Long rain delay for Yankees, Orioles

With rain coming down in buckets most of the day Tuesday, it would be easy to criticize the Yankees for opening the gates for Tuesday night's's game against the Orioles and waiting four hours, three minutes before starting it.

The cynical notion is that the Yankees didn't postpone the game early in the evening because they wanted to make a few bucks when fans arrived and bought food and drinks.

The only problem with that scenario is the Yankees were not responsible for decisions about whether and when to start the game. "Final series are in the hands of the umpires," MLB spokesman Pat Courtney wrote in response to an email query.

Because this was the Orioles' last scheduled visit to Yankee Stadium, the Yankees had as much say as any ticket buyer.

Not that the Yankees are strangers to inclement weather -- especially when they play the Orioles. This was the Yankees' 20th game affected by weather this season. An MLB-high eight have been postponed, while 12 were delayed.

At 7:05 p.m., Phil Hughes did not throw the first pitch to Matt Angle. That didn't happen until 11:08. At the time the game was scheduled to start, the mound and infield were covered by a tarp being pelted by rain, as it had been for the entire day.

Fans who had braved the elements milled around the giant concourses or sat in covered sections or noshed in a club section. The players, presumably, lounged around the clubhouses waiting for word.

"I have no control over it, buddy," Derek Jeter said minutes after checking the latest radar on a laptop inside his locker. "I learned a long time ago don't worry about things you have no control over. And this is one of them. The only thing that's bad is we have a day game [today]."

Yes, they do. Then, because of a rainout from Aug. 27 of a game originally rained out April 22, the teams are scheduled to reconvene again in Baltimore Thursday at 1 p.m.

"It always rains against Baltimore," Jeter said. "Especially when we go there."

The forecast for Thursday in Baltimore calls for a 60-percent chance of thunderstorms. After that game, the Yankees will fly to Anaheim for the rest of a four-city, 11-day, 10-game trip that continues in Seattle and ends in Toronto. (Where they have domes.)

But before that grueling trip can begin, the Yankees and Orioles have to finish this series in the Bronx.

MLB really wants to get both these games in because the Yankees are involved in the playoff race. Baseball wants to get them in to avoid forcing the Yankees and Orioles to play on their only mutual off day, Sept. 15, or on the day after the regular season.

You might remember the Yankees and Orioles squabbling about rescheduling issues after Hurricane Irene led to a postponement in Baltimore. The Yankees didn't want to return to Camden Yards Thursday. They lost that argument.

All of this is why the umpires, in consultation with the commissioner's office, do all they can to get games in on the days they are originally supposed to be played. Even when it seems impossible.

Oh. The forecast for Wednesday calls for rain. All day.