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SPORTS ZONE 2: Yankees Drop Forfeit Complaint

On Monday, September 6th, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays were supposed to play a doubleheader against the New York Yankees in New York. But Hurricane Frances tore through Florida last week, making it impossible for the Devil Rays to travel to New York on schedule. The Yankees asked Major League Baseball (MLB) to award them a forfeit because Tampa Bay did not arrive in time.

Baseball teams sometimes schedule two games in one day, called a doubleheader. The Devil Rays missed the first of the two games. A forfeit occurs when one of the two teams does not follow the rules in a game or does not show up to play. The team who forfeits records the game as a loss, and the other team is granted a win. In this case, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays did not show up for a scheduled doubleheader. The Yankees believed Major League Baseball should give them a win because of the cancellation.

However, MLB commissioner Bud Selig told the Yankees he would not award them the forfeit. MLB representatives said the forfeit might affect the teams allowed into the post season baseball tournament. New York currently leads the American League East, ahead of the Boston Red Sox by 2 ½ games--a very close race.

On Tuesday, the Yankees decided to drop the issue. It became clear the MLB would not grant them the forfeit. Instead, the teams will reschedule the missed game later in the season.

--Written by Sarah Kurachek

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