"PPD"

With our semi-tropical warm season climate, St. Louis gets lots of rain in the March through June months. Our emerald green forested neighborhoods and countless flower gardens love the moisture, but all the rain wreaks havoc on amateur baseball schedules.

The rain makes it especially tough on the adult volunteers. They go in to the commitment with no idea of how much time they will ultimately give. Matt plays on two teams: a Catholic parish team and a more competitive South County team.

As of June 1, the parish team has only played one game this year, with six rainouts. Every time there's a rainout, the managers (dads usually) have to meet to schedule a makeup game. And with lots of the kids having various other scheduling commitments, rescheduling games is no easy proposition.

With a big rain, sometimes it can take 2-4 days for the fields to dry out, and if rain falls three or four days in a row, it's possible that a whole week's worth of games can be postponed ("PPD"). So, thanks to the moms and dads that keep youth baseball going. Without their commitment, the kids wouldn't get to play.

Who knows if the Old Man River vision, with its plan to build a mile-wide umbrella-inspired covering over a portion of the East St. Louis riverfront and downtown, will ever be realized. But if it came with baseball fields, I bet there'd be lots of St. Louis kids ready to cross the river to spend spring and summer afternoons and evenings in downtown East St. Louis!

As far as tonight's Baseball and Bricks fundraiser for Mullanphy, news regarding field conditions at Heine Meine can be had by calling the rainout number, at 314-638-8524. Keep in mind that it might be dry in Old North St. Louis, with a monsoon happening just a few miles away. If skys are threatening, best to call right before game time. The field crew (one or two guys with a small tractor and some soil drying agents) does everything in its power to get the games played. Tonight's game is scheduled on the big field for 8:00 o'clock.

With all the rain in the area yesterday, they were still able to get last night's games in at Heine Meine. Meanwhile, just a couple of miles away, games at Carondelet Park, were all rained out. As of this moment Friday morning, tonight's games at Heine Meine are still scheduled. Stay tuned...strong thunderstorms are predicted for the St. Louis area later today.