Wrong move

Monday afternoon, I had my weekly column all written.
I was going to tell everyone that I reluctantly have joined the Charlie Manuel bandwagon and had a special picture already to go.
By 11 o’clock Monday night, I had to re-write my column.
Seems Major League baseball in an attempt to make a few more million dollars, decided to play game five of the World Series Monday night at the Bank in the rain and cold.
Why? The only answer I can some up with is money. Money drives sports today, not the poor suckers like you and me, who put their fannies in the stands to support their favorite teams.
There is no way in creation that came should have been started last night. Major League Baseball made a huge error in judgement. What if say a Cole Hamels and “Eva’ Longoria would have suffered say a career-ending injury?
As I sat at home, watching the rain fall harder and harder and getting an uneasy feeling that the series was heading back to  Florida, I kept saying why.
The infield, despite the efforts of the ground crew, was flooded. There was more standing water on that field than on most streets after a hard rain.
Okay, it does seem kind of odd that baseball waited until the Rays tied the game at 2-2 to put the tarp on and call the game, but apparently it was all part of some type of grand plan.
Remember talking heads Buck and McCarver saying that once the game reached the bottom of the fifth, it was official and if it was called with the Phillies winning 2-1, they would win the game and series.
Well, seems the suits who run Major League baseball decided to alter the rules somewhat, saying the game wold go nine innings regardless and apparently didn’t tell anyone. Fox didn’t know it and neither did the teams.
So when Tampa Bay tied the game, it was the logical time to say “we’ll see you on another night.”
But there are other problems.
The umpiring in the series has been horrible -- both ways. MLB and its umpires union has this contract, which doesn’t call for the best umpires to work the post-season. That’s a mistake. There are some good umpires sitting at home because of this.
And my final gripe has to do with the late starts. Saturday, again, well after 10. Perhaps that one should have been called as well.
You say, eight isn’t a late start. Well, by the time you get the Fox talking heads telling us what will happen in a game during the pre-game, the line-ups and the god awful renditions of the National Anthem, its nine o’clock.
Baseball wants young people to get involved in the game. How can they when its early the next morning when the game ends.
That has to change.
The series is still not over as I write this. I will say I am surprised with the pitching performances the Phils got from Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton.
But, common sense didn’t prevail at all by Major League Baseball in games four and five in Philly.