When the rain begins to fall on your ballpark visit, it’s easy to unleash a stream of obscenities that’s as dark as the clouds overhead.
We’ve all been there.
It’s worthwhile, however, to keep the famous words of Nuke LaLoosh in mind:
Sometimes, you win.
Sometimes, you lose.
Sometimes, it rains.
OK, so I happen to love that quote because it suits baseball and life perfectly, but it’s also a reminder that inclement weather is beyond our control — and a part of the game. Yeah, it’s frustrating to feel raindrops begin to fall when we just want to sit and watch a baseball game, but rain delays aren’t the worst thing you can encounter at the ballpark.
Here are some reasons that I don’t hate rain delays, and why you shouldn’t, either.
They Thin Out The Crowd
For a number of reasons, I’m not particularly fond of big crowds at ballgames. When there’s a rain delay, you’ll immediately notice that huge throngs of fans head for the gates. Even if the delay looks like it’ll be short, the total number of fans in the park will drop considerably. The longer the delay runs, the more people will filter out. While a smaller crowd might kill the ballpark’s atmosphere a little bit when the game resumes, it’s a beautiful thing for a number of reasons. Namely, you’ll have an easier time navigating the concourse, you’ll deal with shorter lineups at the concession stands and you’ll be able to get out of the parking lot faster when the game is over.
They Give You Time To Explore
As you know, I’m the type of baseball fan who seldom spends very long in a single spot. My favorite way to visit a ballpark is to check out every nook and cranny that I can find. I realize that not everyone shares this attitude, though. If you’re the type of fan who spends most of the game in your seat, a rain delay serves as a welcome opportunity to get up and explore the park. Use this time to visit the park’s wall of fame area, browse through the team shop or head down to the dugout or bullpen areas if there’s a brief break in the weather. You’ll appreciate being able to visit spots that you don’t normally see.
They Can Improve Your Seat
At most parks, you need to stay in your ticketed seat for the entire game. While there are some minor league facilities at which the ushers don’t actively enforce this rule, big league ushers tend to keep a watchful eye out for fans who change seats. This can be a bit of a drag if you like to move around during a game. After a rain delay, you’ll often find that ushers aren’t nearly as worried about where you sit — even at MLB parks. In some cases, video board messages will actually encourage fans to move down to the 100 Level seats, which can be an exciting experience if you’re someone who rarely sits so close to the field.
They Provide Better Player Interactions
I’ve often found that rain delays can bring out the best in players when it comes to socializing with fans. Because there’s a lot of waiting around, players have more time for interacting. When the rain has stopped but the tarp is still on, this is a good time to hang out around the dugout in an effort to engage with some players. You may have better luck than usual calling out to a player and having him walk over to sign an autograph or pose for a selfie. Maybe players appreciate fans who stick around, or maybe they know that smaller crowds mean they won’t be bombarded with requests when they approach the seats. Whatever the case, a rain delay can result in some exciting player interactions.
They Can Lead To Cheaper Food
At ballparks, food prep begins long before the gates open. A team’s food and beverage department has an expectation of how many fans will attend a game, and it will prepare food accordingly. When a lot of those fans fail to show up because of rain in the forecast — or leave the park at the start of a rain delay — concession stands can sometimes be left with a ton of food that they were expecting to sell. This is stuff that won’t last until the next game; I’m talking cooked hot dogs that are already wrapped in foil and are being kept warm. I’ve occasionally experienced rain delays in which teams will announce a dramatic drop in food prices to keep food from going to waste. You might find that hot dogs are $1 instead of $3 or $4, for example. This doesn’t always happen, but it’s a nice surprise when it does.
I hope these points help you to see rain delays through different eyes. Remember, there are worse places to be when it starts to rain than at a ballpark. Plus, wouldn’t you do anything to be in a rain-soaked ballpark right now, instead of watching games on TV?