Chipper, Inciarte, others tweet about Braves’ bizarre rain-less rain delay
The ball game turned into a stall game Thursday night.
Fearing rain and possibly not wanting to waste starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez and have to use their struggling bullpen, the Washington Nationals made the Braves wait 3 hours and 5 minutes to start their game at Nationals Park in Washington.
It was technically a rain delay, but there was more confusion and frustration than rain. There was no precipitation until two hours had elapsed into the delay.
The players stood around wondering why they were not playing, and at least one, Braves All-Star center fielder Ender Inciarte, even tweeted about it.
The grounds crew didn't even put the tarp on the infield until 90 minutes after the scheduled first pitch. Light rain eventually fell, but only for a couple of minutes.
After the delay reached 2 1/2 hours, the Nationals posted a statement on the video scoreboard saying, “It is our sincere hope that we will be able to play tonight's game. The weather system that we have been monitoring is beginning to reach the ballpark & should pass through shortly. ... Thank you for your patience.”
Not many fans were left at that point.
Despite the warning, the grounds crew removed the dry tarp 10 minutes later, and players began warming up in the outfield.
The game began at 10:10 p.m. and the Braves eventually beat the Nats 5-2, with the game ending well after 1 a.m.
Take a look at Twitter reaction to the strange delay:
This No-Rain delay is something i've never seen before!!
— Ender Inciarte (@enderinciartem) July 7, 2017
Inciarte was asked if he would spend time during the delay sliding on wet tarp:
Can't. The tarp is dry. https://t.co/Nomy7ROZ7x
— Ender Inciarte (@enderinciartem) July 7, 2017
Retired Braves great Chipper Jones didn’t understand the delay either:
Why is there no game being played in Washington???
— Chipper Jones (@RealCJ10) July 7, 2017
Let them play!!! Let them play!!!
— Chipper Jones (@RealCJ10) July 7, 2017
More tweets:
How about this? The Nats used their in-game entertainment boss to sing Natl Anthem. Original scheduled singer went home during delay. Haha
— Chip Caray (@kapaya1234) July 7, 2017
Fake weather https://t.co/E9rBdShiAs
— Chip Caray (@kapaya1234) July 7, 2017
Nats to normal weather translations:
— Chip Caray (@kapaya1234) July 7, 2017
sunny and 75*=delay
Partly cloudy/rain chance =cancel season
Hurricane=play on
Fire/brimstone=play 2
Yup. Absolutely NO consideration for fans who paid their hard-earned money to watch a game that should've started on time. Embarrassing https://t.co/ndsDgM3qDi
— Chip Caray (@kapaya1234) July 7, 2017
Your remaining crowd after the 3-hour rainless delay debacle at #NatsPark pic.twitter.com/amZX2rZAH0
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC) July 7, 2017
They are pulling dry tarp off the field at 9:40 p.m. Seriously, this could not have been handled worse by #Nats officials. Total, epic fail.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC) July 7, 2017
The next time someone from north of Georgia busts on ATL for our gridlock in icestorms, let's show footage of this rain delay.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC) July 7, 2017
On this date in 2017, #Nats officials staged a rain delay of more than 2 hours when there was no rain for the first 2 hours. https://t.co/h9MZ7AiLJx
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC) July 7, 2017
You don't understand. There has been NO RAIN. Not light rain. No rain. For 2 hours. Two. Hours. https://t.co/2cL6jA3EwU
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC) July 7, 2017
Fans leaving in droves. What an experience for them. "Went to the #Nats game last night. Left after 1 1/2 hrs of rain delay w/ no rain."
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC) July 7, 2017
Batten down the hatches, this is getting torrential. Stay in your homes. #NationalsRainDelay approaching 1 hour. No rain yet. Not a drop. pic.twitter.com/vG9Ru0Ivul
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC) July 6, 2017
Freeman's RBI double was the 999th hit of his career, but just the first to follow a three-hour approaching weather delay.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) July 7, 2017
Two hours into tonight's delay, D.C. sports fans are still waiting for a Stanley Cup, a NLCS appearance and rain.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) July 7, 2017
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