I headed to Binghamton after work knowing that the evening forecast was for rain turning to snow, temperatures dropping into the thirties. I knew I'd be shivering and probably leave early, so I decided to delay arriving at the park until just before game time, skipping all the pre-game festivities. Which meant I missed the first pitch being thrown out by the guy I usually sit with.
The visiting Sea Dogs jumped out in front, scored five runs in the top of the first. My Guys didn't get on the board until the bottom of the fourth, tied it up in the fifth. Too bad.
It was drizzling when the game started but by the second inning it was a steady rain that kept up for hours. The head groundskeeper spread drying agent a couple times on the field, around the bases and on the mound. He conferred with the umpires. The game went on. And on. And on. We thought it might be called once it reached the point of being official, four and a half innings, but the home team was trailing after the top of the fifth, and they tied it up in the bottom of the fifth.
Getting wet, soaked wasn't that bad, except when the rain finally let up, the wind started. I kept thinking, a little longer, a little longer, until looking at the clock on the new video scoreboard, I decided my curfew was 9 pm. I'd stay through the end of whatever inning was in progress at 9. It was only the sixth. The game started at 6:30.
I listened to the game as long as I could get the signal on the drive home, but after giving up a run and scoring another, the B-Mets were still tied when I lost contact with the AM station.
According to this morning's newspaper, the game ended some time around 11:15. It went 11 innings, 4 hours and 40 minutes, the longest opening day game in B-Mets history.
It's going to be some season.
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