelted by rain as his pants were about to fly off due to the gusting winds.

Remember, MLB makes the calls on these weather delays, so this is 100% the league’s fault. Though the tarp is coming off now (it seems), this was horrific mismanagement by those in charge and it’s another blemish on the long list of failures we’ve seen over the past couple of years.

Without a doubt a disgrace.

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