PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania: Plans to restart game five of the 104th World Series at Citizens Bank Park were washed out after gusting winds, rain and even snow swept through the Philadelphia area on Tuesday.

The bad weather arrived early on Monday but didn’t lead to the suspension of game five between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays until the players had slogged through five and a half innings on a waterlogged field.

The game was tied 2-2 when Major League Baseball finally suspended play at 10:40 (02:40 GMT).

There was no letup on Tuesday as driving rain and gusty winds saw temperatures dip to four degrees Celsius (39F), but with the wind chill it was below freezing.

MLB commissioner Bud Selig said they would try to finish game five on Wednesday, weather permitting, but there were no guarantees.

“While obviously we want to finish game five as soon as possible, the forecast for today does not allow for us to continue the game this evening,” Selig said.

“We are closely monitoring tomorrow’s forecast and will continue to monitor the weather on an hourly basis. We will advise fans as soon as we are able to make any final decisions with respect to tomorrow’s schedule.”

The Phillies lead the best-of-seven series 3-1.

The Rays were fortunate to get the tying run in their half of the sixth before play was halted.

The Tampa Bay players had to relocate to another hotel 40 kilometres away because the hotel they were staying in was booked, and there were no more rooms left in the downtown.

This is the first suspension in World Series history, and there has never been a rain-shortened game in the Series.

Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel said his players have to be able to put aside their frustrations. The Phillies could clinch their first World Series title in 28 years with one more win.

“That’s all that’s important to us, that’s all that we think about,” Manuel said. “We’ve got 3 1/2 innings of baseball. We get to bat four times, they get to bat three. We get 12 outs, they get nine. We’re definitely coming with the mind-set that we’re going to win that game.”

Manuel and Tampa Bay boss Joe Maddon met with MLB officials before Monday’s suspended contest and all agreed to play.

“We had the forecast and all the information was there, and it didn’t work out,” Maddon said. “For me, I have no problem with it. I was a part of it, I was there, Charlie was there. We were all good with going forward. It just did not work out.”

Said Manuel, “We agreed on starting the game because the weather report was going to be a very light drizzle, similar to what was already going on. It wasn’t supposed to be a consistent rain. It was supposed to be very light, and there was a good chance that we could definitely get the whole game in.”

Citizens Bank Park field has a drainage system in place, but it couldn’t hold up to the storm conditions on Monday as pools of water formed behind first and third base and the dirt portion of the infield became unplayable.

“All year long, we’ve been in situations where we can control our destiny,” Manuel said. “It’s no different. It’s up to us to stay focused on tomorrow’s game and win that game. If we don’t get the job done, I have no complaints. It’s in our hands.”

Games six and seven, if necessary, would take place in the Rays’ domed stadium, Tropicana Field, in St. Petersburg, Florida.

They were originally to be played on Wednesday and Thursday and no new dates have been set.

- AFP/yb

Channel News Asia

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania: Chicago Cubs infielder Aramis Ramirez and Boston Red Sox infielder Kevin Youkilis were named winners of the annual Hank Aaron Award by Major League Baseball.

Youkilis and Ramirez were chosen as the recipients of the 2008 award on Sunday after more than 230,000 votes were cast in online balloting by baseball fans.

Hall of Famer Hank Aaron was on hand at game four of the 104th World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays to present the awards to the National League and American League winner.

“For the past 10 years when the Hank Aaron award has been presented, I am once again reminded of my own playing days,” Aaron said.

Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said this is a chance for the sport to pay tribute to one of the greatest players in history and its current stars at the same time.

“I congratulate Aramis and Kevin for their wonderful seasons which led to winning this prestigious award,” Selig said.

Ramirez, of the Dominican Republic, blasted 27 home runs and a team-high 111 runs batted in this past season. He has now posted six consecutive seasons of 25 or more homers.

Youkilis set a career-high .312 batting average and hit 29 home runs and 115 RBIs.

Previous winners of the award include Manny Ramirez (2004, 1999), Barry Bonds (2001, 2002, 2004), Todd Helton (2000) and Sammy Sosa (1999).

- AFP/yb

Channel News Asia

PUNE (India): International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge on Friday rejected growing demands from the cricket community to include the popular Twenty20 format at the 2016 Summer Games.

“Twenty20 cricket will not feature in London 2012 or for that matter in 2016,” Rogge told reporters on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Youth Games here.

“We are adding two more disciplines for the 2016 Games. The new sports that could be added are squash, softball, baseball, karate, rugby and golf. But there is no cricket.”

Leading cricketers like Australian captain Ricky Ponting have called for cricket’s shortest version to be included in the Olympics, although only 10 nations play the game at the top level.

Ponting said after the Beijing Olympics in August that it was only a matter of time before the sport’s newest form was included in the Games, given its popularity in South Asia.
“I actually think it’s inevitable Twenty20 cricket will be an Olympic sport,” Ponting said in a speech to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of legendary Australian player Donald Bradman in August.

“You think about the audiences in South Asia, 22 or 23 per cent of the world’s population is based in that area.

“The IOC could do a lot worse than put cricket into the Olympics.”

The explosion of Twenty20 cricket over the last few years led to the successful organisation of the Indian Premier League earlier this year. — AFP

New Straits Times