The professional baseball rain scene has changed. No matter how heavy the rain falls, wait as long as possible. The wet ground was somehow restored and the game was played. It is a clear change from the past, when the situation was monitored for as little as 30 minutes or as long as an hour, and then a game was canceled due to rain or a game was declared cold due to rain.
The match between KT Wiz and Hanwha Eagles was held at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on the 17th. The game on this day was divided into the first and second games of a double header. Although it was a double header with a lot of physical pressure, the game went smoothly. In the first game, which started at 2 p.m., KT won 7-0 thanks to starting pitcher William Cuevas’ 7 innings, 7 hits, 5 strikeouts, and no runs, and Anthony Alford’s 2 hits in 4 at-bats, 1 home run, and 2 RBIs.
The time it took for the bottom of the 9th inning to end was 2 hours and 40 minutes. Because it was a one-sided game, the first game ended earlier than usual, and the second game resumed at 5:12 p.m. However, not long after the game started, an uninvited guest came. It was rain. From Hanwha’s 5th attack, the raindrops became thicker and the game became unplayable. In the end, a halt was declared when KT starting pitcher Wes Benjamin faced Hanwha lead hitter Moon Hyun-bin (2 balls, 2 strikes). It was 6:33 PM.
The referees, who had the power to decide whether to force or cancel the game, waited for the rain to clear. After about 30 minutes, the rain weakened, and it was decided to resume after maintenance. The problem was the ground condition. The grass and soil were already soaked and required maintenance for at least 1 to 2 hours. A large number of ground maintenance personnel and Hanwha officials came out to dry the ground, but it was not completely restored even after two hours. 메이저놀이터In particular, the soil at Hanwha Life Eagles Park is an infield mix used in the major leagues and has the property of retaining water, so maintenance took longer.
The game eventually resumed at 9:57 p.m., 3 hours and 24 minutes later. Breaking the record for the longest waiting period in professional baseball history. The previous first place was 1 hour and 56 minutes between Daejeon Samsung Lions and Binggrae Eagles on August 15, 1987, and Daejeon KT and Hanwha on July 23, 2022. Coincidentally, all three games up to that day were held at the same venue.
There was definitely something wrong with the wait of over 3 hours. This season’s KBO League schedule was disrupted due to frequent rain cancellations. Several alternatives, such as Monday games and double headers, were introduced, but the rainy season-like weather continued in September, so the pennant race schedule was extended. As the importance of one game increases, the KBO, unlike in the past, is trying to force the game as much as possible after waiting as long as possible. In the case of the KT-Hanwha game on this day, it was predicted that it would take a long time for maintenance, but considering that there were 3 outs left until the end of the 5th inning, which was recognized as an official game, the rain cancellation could not be easily declared. It is truly ‘Rain’s Dilemma’.
The 3 hour and 24 minute interruption, which is difficult to break in the future, also created a scene that was difficult to see before. KT and Hanwha players, who started their double header at 2 p.m., had snacks for dinner as the downtime became longer. Some even ended up sleeping in the clubhouse or on the bus. The enthusiastic fans did not leave their seats for more than three hours and returned home only at 11:26 p.m. when the game ended.
The need to supplement regulations was also raised due to a skit that was not this skit. KT Benjamin went up to the mound again after 3 hours and 24 minutes, following the baseball rule that the batter he was facing must finish pitching until he gets an out or allows him to get on base. His arm was already cold, so he could only be replaced after throwing two Arirang balls and giving up a walk. KT catcher Jang Seong-woo said, “There is a rule that the pitcher must finish the game with the batter, so Benjamin had to take the mound again after resting for a long time. “He felt the need to supplement regulations.”