When the umpires signaled a rain delay at the end of the third inning, the team rushed out to set up a large tarp as if they were already prepared. Despite the strong winds and rain, all members of the KT stadium management team held on tightly to the tarp to protect the infield. This is the view of KT Wiz Park in Suwon at around 7:44 p.m. on the 5th.

Quickness and perseverance saved a game that looked like it might be lost. The clouds that had canceled the game at Jamsil Stadium moved to Suwon and dumped thick streams of rain on Suwon KT Wiz Park. As the rain poured down as if a typhoon was approaching, the possibility of a rainy no-hitter seemed high.

As it turned out, the KT stadium management team’s quick response saved the day. They quickly set up tarps in the infield and minimized ground maintenance time. The umpires also kept a close eye on the weather forecast and did not wait the required 30 minutes.

Heo Woon, the chairman of the umpires, said, “The umpires in Suwon reportedly waited more than 30 minutes. “About 40 minutes after the game was suspended, they said that the rain had stopped. When I asked them how long it would take to repair the ground, they said it would take about an hour to an hour and a half. So I told them to repair the ground but to decide to cancel the game if it rained again,” Heo recalled.안전놀이터

The game is suspended due to heavy rain at the beginning of the fourth inning of the 2023 KBO Baseball Game between the KT Wiz and LG Twins at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, South Korea, on May 5. 2023.0905.S

It took just over an hour to restore the field. In total, it took 104 minutes from the rain delay to the resumption of play, and the game was played safely into the ninth inning. The game would have been played on October 2 if a rainout had been declared. In that case, LG will play a seven-game series from September 26 to October 2, while KT will play a nine-game series, including a doubleheader, from October 1 to 8. Both teams could only breathe a deep sigh as they watched the heavy rain.

Heo credited KT’s stadium management team for quickly installing tarps in order to resume play. “They did a great job,” he said. If you are late and the infield soil gets wet, it takes a very long time to recover. If the soil becomes muddy, you have to dig it up and lay new soil. This process takes a lot of time.”

Thanks to the quick deployment of tarps by KT’s stadium management team, the ground was safe from the heavy rain. After the rain stopped, the team only had to remove the rainwater that had accumulated on the tarp. During this time, the water that had accumulated on the grass naturally drained away.

At the beginning of the fourth inning of the 2023 KBO game between the KT Wiz and LG Twins at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on May 5, the game was suspended due to extreme downpour, but after waiting for an hour, the stadium manager Kwang decided to resume the game after maintaining the field. Kim Sang-hoon, director of KT Wiz Park, moves to maintain the ground.2023.09.05.

Baseball infrastructure is not only about the number of players, systems, and facilities. The accurate judgment and promptness of the stadium management team is also an infrastructure. Thanks to this, more than 10,000 spectators at Suwon KT Wiz Park were able to enjoy the game until the end.

At this time of year, there is a lot of talk about the remaining schedule. There’s always a team that complains about the overwhelming number of matches. The answer is already out there. If you keep an eye on the weather from the beginning of the season and wait patiently for the rain to stop, you can resume at least two or three games and finish the season like Suwon did on Friday. Stadium management can also reduce the time it takes to restore the field by quickly installing large tarps.

The Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) plans to pilot the pitch clock in the Futures League starting in the 2024 season, which means it will likely be in place at the first team level by the 2025 season. Pitch clocks require pitchers to enter their pitching motion within 15 seconds with no runners on base and 20 seconds with runners in scoring position. Pitch clocks have been implemented in Major League Baseball this season, and they have revolutionized game length. The average game has been reduced by more than 20 minutes, with most games lasting no more than three hours.

The shorter game times also give teams more time to decide when to resume play after a rain delay. On May 5, Suwon ended at 11:31pm. This is a great way to move up a game.