Cubs Call Off Game, MLB Ties Record For Weather Postponements

CHICAGO, IL — Wrigley Field might be known as the Friendly Confines, but the weather has been far from welcoming at 1060 W. Addison St. this season. Rain, cold and snow — yes, snow — have caused postponements for five of the Chicago Cubs' first nine home games, including Wednesday's matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals. That's not even mentioning the April 3 rainout in Cincinnati against the Reds.

The postponenment Wednesday was the 25th for Major League Baseball this season, matching the total from 2007 for most postponements caused by weather through April since the league began tracking that in 1986.

Before Wednesday's game was called and rescheduled for Thursday, the last time the Cubs had four postponements before playing their first 15 games was in 1983, according to the team. Chicago also had rare back-to-back postponements this week for its games Sunday and Monday.

The last time the Cubs had consecutive rainouts at Wrigley was in August 1987, and like this year, it involved the Atlanta Braves. The first game was rescheduled as part of a doubleheader the next day, but those games were rained out, too. Another doubleheader was set — and played — the following day, but the extra game was never made up that season.

The Cubs had planned to open the 2018 season at Wrigley with three-game sets against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves and Cardinals. But all of those series had postponements, and so far, Chicago has only been able to complete a series against Pittsburgh thanks to an available off day last week. The team hopes to do the same on Thursday with St. Louis.

Even when the games have been played, conditions have made spending a day or night at the ballpark a frigid affair. Four of the six games in the Cubs' opening home stand had temperatures in the 30s and 40s.

During the game Saturday, April 14, the temperature was 38 degrees with a wind chill of 25 degrees, the team said. With a game time temperature of 35 degrees, Tuesday's outing against the Cardinals was the fifth-coldest at Wrigley, tied with Chicago's game April 12, 1992, which also was against St. Louis.

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While cold, none of these initial home games rank as the coldest since Major League Baseball began compiling game day temperatures in 1990. That distinction belongs to the April 20, 1993, game against the Houston Astros when the mercury only reached 26 degrees.

The lousy weather has taken its toll on the players, too. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo told ESPN Radio 1000 that the league should consider shortening the schedule, even if that means players need to take a pay cut.

"I think playing in the cold sucks," he said in a radio interview Tuesday.

But you can't talk about the string of chilly weather without mentioning the two gorgeous days it bookened. For the games Thursday, April 12, and Friday, April 13, the temperature was 74 and 79, respectively, according to the games' box scores.

After — fingers crossed — Thursday's makeup game with the Cardinals, the Cubs hit the road again. They won't return to Wrigley until April 26 when they begin a four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Before then, can Chicago expect to be playing in better weather while the team's on the road? Don't hold your breath. They start a three-game set against the Colorado Rockies on Friday, and the forecast for Denver's Coors Field is calling for light rain and only a high of 42 degrees.

Let's Call the Whole Game Off

Here's a look at what games have been postponed for the Chicago Cubs and when they have been rescheduled.

• April 3: at Cincinnati Reds, rescheduled for May 19
• April 9: vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, rescheduled April 10, a game the Cubs lost, 8-5
• April 15: vs. Atlanta Braves, rescheduled for May 14
• April 16: vs. St. Louis Cardinals, rescheduled as part of a July 21 doubleheader
• April 18: vs. Cardinals, rescheduled for April 19

A Chicago Cubs fan bundles up in a blanket before the April 10 home opener at Wrigley Field. (Photo by Scott Olson | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images)