Sometimes It Snows In April

Joe McDonald, Projo:

Long before Monday morning, Red Sox ownership, management, players and fans knew that Opening Day at Fenway Park was in jeopardy because of the possibility of bad weather. ...

The question is why wouldn't the clubs begin the season at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg instead of here? Especially since the Trop is a domed stadium.

It is unrealistic to think the Red Sox can go on an month-long road trip and return to Fenway in May. It's spring, and it rains in April. (Hell, I'm sure it has rained in May, too.) Fans in Boston deserve to have the regular season start at Fenway every so often and, short of putting a dome on the park, bad weather is always a possibility.

The good news is that the game was postponed in plenty of time for starter Josh Beckett. John Farrell:

The sooner the better, and I'm sure Shields is thinking same way, where you're not leading up to gametime with any uncertainty or any anticipation of what might come today. The fact that it's an early call, they can quickly get their thoughts geared to tomorrow and not be going through the mental ups and downs that a gametime decision might produce.

Before the postponement, the Rays were on the field and Joe Maddon was wearing his cap-with-ear-flaps. When told he looked a bit like Elmer Fudd, he said, "That doesn't bother me at all. I'm flattered to be compared to Elmer Fudd. He's an iconic figure."