The perils of baseball in April
I鈥檓 holding the Pittsburgh Pirates personally responsible for this current stretch of weather we鈥檙e enduring.
Why them? Well, after an unsuccessful sojourn to Boston to open the MLB season this week, the local Boys of Summer return home this afternoon to open the home portion of the schedule against the Atlanta Braves.
The forecast Friday is more akin to a late season Steelers鈥� game than the Pirates鈥� opener with temperatures in the 30s and snow expected, of varying amounts around the area. (Good thing my procrastinating ways delayed the removal of the snow tires and the storage of the snow shovel.)
Interesting that chilly, damp, snowy/rainy conditions (and winter weather advisories) for a football game is just part of doing business. I鈥檝e endured many a fall afternoon watching/covering cross country meets in such miserable weather.
Fast forward to the spring (and I use the term loosely) and chilly, damp, snowy/rainy conditions are not part of doing business.
Playing baseball, softball or running track in those miserable conditions just really takes the fun out of the whole deal.
But, actually participating in said athletic endeavors is better than stoically sitting or standing in attendance, whether it be at the Pirates opener as a fan or a grandmother, grandfather, dad, mom or friend at a high school or community athletic event.聽
I鈥檝e never attended a Pirates home opener (with Friday鈥檚 expected weather one of the main reasons why), but I did go to the second home game of the season once. It was so cold outside the management offered free hot chocolate/coffee to everyone in attendance, which I seem to remember wasn鈥檛 a whole lot of people.
Working in chlly, damp, snowy/rainy conditions takes miserable to another level. Nothing like trying to keep scorebooks, cameras, pens and paper, and my person dry on a day like today. Calfornia track coach Matt Loomis messaged me early Thursday to inform me the meet against Washington (which was rescheduled twice on Wednesday) was officially postponed because 鈥渢he throwing and jumping areas are ponds right now.鈥澛�
Connellsville, Hempfield and Gateway traditionally open the track season with a non-section meet on the first play date. My dad wasn鈥檛 the biggest track fan (he loved going to the grandson鈥檚 baseball games, setting up his own little scoreboard with sticks and stones), but his grandson Brian was running for the Spartans so we packed up his wheelchair and headed off to Monroeville.
The weather was dry, but was it ever cold. I have a photo around the house somewhere of my dad, tucked in a corner of the stadium, under several blankets/afghans and donning a toboggan and gloves as his granddaughter and other grandson provided a play-by-play of what was going on around the stadium.
My dad was always fond of saying high school baseball should be played in the fall, but that will never happen because of football. Spring is the worst time of the year to play spring sports, especially when they are crammed into five or six weeks. At least the Pirates have June, July and August to fit in games.
High school baseball coaches must be wringing their hands and tugging at their collars every time rain, snow, cold, etc., postpones a game given the pitch-count restrictions enforced for the first time this spring.聽
Track & field coaches aren鈥檛 in the same pickle, but they are hoping for pristine conditions to give their athletes the best opportunities to gain one of the top 24 (in Class AAA) or 16 (in Class AA) places into the WPIAL championship. That was the thinking when Connellsville Athletic Director Rich Evans moved the Falcons鈥� meet against Laurel Highlands forward a day to a pleasant, sunny Wednesday afternoon.
Getting a mark for points to win a meet on a miserable weather day is the standard, especially with those I spoke to during Wednesday鈥檚 Laurel Highlands-Connellsville meet. But, with only four or five weeks to make their mark, sunny, dry, warm afternoons would come in handy for runners, throwers, jumpers and vaulters.
With that in mind, the Lady Spartan/Wildcat Invitational that was to be Friday at Latrobe Stadium was pushed back to Saturday.
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The area has surprisingly produced a number of outstanding steeplechasers, dating back to Southmoreland鈥檚 Chris Dugan.
West Greene graduate Mikayla Sonneborn is off to a strong start in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. The redshirt junior finished third last weekend at Rice鈥檚 35th annual Victor Lopez Classic with a personal-best time of 11:05.1.
Sonneborn鈥檚 performance caught the eye of the Tulane coaching staff.
鈥淭he highlight of today was Mikayla Sonneborn running a big personal record in the steeplechase because she鈥檚 continuing to show the improvement that we want to see for her in that event at this point in the season,鈥� praised associate head coach Doug Fraley.
Sonneborn had another strong finish in the Louisiana Classics on March 18, finishing second in 11:21.86.