September 6, 200422 yr Yankees ask for forfeit as Devil Rays fail to arrive on time By RONALD BLUM, AP Sports Writer September 6, 2004 NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Yankees asked the commissioner's office to award them a forfeit over Tampa Bay after the Devil Rays failed to arrive in time for the scheduled start Monday because of travel problems in Florida due to Hurricane Frances. The doubleheader was changed to a single game and the start time, pushed back Sunday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., was reset for 7 p.m. The Devil Rays, who reported to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg at 8 a.m., left the ballpark at 1:05 p.m., departed Tampa International Airport at 2:40 p.m., arrived at LaGuardia Airport at 5:25 p.m. and pulled up to Yankee Stadium in two buses at 6:05 p.m. ``The rule states that if your team is here and ready to play, and the other team isn't here and not ready to play, there should be a forfeit, and we believe there should be a forfeit,'' Yankees president Randy Levine said. ``There are no plans to reschedule any games until this issue is worked out,'' he said. Levine said the commissioner's office had been told by the Devil Rays that Tampa Bay would head to New York late Friday or Saturday. Levine called for an investigation by baseball, and said that if the facts as the Yankees understood them were true, the game should be forfeited. Alternatively, Levine said the game should be rescheduled for Oct. 4 -- the day after the regular season is scheduled to end -- if it's necessary to decide a postseason race. ``Get everything down in print as you will. I have no comment.'' Tampa Bay owner Vince Naimoli said. A forfeit didn't appear to be likely. ``Given the stage of the season we are in, and the exciting pennant races, it is critical that we do everything to decide the championship on the field,'' commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. Tampa Bay's home games against Detroit on Saturday and Sunday were postponed, and the Tigers returned home after Friday night's games. ``There were plenty of opportunities to get out of Tampa on Saturday. The airports were open until 3 or 4 o'clock.'' Levine said. Devil Rays spokesman Rick Vaughn said the Devil Rays had never intended to leave before Monday. ``The only thing that entered our mind was being with our families during the hurricane,'' he said. The Yankee Stadium gates opened at 11 a.m., and about 1,000 fans were in the stands on the sunny afternoon when an announcement was made at 12:45 p.m. that the doubleheader would not start on time. ``We had planned on being here all day anyway,'' Yankees captain Derek Jeter said. ``I don't see how we could play two games today now.'' Ray Zincone, a 29-year-old from West Warwick, R.I., drove down to New York on Monday morning with his wife, Sheila, and 7-year-old son, Raymond. ``I would like to stay if there's a chance to play,'' he said. The Yankees reported to Yankee Stadium at noon for the doubleheader. ``Let's get a grill,'' Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina said. ``Hot dogs and burgers on the field.'' Oh dear, the Red Sox must be going nuts.
September 6, 200422 yr Yankees=No Class... 545160[/snapback] Agreed, but at the same time I can't blame them, they need every win they can get with the Red Sox charging, and if MLB did tell the D Rays to fly out on Friday and they didn't listen, the Yankees, although classless, have a point....
September 6, 200422 yr Yankees=No Class... 545160[/snapback] Agreed, but at the same time I can't blame them, they need every win they can get with the Red Sox charging, and if MLB did tell the D Rays to fly out on Friday and they didn't listen, the Yankees, although classless, have a point.... 545171[/snapback] Umm, have Bud Selig go through a hurricane and then he can get back to me.
September 6, 200422 yr The Yankees are the epitome of class by an organization. Their demands make sense; a MLB rule should not go by the wayside just because Selig thinks there will be "more pennant-race drama."
September 6, 200422 yr Yankees=No Class... 545160[/snapback] Agreed, but at the same time I can't blame them, they need every win they can get with the Red Sox charging, and if MLB did tell the D Rays to fly out on Friday and they didn't listen, the Yankees, although classless, have a point.... 545171[/snapback] Umm, have Bud Selig go through a hurricane and then he can get back to me. 545174[/snapback] Well again I agree, but that's the stuff you deal with when dopey Bud Selig is the Commish.... I'm surprised he hasn't tried to make the Marlins forfeit the game from last Friday against the Cubs since the hurricane hadn't arrived yet.....
September 6, 200422 yr BS, No way should they get a freebie while their division rival has to play The A's. Hopefully this just adds fuel to The D Rays to take The Yanks away.
September 6, 200422 yr if bud selig had told the devil rays to fly out on friday then the yankees have a point. if only the yankees had suggested this then they really dont...its just what they want.
September 6, 200422 yr hello - there was a hurricane that had the airports closed. Really, they shouldnt have had to forfeit the game
September 6, 200422 yr The Yankees should be awarded the game. So should the Marlins. What is up with these GMs think it's just so easy to fly in/out around a hurricane?
September 7, 200422 yr Yankees=No Class... 545160[/snapback] :blink: Dude, if you don't show up ontime for the game, you deserve to lose. The D-Rays should have left before the hurricane, just like the Tigers did. Should have approved the forfeit :thumbdown
September 7, 200422 yr Yankees=No Class... 545160[/snapback] :blink: Dude, if you don't show up ontime for the game, you deserve to lose. The D-Rays should have left before the hurricane, just like the Tigers did. Should have approved the forfeit :thumbdown 545301[/snapback] Shame on the D-Rays, how dare they decide to stay home and take care of their families instead of playing baseball. What were they thinking?
September 7, 200422 yr Yankees=No Class... 545160[/snapback] :blink: Dude, if you don't show up ontime for the game, you deserve to lose. The D-Rays should have left before the hurricane, just like the Tigers did. Should have approved the forfeit :thumbdown 545301[/snapback] Well im sorry, but anyone in their right mind has a right to want to stay with their families than play baseball. We're sorry if someone actually cares more about their own family than a game. Seriously...The Yankees just want a win any way they can get it. :thumbdown
September 7, 200422 yr The Red Cross said this might be the biggest natural disaster they've ever covered with costs over 3 billion dollars ... but think about those 50,000 fans in NY!!!!!
September 7, 200422 yr The Red Cross said this might be the biggest natural disaster they've ever covered with costs over 3 billion dollars ... but think about those 50,000 fans in NY!!!!!545474[/snapback] :lol I couldnt even believe it when i saw that they might be forced to forfeit the game.
September 7, 200422 yr Yankees=No Class... 545160[/snapback] :blink: Dude, if you don't show up ontime for the game, you deserve to lose. The D-Rays should have left before the hurricane, just like the Tigers did. Should have approved the forfeit :thumbdown 545301[/snapback] Shame on the D-Rays, how dare they decide to stay home and take care of their families instead of playing baseball. What were they thinking? 545467[/snapback] How dare they wait until it was impossible to leave on time for a scheduled baseball game. They couldn't have taken their families along?
September 7, 200422 yr Right, because it's just that easy to pick up young children, elderly, parents, pets, and even pregnant spouses and leave. And then when they get to NY they can sit there and watch all their earthly possesions get destroyed because god forbid we delay a game a day and Yankee fans only get to see one game. Like I said, somethings take precedence over baseball.
September 7, 200422 yr No, they were scheduled to play Monday and should have been there ready to play. Not waiting the thing out. You don't wait for things to normalize after a hurricane. If you are obligated to be at your job Monday you get there. You don't wait until 20 minutes before the game is scheduled to start to leave for the airport. Get out of the hurricane's path before it screws up your chance of leaving town.
September 7, 200422 yr If Yankees were in Devil Rays' shoes ... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ESPN.com news services NEW YORK -- The Yankees' push Monday for a forfeit victory over the Devil Rays has landed them squarely in the eye of Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella. Because of travel problems due to Hurricane Frances, the Devil Rays arrived three hours late for the rescheduled 3 p.m. ET opener of a doubleheader Monday at Yankee Stadium. Tampa Bay lost the game that was played 7-4. Afterward, Piniella was angry that the Yankees asked the commissioner's office to declare the other game a forfeit victory for them. Commissioner Bud Selig has no intention of ordering a forfeit. "If it'd been reversed, and that hurricane would have been here in the New York area as opposed to the Tampa area, the Yankees should have stayed at home and forgotten about the ballgame in Tampa. Period," Piniella told reporters. "Let me tell you this: I think when you look at baseball, it's important," Piniella continued. "Your family is doubly important or triply important and when a hurricane is beating down on the Florida coast, 160, 70, 80 miles from your hometown, I think you take care of your family first and you worry about the ballgame second. "I know the Yankees are in a pennant race, but I also know that our kids are young and have a lot of young kids at home. There was flooding, there are a lot of things that occurred over a two-day period in Florida, and I think everybody was more comfortable being with their family than being in New York sitting in a hotel waiting to play a baseball game." Devil Rays designated hitter Aubrey Huff didn't make the trip; his house was so flooded, according to one report, that he couldn't get out of it despite offers from police to escort him to the airport so he could join his teammates. General manager Chuck LaMar said the team never intended to leave for New York until Sunday night or Monday. The team endured travel delays Monday of up to 10 hours before landing in New York. "We decided, and we made the right decision, we'll stick by that decision, to stay with our families," he said. "We wanted to stay in the Tampa Bay area, wait out the storm with our families." The Yankees reported to Yankee Stadium at noon for the doubleheader. Tampa Bay players arrived for the 7:05 p.m. start at 6:05, suited up, and lost their eighth straight. Before the game, Yankees president Randy Levine and general manager Brian Cashman held a news conference on the field, explaining why they wanted a forfeit. Baseball rules say a forfeit may be called if a team isn't ready within five minutes of umpires calling "play" unless the delay is "unavoidable." "The rule states that if your team is here and ready to play, and the other team isn't here and not ready to play, there should be a forfeit, and we believe there should be a forfeit," Levine said. The teams also are scheduled to play night games Wednesday and Thursday. Levine said that if the forfeit request was denied, it should be rescheduled to be played on Oct. 4, the day after the regular season, if it's needed to decide a postseason race. He also said that the Yankees may refuse to reschedule the game for this week, even if ordered to. "Given the stage of the season we are in, and the exciting pennant races, it is critical that we do everything to decide the championship on the field," Selig said in a statement. Go get em' Lou.
September 7, 200422 yr If Yankees were in Devil Rays' shoes ... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ESPN.com news services NEW YORK -- The Yankees' push Monday for a forfeit victory over the Devil Rays has landed them squarely in the eye of Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella. Because of travel problems due to Hurricane Frances, the Devil Rays arrived three hours late for the rescheduled 3 p.m. ET opener of a doubleheader Monday at Yankee Stadium. Tampa Bay lost the game that was played 7-4. Afterward, Piniella was angry that the Yankees asked the commissioner's office to declare the other game a forfeit victory for them. Commissioner Bud Selig has no intention of ordering a forfeit. "If it'd been reversed, and that hurricane would have been here in the New York area as opposed to the Tampa area, the Yankees should have stayed at home and forgotten about the ballgame in Tampa. Period," Piniella told reporters. "Let me tell you this: I think when you look at baseball, it's important," Piniella continued. "Your family is doubly important or triply important and when a hurricane is beating down on the Florida coast, 160, 70, 80 miles from your hometown, I think you take care of your family first and you worry about the ballgame second. "I know the Yankees are in a pennant race, but I also know that our kids are young and have a lot of young kids at home. There was flooding, there are a lot of things that occurred over a two-day period in Florida, and I think everybody was more comfortable being with their family than being in New York sitting in a hotel waiting to play a baseball game." Devil Rays designated hitter Aubrey Huff didn't make the trip; his house was so flooded, according to one report, that he couldn't get out of it despite offers from police to escort him to the airport so he could join his teammates. General manager Chuck LaMar said the team never intended to leave for New York until Sunday night or Monday. The team endured travel delays Monday of up to 10 hours before landing in New York. "We decided, and we made the right decision, we'll stick by that decision, to stay with our families," he said. "We wanted to stay in the Tampa Bay area, wait out the storm with our families." The Yankees reported to Yankee Stadium at noon for the doubleheader. Tampa Bay players arrived for the 7:05 p.m. start at 6:05, suited up, and lost their eighth straight. Before the game, Yankees president Randy Levine and general manager Brian Cashman held a news conference on the field, explaining why they wanted a forfeit. Baseball rules say a forfeit may be called if a team isn't ready within five minutes of umpires calling "play" unless the delay is "unavoidable." "The rule states that if your team is here and ready to play, and the other team isn't here and not ready to play, there should be a forfeit, and we believe there should be a forfeit," Levine said. The teams also are scheduled to play night games Wednesday and Thursday. Levine said that if the forfeit request was denied, it should be rescheduled to be played on Oct. 4, the day after the regular season, if it's needed to decide a postseason race. He also said that the Yankees may refuse to reschedule the game for this week, even if ordered to. "Given the stage of the season we are in, and the exciting pennant races, it is critical that we do everything to decide the championship on the field," Selig said in a statement. Go get em' Lou. 545651[/snapback] Gotta love Lou...
September 7, 200422 yr "Given the stage of the season we are in, and the exciting pennant races, it is critical that we do everything to decide the championship on the field," Selig said in a statement. What now? You can break rules because you feel its good for the game and will make the fans happy? So, who wants to tell me why Pete Rose isn't in the Hall of Fame?
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