THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BOSTON - The rain rolled in and the Tampa Bay Rays ran off the field five minutes after starting their workout.
Their first opening day as American League champions had already been postponed until Tuesday, originally an off day, because of a forecast of heavy rain and high winds.
First baseman Carlos Pena didn't mind waiting to take his cuts at the home of the Boston Red Sox.
"We didn't want to hit anyway," the Rays slugger said Monday with a laugh as he returned to the tiny visitors' clubhouse at Fenway Park. "We'll hit tomorrow."
They hit enough against the Red Sox in Game 7 of last year's AL championship series to win 3-1 and advance to the World Series, where they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies.
There have been some interesting personnel changes since then.
Rocco Baldelli, whose RBI single broke a 1-all tie in the ALCS finale, is now with Boston. Pat Burrell, whose double began the winning rally for the Phillies in the decisive fifth game of the World Series, is with Tampa Bay.
Some things remained the same - Boston's Josh Beckett and Tampa Bay's James Shields, Monday's scheduled starters, will meet in a rematch of Game 6 of the ALCS, a 4-2 Red Sox win.
And the Rays, despite their climb from last place in 2007 to the World Series, still are opening the season on the road, subject to the uncertainties of the early spring weather in New England, rather than in the warmth of their dome at home.
"It's not really a surprise to me," said Shields, who has never played a season opener at home in his three full seasons with the Rays. "We've got to win more to get that honor."
Not necessarily.
"You would think" the AL champs would open at home, Rays outfielder Carl Crawford said, "but I think they make these schedules a while before."
The last postponed Red Sox home opener was in 2003, also because of rain.
There was plenty of warning Monday as long-range forecasts called for rain to start during the afternoon and continue through the day. It stopped briefly after the Rays left the field, then began raining heavily 15 minutes after the scheduled 2:05 p.m. starting time.
Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon agreed with the decision to call the game early but said, "I know the weather's good at Tropicana Field."
