Another ‘rainout’ after a day of sunshine for the Potomac Nationals
Fans of the Potomac Nationals were surprised when they arrived for Thursday night’s game against the Kinston Indians. It was cancelled due to rain, which had fallen more than 24 hours earlier.
A severe thunderstorm late Wednesday afternoon dumped enough rain on the field at Pfitzner Stadium to postpone a game that evening in which former Yankee pitcher Chien Ming Wang, now with the P-Nats, was scheduled to start. That cancellation was easy to understand.
Recommended Stories
But after a dry Thursday of brilliant sunshine, to have a second game called off?
Actually, it’s not the first time Potomac has had to cancel a night game after a day of sunshine.
Drainage has long been a problem at Pfitzner Stadium. This year the field has been a source of embarrassment for the team. Some believe it is why the Washington Nationals promoted phenom outfielder Bryce Harper from low-A Hagerstown to AA Harrisburg, bypassing a stint at high-A Potomac, where the poor condition of the field could have put him at risk.
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said Harper’s promotion to Harrisburg was a “developmental issue” and had nothing to do with the field at Potomac. But he sung a different tune with a statement released by the club on Thursday evening. In it he said:
“The Washington Nationals would never consider asking our players, or those of our opponents, to play on a field that we believe represents a safety threat. The Nationals have repeatedly requested that dangerous field conditions be addressed under the supervision of Major League Baseball. Recent unsupervised work has resulted in a field that is even more dangerous. We regret any inconvenience this may cause to fans of the Potomac Nationals, but we know they join us in wanting only the best for our players.”
Bare spots in the outfield have been commonplace this year. Potomac owner Art Silber has blamed poor weather. Last month, the field underwent a laser grading procedure designed to improve drainage, apparently to no avail.
As fans walked back to their cars on Thursday night, they at least had another option. They could watch slow-pitch softball games. The other fields at the Prince William County Government Center and Stadium Complex were dry and playable.
