More rain in the forecast

It’s been a pretty nice day here, but the forecast calls for another big storm to come through later this afternoon. If that happens, I don’t think they would have any other choice but to play a doubleheader tomorrow. It was coming down in sheets yesterday, and frankly, I’m not sure why they waited until 8 o’clock local time to call the game. … There is some band playing on the field right now, I guess just a warmup, because there is nobody in the park 3 1/2 hours before game time. Other than that, not much news so far.

Game is off

First rainout of the year. It’ll be made up sometime on the Dodgers visit here in September, probably on the 17th when both teams are off, but no date has been set yet. Tomko and Billingsley were pushed back a day, which might push Hendrickson, who has been the scheduled Sunday starter, out of the rotation. Rockies are skipping Fogg, who would have been tonight’s starter, and staying with their scheduled Sat (Jeff Francis) and Sun (Ubaldo Jimenez) starters. D-backs are pounding the Braves, so will probably move within a game of first, and Pods are pounding the ‘Stros, so probably will move within 1 1/2. See ya tomorrow

And so, we wait

The tarp is still on the field, 44 minutes after the game was to begin. It has been raining like crazy all afternoon, and we’re supposed to get an update at 8:15 local time (7:15 California time). Too early to make a call at this point. It’s still raining, but this field has a GREAT drainage system. It’s a thing to behold if you ever get a chance to watch it work. … D-Lowe’s injury is to his hip, not his groin, and it looks like he might get pushed back a day or two in the rotation, but the injury isn’t serious. He’ll try to throw off a mound tomorrow. Meanwhile, it’s fairly apparent that Wolf is going to need at last one more rehab start. … More when I know more.

Tonight’s lineup: Lieberthal is catching, Loney batting third

Loney moves into the three hole, with Gonzo dropping to fifth. Could have something to do with the fact Gonzo is a career 1 for 16 against Josh Fogg, although that to me would seem like more of a reason to play Ethier and Kemp in the same game.

SS Furcal
CF Pierre
1B Loney
2B Kent — 7-11, 2 HR, 4 RBI on trip
LF Gonzo
3B Nomar
RF Ethier
C Lieberthal
RH Tomko

By the way, Jorge Martin of the Dodgers PR staff, who is in charge of editing and putting together that Dodgers Magazine that they sell at the stadium and apparently has WAY too much time on his hands, ran the numbers and came up with this stat: 488 consecutive regular season games attended by yours truly until last night, when my favorite airline had a rare hiccup that resulted in me getting to town too late to get to the game. The streak went from 7/11/04 vs. the Cardinals to 7/25/07 at the Astros.

Rocky Mountain High

Greetings from the greatest city on Earth. There. I said it. With apologies to the Big Apple, La-la Land, the City by the Bay, and the towns of Chi and Bean, noplace beats the Mile High City, and I wish I had appreciated it more during the five years that I lived here (1995-2000), when I spent way too much time complaining about all the snow (I pretty much hate snow). While this wasn’t home for me, of all the places I have lived, it was the one place where I felt the most AT home. A LARGE percentage of the population here (at least two-thirds) moved here from some other part of the country, with a lot of them from the South like me. At one time, and this might still be true, it had the highest per capita percentage of college grads of any city in America. And then, there is this other thing … there are three women who I will always consider the loves of my life. Two of them, I dated while living here, and while I am no longer in contact with either one, I often think of them when I am in town. I hope they are doing well, and I’m sure they went farther in life than they ever could have if they had stayed with me. My daughter, who is 16, can’t stand it here, but I think that’s just an example of familiarity breeding contempt, as she has lived in Colorado continuously since she was four months old. She can’t wait to graduate high school, at which point she plans to go to college out of state and never return. One day, though, she’ll look back and appreciate this place for what it is. Seven years after leaving for Cincinnati and my first real beat job, I know I do. … Oh, one other personal note, and then I promise I’ll keep it baseball-related the rest of the night. Congrats to my cousin, Joe Wilson, who is getting married this weekend to a fellow U.S. Marine named Emily (I am embarrassed to say I never got her last name) in her hometown of Thackerville, Okla. Sorry I can’t be there for the nuptials, but I wish them both the best — and I also thank them both, from the bottom of my heart, for their service to country.