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The series opener was scheduled for Tuesday when the cataclysm in New York City and Washington, D.C. forced the first postponement. On Wednesday, Minor League Baseball opted to leave the decision in the hands of the individual leagues. Some of the leagues, including the short-season Class A New York-Penn League that has teams in Brooklyn and Staten Island, cancelled immediately but the EL opted to start its series on Friday.
After baseball commissioner Bud Selig elected Thursday afternoon to wipe out the major league schedule for the weekend, the Rock Cats and Reading Phillies waited for word to come from Mike Moore, president of Minor League Baseball. Moore echoed Selig's principles. Moore told EL president William F. Troubh that the policy should be upheld throughout the minors.
"The cancellation of major league games until Monday leaves us no alternative but to cancel the championship series," Troubh said. "Due to the national tragedy, there are far too many variables to realistically hold the games. Players and staff need to get home to mourn and heal from recent events. In addition, we can't expect our major league affiliates to grant extensions for play beyond what they already provided."
The option of starting the series on Monday was discussed in a conference call between New Britain general manager William F. Dowling, Reading GM Chuck Domino and Troubh.
The Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies, affiliates for New Britain and Reading respectively, agreed to an extension beyond the restrictions outlined in the Player Development Agreement, a standard pact between major and minor league teams, on Wednesday.
The Phillies rejected the notion of further extension. The Twins agreed to the extension but the prevailing thought among Troubh, the players, the managers and Rock Cats management was that calling it quits was appropriate.
The rollercoaster ride between playing and cancelling finally concluded at about 4 p.m.
"Baseball at a time like this really is essentially insignificant and trivial," Dowling said. "(The decision-making) wasn't as smooth as everybody would have liked but this is a great national tragedy. I think we all did the best we could under the circumstances to try and play these games.
"I feel very bad that we can't play the games. This was a wonderful baseball team this year. We won 90 games. I think our manager (Stan Cliburn) is going to be manager of the year. I really felt we would have passed as
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champions of the league by ourselves but these things happen in life.
"The only thing that makes me somewhat sad is the season started with a bang. It was a fabulous year for us - the Twins exhibition, eight sellouts, a fabulous team. It ends with a bit of a whimper, which I understand. But believe me, the only thing that's important is what happened in New York, Washington and (near) Pittsburgh."
R-Phils skipper Gary Varsho, whose players had run through the clothing they packed for what was expected to be a two-day visit, was pleased with the way Dowling mediated in the absence of Troubh.
"(The Rock Cats) did a great job," Varsho said. "I've never seen anybody so patient. I think the neat thing is we're going to be co-champs."
Said Cliburn: "This nation's in mourning. There's a lot of tragedy going on. ..Baseball is my life and these players' lives but it would have been tough to go out and play. We've got to get over this. Baseball is the American pastime and needs to resume. I think Mike Moore and Bud Selig made very wise decisions."
CUDDYER MAKES SEVEN: Immediately after Thursday's lengthy deliberation, Cats third baseman Michael Cuddyer was summoned to Cliburn's office and told he will be headed to the big leagues.
Cuddyer, a sensitive 22-year-old from Chesapeake, Va., had bittersweet thoughts as he departed in his truck for the long drive to Minnesota.
"Obviously we wanted to play the championship and win it outright, but out of respect for the families who have lost loved ones, this was the right thing to do," said Cuddyer, who broke the franchise home run record, went over .300 on the last day of the regular season and clubbed two homers in the four-game defeat of Norwich.
"(Cats pitcher) Matt Carnes made a point. If we win a game and we're out there celebrating while they're pulling bodies out of the rubble, that just wouldn't be fair."
Cuddyer's promotion brings to seven the number of players who went from New Britain to the Twins this year. He was preceded by Kyle Lohse, Brad Thomas, Juan Rincon, Grant Balfour, Adam Johnson and batting champion Dustan Mohr.
Thomas, who would have surely been on the Boston flight that crashed into the World Trade Center Tuesday had the Cats lost to Norwich in a fifth game last Sunday, contemplated his next few days.
"I don't know what's going to happen now. I'm not too interested in getting on a plane too quick," the Australian southpaw said. "Why not head out and drive to L.A? Things are crazy right now so we'll see what happens."
NBHS, CORTO PATIENT: The Cats and Reading were preparing to play Friday night at 6:35 p.m., which would have presented a conflict with the New Britain-Norwich Free Academy football game that was slated for Veterans Memorial Stadium across the parking lot from New Britain Stadium at 7 p.m.
The City and NBHS athletic director Len Corto refrained from changing their game to Saturday but moved it to 7:30 p.m. and planned other arrangements to ease the threat of traffic jams and parking problems for the fans at both games.
Despite the cancellation of the baseball game, gametime for the football game will remain at 7:30. Corto said the school is planning some pregame ceremonies to honor those affected by the national catastrophe so the extra time would come in handy.
