After rain dance, Red Sox make it official

An official announcement that the game against the Seattle Mariners had been postponed because of inclement weather was posted on the video scoreboard at 4:21 p.m., sending the few hearty souls sitting in the stands and the hundreds of fans huddled in the concourse homeward. Beginning at least 20 minutes earlier, word had circulated through the park -- to policemen, ushers, security personnel, concessionaires, and players -- the game had been called.

Fans who had not yet entered the park were being turned away at the gate, and players were pulling out of the Sox parking lot before ticket holders were informed of the postponement, as well as the announcement that the game had been rescheduled for 7:05 p.m. May 3, previously an offday for both teams. The Sox open a series against the Twins in Minnesota the next day, and the Mariners are coming east from Seattle to play the Yankees in a weekend series beginning May 4.

Fans holding tickets for yesterday's game can use those ticket stubs May 3. For other alternatives, they are advised to call 877-RedSox9.

Why the lag time before the postponement was announced?

"We needed time to get [Major League Baseball's] approval, players association approval, approval from Seattle, a press release issued, the ticket office informed -- there's a checklist of about 50 things we have to go through," said Mike Dee, the team's chief operating officer.

Just before 1 p.m., with rain having already reached the Fens, the Sox issued a press release announcing the gates would be open at the regularly scheduled time -- two hours before first pitch -- but delays were anticipated. The decision whether to play, the release said, was in the hands of MLB and the umpire crew chief -- in this case, Jerry Crawford -- because it is Seattle's only scheduled visit.