Phillies grounds crew needed blowtorches to prepare field for play
The Philadelphia area received a significant amount of rainfall over the weekend, and the tarp at Citizens Bank Park probably should have been rolled out during the duration of the inclement weather. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
On Monday, the grounds crew at Citizens Bank Park had to scramble in an attempt to get the field ready for the Phillies’ game against the Washington Nationals. They had to break out space heaters and blowtorches just to dry the playing surface.
The field at Citizens Bank Park is lit.
No, really, they're using blowtorches in an attempt to dry the field for tonight's game. pic.twitter.com/MpBqvvXSMZ
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) September 10, 2018
#Phillies grounds crew has five blow torches now. Can see the progress they’ve made. A long way to go. pic.twitter.com/aOndEoxbRQ
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) September 10, 2018
As Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post notes, the grounds crew did not cover the field on Friday night. More rain than anticipated ended up falling, and they were never able to get the tarp out. The team had to bring in the torches from the outside, as they do not typically keep them on hand.
We’ve seen some embarrassing mishaps with grounds crews over the years, but this one seems a bit more serious.
