When weather was a game-changer at the World Series
During Game 5 of the 2008 World Series in Philadelphia, the Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies had to battle foul weather conditions.
A small group of movie re-enactors gather in their 1919 Chicago White Sox uniforms to perform scenes from the movie "Field of Dreams".
(Charles Ommanney / The Washington Post / Getty Images)
"Is this heaven?," asked "Shoeless" Joe Jackson as he stood on an illuminated baseball diamond on a clear summer night.
But unlike the paradise Jackson found in that "Field of Dreams," the "heaven" most of us experience in baseball parks can at times be far less pristine, especially during the World Series.
As teams battle it out for the championship, they have to take into account an additional contender, the weather, and how it has swayed outcomes in the ole ball game.
Foul weather, foul ball
Baseball in the elements
A number of weather factors can sway the outcome of the ole ballgame.
"Weather can play a big impact in how the game is decided," said Jeremy Feador, the team historian for the Cleveland Guardians.
With the 162-game baseball season spanning three of Mother Nature’s seasons – spring, summer and fall – games are subject to whatever kinds of weather Mother Nature throws at them.
"Most of the time, maybe from May to the end of September, [the weather] is pretty consistent, either hot or not so cold," Feador said. "But then we get to October."
An Atlanta Braves fan reacts following Houston Astros 9-5 win in Game 5 of the 2021 World Series at Truist Park.
(Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
October is when the playoffs begin and then eventually culminate with only two teams left standing. These two, champions of their respective leagues, then battle it out for the ultimate championship in the World Series.
Unlike the Super Bowl, which only involves one game and the location of the game is determined years in advance, the World Series consists of up to seven games and the location of each game is determined by the season records of the teams advancing to the championship.
According to Feador, because of this rule and because baseball teams come from a diversity of ballparks and climates, "all bets are off."
Game 2 of the 2008 World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies, played at the domed Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL.
(Chris Livingston / Icon SMI / Icon Sport Media / Getty Images)
For example, if one of the final two teams has a domed home stadium, then a few of the seven games in the World Series will be played in the climate-controlled environment of that dome.
Naturally, if one of those teams has an open-air stadium located in an area with inclement October weather, then a few of the World Series games will be vulnerable to those weather conditions.
The World Series game that was arguably most affected by inclement weather conditions took place in an open-air stadium of the City of Brotherly Love.
A dark and stormy World Series night
Game 5 kicks off in Philadelphia, with high spirits and clear skies.
(Rob Tringali / Sportschrome / Getty Images)
It was Game 5 of the 2008 World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies, and it was held at Citizens Bank Park in southern Philadelphia.
Temperatures had dropped into the 40s, and the wind swirled throughout the stadium at 70 mph.
Tampa Bay stepped up to bat. Shortstop Akinori Iwamura drove the ball to deep left field, where it was knocked down by the wind.
Akinori Iwamura #1 of the Tampa Bay Rays in the top of the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during Game 6 of the 2008 MLB World Series.
(Doug Pensinger / Getty Images)
In the fourth inning, it began to rain.
Tampa Bay's Carlos Peña hit a ball to right fielder Jason Werth. Werth looked up, and his glove just missed the ball, according to Matt Albertson, Co-Chair for the Connie Mack-Dick Allen chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research.
Carlos Pena #23 of the Tampa Bay Rays bats during a rain storm against the Philadelphia Phillies during Game 5 of the 2008 World Series.
(Rob Tringali / Sportschrome / Getty Images)
"Did the rain affect him looking up at the ball? Probably," Albertson said.
By the top of the sixth inning, he noted, so much rain had fallen that second base became a pool of water, and the home plate was submerged.
The grounds crew positions a tarp over the infield as rain falls during Game 5 of the 2008 World Series.
(Bradley C. Bower/Bloomberg / Getty Images)
All the players on the field were soaked to the bone at that point, and the low temperatures began to take a toll on them.
"Cole Hamels noted years later that he lost the feel for a couple of his breaking balls," said Albertson. "He lost the feel for his curveball, and he also lost the feel for his changeup."
Cole Hamels #35 of the Philadelphia Phillies walks back to the dugout against the Tampa Bay Rays during game five of the 2008 MLB World Series.
(Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images)
"If the Rays had figured out that Cole Hamels was only able to throw a fastball at this point in the game, they could have really honed in on that and done some damage," Albertson added.
Misses and miscues abounded, exacerbated by the unforgiving weather.
At the bottom of the sixth inning, the weather conditions eventually led MLB Commissioner Bud Selig to suspend the continuation of the game by a day, leaving the score tied at 2-2.
A young fan of the Philadelphia Phillies holds up a sign which reads "Phils in Phive" as rain falls against the Tampa Bay Rays during Game 5 of the 2008 MLB World Series.
(Jeff Zelevansky / Getty Images)
However, the unfavorable weather persisted, causing the resumption of the game to be suspended by an additional day. Once the weather cleared up, and the game finally resumed, the Phillies went on to defeat the Rays 4-3.
"A lot of players noted later that it was the worst weather they ever played in their entire careers," said Albertson, noting that the game was "arguably the worst World Series weather game ever."
A rainy Philly legacy
A view of the lights during the rain storm that plagued Game 5 of the 2008 World Series.
(Rob Tringali / Sportschrome / Getty Images)
As extraordinary as the weather was during Game 5 of the 2008 World Series, it seems only fitting that such a superlative of "worst World Series weather game" was earned in Philadelphia.
According to Baseball Reference, the city earned another superlative in Game 4 of the 1911 World Series between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Athletics – the first professional team to sign the real "Shoeless Joe" Jackson.
Heavy rains hammered Philadelphia during the game and delayed it by seven days. This became the longest delay in World Series history.
Paradise found
Houston Astros fans take a selfie prior to Game 3 of the World Series between the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on October 29, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.
(Michael Zarrilli / Getty Images)
Despite the unfavorable weather conditions and outcomes of some baseball games, they are often not enough to dampen the spirits of baseball fans.
"Ballparks are always such a great place to be," said Feador. "You create those memories that as you get older, you want to bring your family or your significant other, and you know about the sights and sounds and the feelings of being at the ballpark."
From having a beer and a hotdog to waiting in anticipation for fireworks to making a connection with your favorite team – these are all sensory experiences that make a deep impression on the minds and hearts of baseball fans.
So, is this heaven? For many folks – no matter how harsh the rain, how severe the cold or how strong the wind – the answer is a resounding "Yes."