Rain the winner in Butler
Go to a baseball game and a floor show breaks out.
Such was the case during the third rain delay of the night Friday at Pullman Park.
The Butler BlueSox and Nashville Outlaws developed their own version of “Can You Top This?” Players from both teams mimicked such things as racing a bobsled, riding a rollercoaster, studio wrestling, bowling, hockey, fishing, golfing, jousting and doing the limbo and playing army men in a battlefield, using baseballs as grenades.
The impromptu performance culminated with a dance-off, as prompted by public address announcer Jay Miranda.
“It's all in fun,” BlueSox manager Anthony Rebyanski said. “These guys have watched this kind of stuff before ... You see it in minor league, Division I and independent baseball games during lengthy delays.
“Guys come up with all kinds of stuff. It's good because it keeps the fans entertained and gets them to stick around.”
The game itself resulted in a whole lot of nothing.
Play was suspended in the bottom of the fifth inning with the BlueSox trailing, 1-0. Nashville (12-8) scored in the top of the fifth inning when Justin Guidry doubled to left, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Jesse Tierney's sacrifice fly.
The BlueSox threatened to tie the game in the bottom ofthe inning as Taylor Juran opened the frame with a double to left. With a full count on the next batter, Jon Danielczyk, the rains came again and never let up.
“Who knows where this game was headed?,” Rebyanski said. “Both pitchers were throwing well.”
Because the Outlaws are not scheduled to return to Butler and the BlueSox do not go to Nashville, the game will not be resumed unless a playoff berth is on the line for either team at the end of the season.
“Otherwise, this is a whole lot of nothing,” Rebyanski said.
BlueSox pitcher Matt Lengel, a Villanova University product, allowed three hits in his five innings of work. Guidry, son of former NFL defensive back Kevin Guidry, had two doubles.
Guidry is hitting .338 and was one of the first six batters in Nashville's lineup hitting .317 or better. The other five were 0-for-10 against Lengel.
“When you're facing a good hitting team, just be aggressive and go after them,” Rebyanski said. “That's what he did.”
Matt Berezo and Jon Danielczyk had singles in the first and third innings, respectively, for the BlueSox (9-11), who play at Chillicothe Saturday and Sunday.
