CLEVELAND -- A few hours before Monday's planned opener against the Red Sox, Indians manager Terry Francona was emphatic in his insistence that Opening Day would go on as scheduled. Sub-freezing temperatures, issues with the field and increasing precipitation changed things.
Prior to Tuesday's rescheduled contest against Boston, both Francona and Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti met with reporters to discuss the decision to postpone Monday's opener. They sympathized with fans upset with the postponement, but said the conditions at Progressive Field left little choice in the matter.
"Opening Day is an important day," Antonetti said on Tuesday.