Those 29,603 fans, the night's announced attendance, headed out to Progressive Field expecting a fun-filled night of baseball, $1 dogs and fireworks.
What they got was a whole lot of time to feast on those dollar dogs, a span in which Joey Chestnut may have been able to demolish a year's supply of Sugardale hot dogs.
The game's first pitch, scheduled for 7:05 p.m., didn't come until 9:02 p.m., following a nearly two-hour rain delay. At 9:18 p.m., persisting rain led to another delay of only 13 minutes. However, heavier rain soon began again, halting the game at 9:34 p.m. Play would not resume again for two hours and 39 minutes, in only the bottom of the second, at 12:13 a.m.
Jacob Vecchio was one of the fans that stuck around the whole time, enduring a combined four hours and 49 minutes of rain delays. While the game ended around 3 a.m., Vecchio didn't get home to Brook Park until 4:30 a.m. because the Rapid which he planned to take home was no longer running.
"It was cool to wait until the delay was actually over," Vecchio told me. "Probably the longest game I've been to but it was fun."
Alex Shirilla didn't make it as long as Vecchio. She saw just one full inning of baseball Friday night, before leaving at 11:30 p.m.
"Some of us had work early in the morning and couldn't stay," Shirilla said. Like Vecchio though, she didn't view her night as a negative one.
"It was a fun experience nonetheless at the stadium with the dollar dogs and just the atmosphere and being there with friends," Shirilla said.
Other fans were not so pleased, to say the least, voicing their anger in comments on a post on the Indians' Facebook page Friday night that read: "Thanks to everyone who is sticking it out with us, both here at the park, and on our TV and radio broadcasts! We'll resume play here at Progressive Field momentarily."
Amy Moses wrote: "Wish i could have stayed, but we had a 6 year old with us. A six year old that was thrilled to be in extremely good (and expensive) seats. A six year old that graduated from kindergarten today. A six year old that got to see just 9 outs. A six year old that is now sleeping in his bed. A six year old that was heartbroken on the drive home because he never even had a chance to cheer on his team. So disappointed in your decision to even start this game."
Sean Lowe echoed that sentiment: "I paid you guys $50 to sit in the rain for 4.5 hours! A total lack of care shown to the fans (that you can't bring to the ballpark) by not give any updates!!!"
On Saturday, team president Mark Shapiro offered an apology and said he felt "terrible" about the situation.
"We're trying to come up with some alternatives to demonstrate that materially to our fans," Shapiro said.
The alternative should not be difficult to find. Fans offered it themselves on Facebook.
"This will be our last game if some sort of makeup game or refund isn't offered," Jason Weppelman, who went to the game with his daughter, wrote.
"My kids were wet, disappointed and falling asleep when we finally called it a night....we bought tickets for 26 members of my family for tonight's game....what a waste!!!! I don't want to be gifted an Indians store, free dinner for a year etc etc....I just want what we paid for!! To enjoy a day at the ballpark with my family," Katie Paonessa commented.
It's a simple solution really - one that shouldn't take days to discern.
"They should let those who stayed or left get another game for free," Vecchio said.
It's that easy - because when it comes down to it most of the 29,000 fans were gone by the post-midnight long-term resumption of action. Most didn't get to see more than an inning of baseball and none got to see fireworks, which were canceled.
What should have been a memorable night turned out to be a major disappointment for many. Even those who did still have a good time did not get their full money's worth for what was included in the night's promotion.
Shapiro and the Indians should give them that back, with a ticket of equal value (as available) to a future game of their choosing. There are still multiple fireworks games on the schedule, so fans who were eager to see the show would still have that option. Others who just want a nine-inning day or night at the park that doesn't take eight hours to fulfill deserve that too.
It is not the Indians' fault that factors out of their control forced the decision of playing out the game in the wee hours of the morning. But it's also not that of fans who paid to attend that there were scheduling constraints and a murky forecast for the weekend ahead.
The Indians have enough trouble getting people out to the game, again at the bottom of baseball in attendance numbers. They have promised to make the problematic logistical situation right and now need to show Friday night's strong crowd, 12,000 more than their season average, that they'll do that with fair compensation.
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