Lightning/Thunder Delay

[UmpJM]

In a neighboring town a number of years back, two coaches were struck by lightning in the outfield of a field AFTER the 30 minutes from the last thunder/lightning. One of them died a few days later and the other recovered and is fine. I've met him. That league's policy now is at the first sign of lightning/thunder, you bang the game and go home.

I do not mess with lightning. First sight of lightning or sound of thunder, I clear the field and start the 30 minute count.

More and more of the fields around here have (collar counties around Chicago) lightning detection systems, with the Thorguard system the most prevalent. It measures the potential for a strike, rather than detecting actual stikes. I have been at some fields with the latter type of system.

Regardless, I agree with ASA/NYSSOBLUE's point that they are not a substitute for your eys, ears, and brain.

I was working a Colt league game a couple of years ago, and it was overcast and "threatening" from the get go. Got through the 1st game, and about the 3rd inning of the 2nd, I thought I might have heard thunder. The field was about a mile from an interstate in a rural area and sometimes when an empty semi hits a bump, it makes a sound kind of like ditant thunder. I checked the sky & started listening more closely. A minute later, I heard what I was sure was thunder.

I immediately called time. And started to announce that the game was suspended and I was clearing the field. The fans are moaning, the coaches start trying to talk me into continuing because "the lightning system hasn't gone off" and they point to it, right on the roof of the concession stand. I tell them I heard thunder and was suspending the game and clearing the field.

Before the next word could get out of their mouths, the damn thing went off. It was fun to see the look on their faces.

We cleared the field & just about the time everybody had gotten in their cars, the skies opened.

Sometimes you get lucky.

JM