LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Travelers have been pretty lucky when it comes to rain this season. Until now.
The Travelers postponed Wednesday's first-round Texas League playoff game against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock because of heavy rain resulting from Tropical Storm Gustav.
The first two games of the best-of-5 series will now be played tonight and Friday at Dickey-Stephens Park. If tonight's game is rained out, there will be a doubleheader with two nine-inning games Friday, then the series will relocate to Arvest Ballpark in Springdale for a game Saturday and remaining games Sunday and Monday if needed.
"We knew it was going to be a fight and one that we weren't going to win today," said Travs General Manager Pete Laven, who called the game at 2 p.m. "We didn't want to open the gates and delay the process any more. There's people without power and trees down all over the city, so it wouldn't be a surprise to anybody."
The corners of the tarp in Dickey-Stephens' center-field batter's eye pulled free thanks to gusting winds, leaving the tarp flapping in the breeze. The windows in both radio booths were blown open, resulting in some damp carpet, and of course, the field has to drain.
"Fortunately we have a backup batter's eye that [stadium superintendent] Greg [Johnston] is going to install as soon as the wind dies down," Laven said. "We have a feeling there might be some maintenance to do on the infield dirt.Because of all the rain there's bound to be a leak somewhere."
When the playoffs begin, the Travelers will debut a new player. The Los Angeles Angels have promoted catching prospect Hank Conger from Class A Rancho Cucamonga to Class AA Arkansas, now that Rancho Cucamonga is out of California League playoff contention.
Conger, a first-round draft pick by the Angels in 2006, suffered a torn labrum that cost him playing time this year and is the Angels' No. 4 prospect (Baseball America). He hit .303 in 73 games with 13 home runs and 75 RBI and likely will be the Travelers' designated hitter when the team finally takes the field.
The Travelers have only had two rainouts all season, which, broadcaster Phil Elson said, is somewhat remarkable considering the unpredictable nature of Arkansas' weather, especially in the spring.
"We had an incredible year for weather," Elson said, noting that it rained heavily in March, then let up.
Except for opening night, that is. Tornado-producing thunderstorms rolled in on April 3 and forced the Travelers to cut their first game to eight innings as they lost 3-2 to Midland and fans took shelter in Dickey-Stephens' stairwells and hallways.
"My season is bookended,"Elson said, looking out at the rain-streaked press-box window at Dickey-Stephens Park late Wednesday morning.
Elson pointed out most of the Texas League got off relatively easy regarding the weather this year. Tulsa was hit the hardest, suffering three rainouts.
"Last year we lost four openings and there were 35 openings lost last year in the Texas League," Elson said. "This year there were 10."
While the bad weather has arrived with a vengeance late in the season, it has been more costly in previous years.
"We had back-to-back rainouts one May, I think it was 2002," Elson said. "We had to play back-to-back doubleheaders on a Saturday night and a Sunday afternoon with Midland. ... We did 28 innings in 24 hours, which you just don't hear of."
Dickey-Stephens Park opened on April 12, 2007 and had its second game, on Friday the 13th,rained out. That came after the Travelers returned from their season opening trip to Midland, where a game was snowed out, resulting in a scheduled Monday doubleheader.
The first game went 12 innings, forcing Midland to postpone the second game and count it as a rainout.
Then there was the seasonending series at Shreveport that preceded the 2001 playoffs. All four games were rained out and the Travelers, who won a firsthalf divisional title - as they did this year - used the time to practice.
The Travs returned to Ray Winder Field and posted a firstround victory over Wichita, the beat Round Rock for the title in a championship series shortened to two games because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"It's normal for four rainouts a year or something like that," Elson said.
Sports, Pages 17, 21 on 09/04/2008