Game 2 of the KT Wiz-Hanwha Eagles doubleheader at Daejeon Hanwha Life Eagles Park on Sunday set a new record for the longest rain delay in KBO history. The game, which was suspended at 6:33 p.m. due to strong showers, resumed at 9:57 p.m. after all grounds maintenance was completed. After waiting a whopping 324 hours (204 minutes), the game was finally called at 11:26pm. Players, team officials, and fans who came out for game one of the doubleheader, which started at 2 p.m., had to spend the day off the field.
This was the result of the umpires’ “nerve” as they could not postpone the game any longer due to the tight schedule of the remaining games. Hanwha could only scratch its head after suffering a cold game loss due to rain in the sixth inning against the LG Twins in Daejeon just two days earlier.안전놀이터
Before the game against KT on the 18th, Hanwha manager Choi Won-ho said, “The pitchers were fine because they were able to warm up after the three-hour rain delay, but the hitters’ bats didn’t work well. KT players’ bats also looked heavy,” he recalled. “During the three-hour hiatus, we had a meeting with the coaches about pitching operations,” Choi said. “Daejeon Stadium uses the same soil used in the major leagues. It has a muddy component, so it’s not easy to manage when it gets wet. That’s why it took time to maintain the grounds. There were also many wet spots on the grass, so there was a risk of injury. KT players were also cautious,” he said, expressing his disappointment with the referees’ decision. He added, “I did tell the referees this. It’s the role of a professional team to show the crowd a good game. But yesterday, I think we played for the sake of the game.”
KT, who waited the same amount of time, had similar thoughts. In the bottom of the fifth inning, with a 3-1 lead, Hanwha’s leadoff hitter Moon Hyun-bin was called out of the game, leaving the visitors speechless. The players waited by bus or in the locker room for a short break. KT manager Lee Kang-cheol spent his time watching the SSG Landers-LG Twins game on TV, even though it was happening at Jamsil Stadium.
“I thought it wasn’t a bad idea for the team to declare a no-game because we didn’t have enough pitching resources,” Lee said. We just had to wait and see if the umpires were going to enforce it,” he said. He called for one rule change. He was referring to the rule that KT starting pitcher Wes Benjamin had to come off the mound after three hours and 24 minutes of rest to throw an “arirang ball. This was due to the rule that a pitcher who takes the mound in that inning must face one batter. “We need a rule that allows pitchers to be substituted in the event of a prolonged rain delay. This would prevent players from getting injured,” he said.