If I only end up updating my blog because of rain delays and game cancellations, I’m sad to say that I hope it doesn’t happen often. Here in Newark, the tarp is on the field, and it appears the interns and grounds crew are about to take it off. (Phew.) As anyone who works in Minor League Baseball knows, putting the tarp on is the easy part. Taking it off tends to be a much different story.Water is a lot heavier than you’d think.
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As I was writing this, they started fightin’ the good fight: getting the tarpaulin mammoth off of the diamond. Here’s a photo of their effort through a rain-soaked press box window. It wasn’t raining for long, but there had to be a ton of water on the tarp anyway from the looks of it.
I was going to name this entry “From Minor League Baseball to a Major Storm: Part 2,” but then I had a great reason to change it to the current title. In one of the classiest things I’ve seen in my time in baseball, the tarp pullers got some well-deserved attention from Bears PA Announcer Jim Hague. Jim asked the crowd here at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium to give the interns & grounds crew a hand for their efforts. Little things like that certainly go a long way with me.
Cheers to you Jim, and to the ten or so people conquering the beast. I’m sure I’ll have to do so soon, and everyone could use a pat on the back when it happens.
"Would you like to come to the tarp party... the party... with the tarp?" --Brick Tamblin, Anchorman (Okay, I paraphrased a bit.)
Nick Gagalis 
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