Baseball has a rule acknowledging the whims of Mom Nature. Rule 4.03(e) permits the umpire to droop play in response to extreme climate — rain, snow, no matter would possibly arrive. However just a few old-timey stadiums demand utility of this rule for non-severe climate, maybe Mom Nature’s least whimsical, most dependable behavior: the setting solar.
Practically each ballpark is constructed such that the batter faces east in order that video games performed within the night received’t put the glare of sundown instantly within the batter’s eye. However a few very previous stadiums, together with the legendary Wahconah Park in Pittsfield, MA, have been constructed earlier than electrical outside lighting made night video games potential, so their architects didn’t fear concerning the compass. Wahconah Park faces virtually due east, which implies video games frequently pause to accommodate probably the most predictable factor recognized to man. On this episode of Bizarre Guidelines, we wrap our heads round a long-ago oversight that interrupts baseball video games to this present day.
Let’s discuss concerning the solar delay.
