The Big, Rainy Apple

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It’s three hours before game time, Game 6, American League Championship Series, Yankee Stadium, New York City.

And I have a question. Does it always rain here? It is always cloudy, overcast, grim-feeling?

Are the most successful retailers here not the jewelers or the Mercedes-Benz dealers, but the people in the stores where they sell the warm coats?

I have spent a good part of my summer here and love the assignments. But the U.S. Open golf tournament at Bethpage State Park finished on Monday, a day late. And it was a rainy, stormy mess throughout.

Then I went to the U.S. Open tennis tournament, which had wonderful weather until the last three days, when it mattered most. The rains came, and that ended on Monday, a day late.

Now, I’m here for Game 6 of the ALCS, the rains are here, and the tarp is covering the infield. The players can’t really warm up and apparently are so bored that they opened the clubhouse for half an hour each to reporters. That is unusual in the playoffs.

Other writers are trashing baseball for taking its postseason into late October and November. East and Midwest cities: Bad weather likely.

But maybe they are looking at the wrong thing. Maybe it’s me in New York City. If this one is rained out, I’ve hit for the Big Apple Trifecta.

That, and $15, will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

Actually, I have just discovered somewhere else to place the blame.

Saturday, in the Sleepy Hollow Stakes, just down the road at Belmont Park, the winning horse was Fenway Faithful. When trainer Rich Violette was asked if that seemed to be a bad omen for the Yankees in Game 6, he said, ‘I hadn’t thought about that but probably.’

He didn’t fully understand. The bad omen was rain. And if it washes out Game 6 on Saturday night, don’t blame me, blame Fenway Faithful.

-- Bill Dwyre