Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Rain delay debacle: Yankees get slammed for not allowing re-entry

There's a whole to-do today over angry Yankee fans leaving last night's game thinking that it would be called, only to be denied re-entry when they tried to go back to the Stadium. New Stadium Insider and Was Watching are some of the blogs talking about it.

Some of the security guards and the people with the "How May I Help You" signs told fans they thought the game would be canceled. So fans left, before there was an official announcement.

I have some thoughts on this because I was at the game last night, and, as I wrote earlier, it was a pretty miserable evening. I myself asked a security guard if he thought the game would be played. He gave me an honest opinion and told me, "No," saying that it was raining worse than the day before, when that game was cancelled.

But, unlike these angry fans, I didn't leave. Why? Because I was waiting to hear if there was going to be an official announcement. And I knew that if I left before the game was called, and then tried to come back in, that I would have been denied re-entry, just as these fans were.

The Yanks are in a no-win situation, though. If they had called the game after two hours of fans standing around in the rain, fans would have been furious, and some would have demanded their money back for food, parking, etc.

The best thing the Yanks could have done was have called the game in the first place - it was a miserable night from start to finish - but then some fans would have complained about that as well.

I have had a lot to gripe about regarding Yankeeland this year, but I can't blame them for the fans not waiting to hear an official announcement before leaving. They should know better.

Then again, maybe I should blame the Yanks for the fact that the game went on so late, that I didn't get home until 3:15 a.m. The front office should know that the Staten Island ferry only runs once an hour at that time of night. Waaaaahhh! Unfair!

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was at the game last night and not one person said to me that the the game was going to be called...there was speculation it might be but none gave a firm yes it was called. I like many other fans sat and waited to hear OFFICIAL word on the game. If it's called they make the announcement on the big screen. I was there on Sunday too and that's how they announced that it was a rainout. Until I hear it officially I don't leave and neither should the other people. It's always been like that in the forty somewhat years I've been going to games and you have never been allowed re-entry once you leave.

Peggy

Go Yankees 2009 !!!

Anonymous said...

Seriously, what would it have hurt the yankee management to allow the fans to reenter the stadium?
As it turns out, according to some reports, there were some fans allowed back in, at gate 4 i believe.
Not saying that the mets people wouldn't have done the same thing, but it is pretty petty for these fans to not be allowed to reenter, given the circumstances.
km

Anonymous said...

Knowing, and hating more and more, Yankee management if I were in the stadium I would not leave until game called officially (and bring a radio b/c you usually hear if first on 1010 or ESPN before 880).
I had tickets to Sunday's game, I stayed home and had YES and 880 radio on until game called. My theory was rather than sitting in rain for hours, I am fortunate enough to live in Manhattan and could hop on the 4 train and be there by the 3rd inning if they would play.
I have been stuck in Yankee-land during a rain delay, and I honestly believe it is a money making scheme. Now with all the shops/concessions/outlets in the stadium I doubt they will ever call a game again without waiting at least 2 hours.
Oooohhh the money they can make with little regard to the fans.
The Yankee front office makes it increasingly difficult to be a Yankee fan.

Jeanne

nutballgazette said...

Every team for years waits for Hours to get a game in.
In 1997 during the 1st ever
inter-league series Yankees/Marlins the Marlins waited 5 hours to call the game, with 55,000 people in the Stadium in Miami.

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