Baseball is back with the return of spring training, and this week our hosts talk with Paul Gross, a recently retired broadcast meteorologist who is a weather consultant for the Detroit Tigers.
They discuss how weather impacts baseball, from lightning safety rules to the precise timing of a rain forecast, including a dramatic situation in a game between the Tigers and Red Sox. Paul also shared a unique story from his consulting during the 2005 MLB All-Star Game.
About the Across the Sky podcast
The weekly weather podcast is hosted on a rotation by the Lee Weather team:
Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia.
Chapters:
(0:00:02) - Advising Sports Teams on Weather Conditions(0:05:36) - Forecasting Weather for a Baseball Team(0:10:42) - Weather and Sports(0:18:16) - The Benefits of Advanced Weather Technology(0:23:34) - Weather's Impact on Sports Decisions(0:30:48) - Weather Consideration in Major League Baseball
Chapter Summaries:
(0:00:02) - Advising Sports Teams on Weather Conditions (6 Minutes)Across the Sky', a national Lee Enterprises weather podcast, is hosted by meteorologists Sean Sublette in Richmond, Joe Martucci in Atlantic City and Matt Holiner in Chicago. This episode discusses the winter storms that have recently been plaguing the Midwest, and how the weather in the upcoming weeks is expected to be mild with snow expected to return next week. They also bring on a guest, Paul Gross, a recently retired broadcast meteorologist who has been consulting for the Detroit Tigers and other big-name sports teams for a while now.
(0:05:36) - Forecasting Weather for a Baseball Team (5 Minutes)The conversation focuses on the protocols for forecasting lightning and calling or pausing a game as a result. It is explained that the safety of the players and the field conditions must be taken into account, as well as the safety of everyone in the stadium. An example is given of a situation which occurred during a game, when a severe thunderstorm was taking a direct bead on the ballpark and the umpire refused to stop the game. A discussion follows on the protocols for lightning and how they have changed over the years, with insight from the Paul's experience advising the Tigers.
(0:10:42) - Weather and Sports (8 Minutes)This chapter of the Across the Sky podcast covers the significance of lightning and how it can be a major weather killer, yet often flies under the radar due to lack of media coverage. The conversation then transitions to the importance of time when it comes to the weather in relation to sports games and the preparation that goes into playing a game. It is noted that the decision to start the game is often up to the home team general manager. The conversation then delves into a situation in which the Detroit Tigers had a game in Boston, but with a massive rain area approaching the game was started despite the fact that it was unlikely to be completed.
(0:18:16) - The Benefits of Advanced Weather Technology (5 Minutes)This conversation is about a unique experience involving the weather at the 2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Paul Gross recounts how, as a season ticket holder, he and his family had purchased tickets for the game, and a cousin from Chicago had come in to join them. The weather forecast was mostly dry, but the commissioner of baseball, who was a bit of a nervous type when it came to the weather, asked the speaker to stay with him during the game. As the game progressed, the speaker was able to track a few showers on radar.
(0:23:34) - Weather's Impact on Sports Decisions (7 Minutes)The conversation focuses on weather's impact on the game of baseball, particularly the flight of the ball in different weather conditions. The speaker talks about his experience with Michigan football and a game they played in Colorado where they w