The Orioles need all the love they can get right now; it's been a tough year. But if the
umpires and stadium weather communications people can't get on the page, well, maybe the Orioles deserve to miss out on well-earned wins:
Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail acknowledged yesterday that the club bears some responsibility for a potential rain-shortened victory over the Yankees turning into a suspended game, though he declined to offer specifics.
However, three baseball sources confirmed that a Major League Baseball official yesterday contacted Roger Hayden, the Orioles' director of ballpark operations, about how Thursday's rain delays were handled.
The ending left a bitter taste with the Orioles, who felt that the game should never have resumed after the first delay, which came in the middle of the Orioles' four-run seventh and lasted 19 minutes.
Tschida, reached last night in Cincinnati, said stadium officials did not keep him up to date on the weather conditions, an assertion that was denied by one Orioles official, who said that he is confident that the club "followed proper protocol."
Poor Orioles. Sure is a bummer to see this team lose out on a lone bright spot in a drab year --
Aubrey Huff's
cycle last night was another -- because stadium officials can't relay "Um, more rain is coming" down to an already-soaked umpiring staff. Should
Andy MacPhail hire a meteorologist instead?
