TOLEDO, Ohio — When it comes to severe weather, the Toledo Mud Hens have an action plan to keep fans out of the strike zone.
Aaron Jones is the manager of game-day operations for the Mud Hens. Weather is always at the top of mind for officials at Fifth Third Field, especially on days like Sunday.
"When we look at the weather forecast, we usually track it anywhere from a couple of days out to a week out, and what we're really looking at is: what time do we open the gates for the game, get fans in? What time would it start?" Jones said. "We're looking at how much rain could fall, what the severity of it could be, lightning, thunder, anything more severe than that, of course."
If you already have tickets, going to the game and hoping it won't rain may be your only option. Jones said there is a plan in place to keep everyone safe around the ballpark.
"If we ever cancel the game and there is severe weather, what we're gonna do is put fan safety first," Jones said. "If it's severe enough to where we don't believe fans should be leaving the premises, we're going to do everything that we can in our power to help them out, get them indoors, to lower levels of the ballpark, into stairwells. We have emergency action plans in place. "
When it comes to deciding to delay or cancel a game, several factors and numerous people are involved.
"The crew chief for the umpires, the two managers and then us as the housing club, we all get together and talk about what the forecast looks like, how the field's holding up, and then come to a decision that way," Jones explained.
That decision was to call the game off on Sunday, but it's always better to be safe than strike out.