For a baseball fan who hates to see the last game of the season played, a night off for nasty weather is good news. Besides, players shouldn’t have to play under the conditions they endured Monday night, and fans don’t see the best of players with shallow lakes in the outfield and baserunning lanes turning to quicksand.

Undoubtedly the first installment of Game 5 should have been suspended earlier than it was. In the top of the fifth inning, with rain swirling and the temperature in the mid-40s, Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins dropped a popup because of the elements. By the top of the sixth, when the Rays tied the game at two, it was hard to fathom why players weren’t in the clubhouses.

After the game was suspended, Phillies players were irate that the game hadn’t been called before the top of sixth. According to Michael Radano of the South Jersey Courier-Post, a few Phillies sounded off on Commissioner Bud Selig in the clubhouse, calling him out -- with a few unprintable adjectives thrown in -- for waiting so long to make what appeared to be an obvious decision. Monday night’s weather forecast never looked good.

“That (expletive deleted) guy,” Radano heard one pitcher say of Selig before walking out of the Phillies' clubhouse. “I wouldn’t let him supervise one of my (bowel movements).”

The decision to suspend the game came too late, but get over it. The matter is history. Major League Baseball didn’t want the World Series decided by a shortened game, and that’s one position Selig has right. The Phillies still have three cracks at winning the clincher.

Television ratings for the World Series are down markedly. Now lousy weather is stealing what thunder this Series matchup has to offer. At this point, it would help if the Series was tied two games apiece, but there’s still time for this Fall Classic to turn memorable.

Obviously the wait for one playable night in Philadelphia is well worth it. If the World Series extends beyond Game 5, it moves under the roof the rest of the way. And if the Rays were to win the suspended game, they would return home for Game 6 a little more confident than they were going into Game 5.

The Phillies would benefit from another day off Wednesday, and Mother Nature may cooperate. The angry Phillies were upset that a Cole Hamels start was wasted in a game that should have been called sooner or not played at all. Getting a full game in was never a sure thing.

Even if the game had been called after two or three innings, when water began collecting on the field, perhaps Hamels would be better prepared to return for Game 7 on three days’ rest.

If Game 5 is postponed until Thursday or later, Hamels would be available to pitch Game 7 on normal rest. The remainder of the 2008 World Series could be packed with memories if the Rays force a Game 7 and face Hamels in the finale.

Game 7 is far off -- and may not happen at all -- so it’s time to focus on the completion of Game 5. Be ready for something unprecedented early in the night. After one inning is played, fans will stand for the seventh-inning stretch.