White Sox left-hander Anthony Kay believed a tarp decision during Miguel Vargas’ five-inning home run was meant to end his start. White Sox manager Will Venable rejected that view, while MLB’s umpire administration outlined how meteorology, umpire discretion,
CLEVELAND — Anthony Kay had thrown 48 pitches through four innings when the Guardians’ grounds crew headed to the tarp on Friday night, while Miguel Vargas was still working through a five-inning at-bat.
Vargas remained at the plate for the rest of the 10-pitch sequence and delivered a three-run blast as Kay watched the game shift around him. Rain had not fully arrived yet, and Kay said he believed there was enough time for play to continue.
“I was hoping to go six, seven, eight innings, give the bullpen some help, but I think they messed around with the tarp,” Kay said after the game. “We probably had at least 20 to 30 minutes of light rain that we could’ve played through.”
Kay said the decision sharpened his anger because it came right after Vargas’ home run.
“But the second that Vargas hits that home run, they pull the tarp. So there definitely was some bull— on their part to get me out of the game. It’s pretty messed up for them to do something like that and get me out of the game that way.”
He acknowledged that, by the rules, teams are not supposed to influence decisions to stop play because of weather, and that those calls belong to the umpires.
Those umpires, he said, were made aware before the game that a storm was coming. Crew chief Vic Carapazza called the players off the field, but Kay said the timing still made him wonder how much say the home team had. Kay spoke to the Sun-Times on Saturday before the game against the Guardians.
“Of course, it’s up to the umpires at the end of the day,” Kay said. “The thing that ticked me off the most was that we still had like 20 to 30 minutes of light drizzle that I feel like we could’ve played through. I feel like most rain delays you see don’t start until the actual rain comes.”
Kay then suggested that the grounds crew could potentially have helped steer when the stoppage began.
“I feel like once they saw that. I feel like as a home team. you do have a little bit of a say when the rain’s going to come. You can get into the grounds crew’s ear a little bit to kind of influence it. Maybe they didn’t do that; I don’t know. I think I was mostly just frustrated that my outing got cut short. That was probably my most efficient outing of the year.”.
Will Venable, the White Sox manager, said he did not learn about Kay’s postgame comments until Saturday afternoon, so there was no prior conversation. Venable said he disagreed with Kay’s framing.
“That’s a perspective I don’t share,” Venable said. “But these guys can say whatever they want in the media. They’re all adults. I have a really good understanding of how the process goes, which is why I don’t share that perspective.”
MLB’s umpire administration described the process as layered, involving umpires, general managers, meteorologists, and groundskeepers, coordinated through Matt McKendry, MLB’s vice president for umpire administration. McKendry said the goal is to ensure 2,430 major-league games are played.
“We were in touch with the Guardians the whole time,” McKendry told the Sun-Times. “They started getting alerts from their local meteorologists about having a severe weather watch and having lightning in the area of the ballpark, and we knew we had some severe weather behind.”
McKendry emphasized that umpires retain discretion about when to stop play.
“It’s the discretion of the umpires to determine at what point they want to stop the game. I know that Vic probably went a little longer than the groundskeeper would’ve been comfortable with because they were concerned about. once the wind kicked up. being able to get the field tarped. And they had some trouble getting that tarp on once they got there.”.
McKendry also said MLB was more aggressive about restarting the game than the Guardians’ grounds crew was comfortable with because the weather outlook could worsen. He said he believed it was best to play in a dry window, even as the wet outfield affected field conditions.
“That’s where they dumped all the water,” Venable said after the game. “It was a mess out there. He’s coming in hard trying to make a play, and it just got by him.”
The manager pointed to left fielder Sam Antonacci’s error that allowed the tying run to score in the seventh.
McKendry said he believed the tarp coordination reflected consultation, not anything intentional to target a pitcher.
“But it was nothing nefarious. That’s where the water drains. And it’s very unlikely, if not unfounded, that the Guardians’ grounds crew went rogue.”
He added: “We haven’t had a situation where a groundskeeper, you know, inning ends and they go out and put the tarp on without anyone being on the same page,” McKendry said. “Usually everything’s done in consultation.”
Usually.
Before Saturday’s game, Vargas entered with a season line that underscored why his day drew attention: he was tied for fourth in the American League in runs scored (58), sixth in walks (51), tied for sixth in homers (20), and eighth in slugging percentage (.495).
Anthony Kay Chicago White Sox Cleveland Guardians Miguel Vargas MLB umpire administration Vic Carapazza Will Venable severe weather watch rain delay tarp
Tarp drama again? MLB can’t just let it rain and move on.
I mean if rain wasnt even fully there yet then why pull the tarp right when he gives up a HR? Seems kinda shady. Like timing is everything.
They say its all ump discretion but the home team definitely influences everything, cmon. Also the whole “meteorology” thing sounds like they just guess. Half the time these guys act like they’re doing weather math.
Not gonna lie I skimmed it but I heard he got taken out because the tarp thing was supposed to end his start. Like first of all, if it was light rain why not just keep playing? Umpire calls belong to them but they were probably already told by Cleveland so he’s probably right. Either way pitchers always get screwed when TV wants a delay, I swear.