The Seattle Mariners/San Francisco Giants series originally set to start last night in Seattle was shifted to Oracle Park and delayed a day due to poor air quality caused by Pacific Northwest wildfires.
The Mariners played a doubleheader against the Oakland Athletics Monday, with both teams complaining about the poor air quality at T-Mobile Park. (In retrospect, the doubleheader probably should have been canceled, but MLB has no guidelines for determining game play in times of questionable air quality; given current climate trends, some sort of policy would not be a bad idea.) After forecasts called for continued poor air quality though Thursday, the decision was made to shift the series. Not that there’s perfect air quality in the Bay Area, of course, but conditions are considered to be bette than those experienced in Washington State at this time. The games will now be played tonight and tomorrow afternoon, as both teams are taking advantage of a scheduled off day on Thursday. From the San Francisco Chronicle:
Giants manager Gabe Kapler said some of his players expressed concern about taking the field Tuesday, particularly after A’s players complained about having to play twice Monday with an air-quality index in the 280s, which is considered “unhealthy,” bordering on “dangerous.”
“One of the things I do and the players do and our staff, we pay attention to what other clubs are saying and want to learn as much as we can about other experiences,” Kapler said. “We certainly read what A’s players had to say and took those comments into consideration.
“Ultimately, our job is to make decisions on behalf of the Giants, but we always consider what the players are thinking about, and it was on their minds.”
Yes, this pretty much sums up the 2020 season: games that are not attended by fans will be shifted because of air pollution caused by out of-control wildfires. What a long strange trip it’s been.