RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY
The Tigers walked into AT&T Park on Tuesday expecting a major leaguequality field to play on. They didn’t know how lucky they were to find one.
Barely an hour before they arrived, the grounds crew finally was satisfied with the condition of a field that looked more like a swamp 18 hours earlier.
“I wasn’t thrilled, but you just grin and bear it,” said head groundskeeper Greg Elliott, who stood next to the field in a downpour Monday night during Game 7 of the NLCS. .
“We have a drainage system like the one at Augusta National. But that doesn’t do much for the dirt part.”
The Giants and Cardinals played the ninth inning in the rain. Then a stage was wheeled behind second base for a trophy presentation, which kept Elliott’s crew from covering anything but the mound and home-plate area as the rain continued.
The crew worked for several hours, using squeegees and shovels to clear the puddles. It added drying agents and finally covered the field after midnight. Then it returned at 8 a.m. and kept working into the afternoon.
Paul White
HAIRY SITUATION Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder has had a beard all season, but he looks across at the Giants and can’t help but be jealous.
“Good beards in this series,” Fielder said. He was referring to Giants injured closer Brian Wilson and reliever Sergio Romo.