Tribe moving series to Milwaukee’s park
Cleveland ? With the grounds crew still shoveling snow off the field, the Cleveland Indians decided it was time to head north to Milwaukee.
The Indians moved their series against the Los Angeles Angels to Milwaukee’s Miller Park after a spring snowstorm wiped out Cleveland’s series against Seattle for the fourth straight day Monday.
“I thought we were going to move it to North Dakota, but we got Milwaukee instead,” joked Indians designated hitter Travis Hafner, a native of Sykeston, N.D.
The teams will play a three-game series beginning today in a ballpark that has a retractable roof, unlike Jacobs Field. The opener and Wednesday’s game will be played at 6:05 p.m., with Thursday’s game scheduled for 12:05 p.m.
While a snowy, rainy mix stopped falling Monday, the grounds crew was unable to get the surface in shape after three days of snow. About a foot of snow remained on the field Monday afternoon, with workers shoveling it into small carts to be hauled away.
“They’ve got a lot of work ahead of them. It’s a tough job,” said Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore.
Indians manager Eric Wedge said the field was expected to be ready Friday, when they are slated to open a three-game set against the Chicago White Sox.
Players packed Monday for an evening flight to Milwaukee, where the Brewers will sell tickets for $10 each, with seating limited to the field and loge levels.
“I can’t imagine there will be a whole lot of fans,” Hafner said. “The most important thing is that you get the games in.”