Perspectives: Looking Past The Rain

By Paul Semendinger

October 13, 2022

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So it looks as though the Yankees will be rained out tonight. Yesterday was such a beautiful day. I'm not sure why the game was originally scheduled as an off day, but more, I wonder why MLB can't think out-of-the-box and look ahead at the weather and make a game change in advance of the rain.

If tonight's game is rained out, and it looks very likely that it will be, all of the people with tickets will have to make other arrangements. What would the difference have been if MLB looked ahead and saw that tonight's game would most likely be rained out and if they moved the game to last night. All the people with tickets would have to make other arrangements...right? Isn't that what they'll have to do now anyway?

I understand TV and radio and all of that, but, again, they will also have to change programming and such. It's that way for any argument against this line of thinking. No matter what, plans will be changed due to the rainout. Doesn't it make more sense to play the game in advance of the bad weather than to have a day off and then wait for the rainout which messes things up anyway?

The teams now also lose the first travel day.

What am I missing in my reasoning?

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Going forward, it seems as though the schedule will be as follows:

• Friday, Oct 14 - at Yankee Stadium

• Saturday, October 15 - at Progressive Field (Cleveland)

• Sunday, October 16 - at Progressive Field (Cleveland) - if needed

• Monday, October 17 - at Yankee Stadium - if needed

So, after the Yankees played one game between October 6 and October 13, they now might play four games in four days.

I'd love to understand the logic the schedule makers utilize when figuring this all out.

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The rainout, if anything, should help the Yankees in regard to pitching match-ups. The best pitchers on Cleveland are Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie. The Yankees will only have to face each of them once in the series.

Of course, the Yankees will now only be able to use Nestor Cortes and Luis Severino once each.

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Here's the million dollar question, if there is a game on Sunday (in other words, if the Yankees don't sweep), will the Yankees pitch Gerrit Cole on his regular rest or try to save him for Monday's game or Game 1 of the ALCS?

If I'm the Yankees, I take nothing for granted and I'd pitch Cole on Sunday. Go with your best and win. That's what I would do. That's why he pitched Game One - to be ready for Sunday.

I'd let Monday take care of Monday, but I'd pitch Cole Sunday, even if they're up in the series because I never want to play a Game 5 or Game 7, winner-take-all game if I can avoid it.

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The ALCS, should the Yankees get there, begins on Wednesday, October 19. Unless the Yankees sweep Cleveland, it seems that Nestor Cortes will be the Game 1 starter for that series. He'd be pitching on full rest. Severino would as well for Game 2.

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There are always lots of frightening Halloween ads and such. This stat from the NY Post should scare everyone - "In his last six postseason outings dating back to 2019, Jonathan Loaisiga has allowed 15 base runners over just 4 ¹/₃ innings."

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The discussion here on SSTN yesterday regarding the Aaron Judge contract was great. I enjoyed all the thoughts and perspectives. Great stuff.

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Let's Go Yankees!