MIAMITOWN — Rain caused trouble for the 49th annual ASA Cincinnati Metro City Tournament on Saturday. Games at Rumpke Park were delayed up to three hours as grounds crews worked to get the fields playable.

        Games at the Northside K of C fields were postponed, and Riverfront West was on a five-hour delay. Rumpke Park operations manager David Maury, who broke his ankle playing softball three weeks ago, got to the park at 5 a.m. and expected to still be there at 2 a.m., only to return at 5 a.m. today.

        “I'm supposed to be walking with a crutch,” Maury said, hobbling around the park in his muddy walking boot. “I'd say the most we're behind is probably two hours. The fields were in good shape this morning. They just got unplayable.”

        The rain's effects were everywhere. Teams that had played wore cleats caked with mud. Those that hadn't drank sodas and beer, played catch or sat around waiting their turn. Children played in the puddles.

        “I got pretty anxious,” said Allison Landscaping team member Chip Turner. “I just hate sitting around.”

        With 230 games on the schedule at six locations, the tournament staff couldn't afford to get behind.

        Said Jeff Burke, a member of the grounds crew: “If you miss the first Saturday, you're screwed.”

        Burke, who also plays for the Bobcat Enterprises/Cooper Sports team, was covered in Diamond Dry, a field-drying agent.

        “(The fields) are playable,” he said. “That's all you can ask for in the Metro.”

        Because of the rain, several games that weren't played Saturday were expected to be moved to today's 9 a.m. slot.

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