The Ramifications of Rain

Rain was not the friend of the New York Mets.

Most importantly, it erased one easy solution for the Mets, (and oh how we rejoiced at Chris Carpenter being used in Game 4 of the Cardinals ALDS against the Padres,) and created a potential problem on the horizan for Game Two, namely now that there is an option, who will it be, Jeff Suppan or Chris Carpenter.

"The sooner that Chris pitches when he's ready, the better off you are," said the world's most despised manager, tony la russa. "And he happens to be ready Friday."

Why you smug little law grad tart. Have spreadsheets and powerpoint presentations been created for the possibility that it will be raining Yankee pilot pitchers from the skies again tonight and another game postponed? Have you calculated the trajectory of a David Wright homerun searing through your vacant bullpen? Have you penned the anthems of bile and ridicule the Shea crowd will sing for Braden Looper in the bottom of the 9th?

It seems near certain now that rookie Anthony Reyes will start in Game 4 on Sunday, and Jeff Weaver will go on three days' rest in Game 5 at Busch Stadium on Monday. Whoever starts in Game 2 would go in a potential sixth game in New York, and the Game 3 starter would take the mound in Game 7 -- if there is one.

More significantly, this hampers the Mets because it takes away an off for travel day (Friday) and would give auld man Glavine a day's less rest to start Game Five, if there is such a game.

Of course, if it rains enough days in a row, who knows, maybe El Duque will be healed, Omar Minaya can call for a re-ratification of the playoff roster and the rotation will be one arm stronger.

So now perhaps we should hope for more rain. Many days of it, perhaps weeks. For now the momentum teeters slightly in favour of the Cardinals forgetting of course, that the Cardinals bullpen is unlikely to hold many leads in any event.

Oh yes, now it's all changed. Now it's time to start thinking about a four game sweep of the Cardinals so the issue of Glavine starting Game Five on three days rest isn't even an issue.

Pray for rain. Days and days of rain. It will leave the Tigers with weeks off to contemplate their momentum. It will give both the Mets and Cardinals starting rotations enough rest they'll think it's spring training in November.