Giants Minor League Team Undergoes Eclipse Delay
KAISER, Ore. (CBS SF) -- While rain delays are quite common to professional baseball, the Giants minor league affiliate Kaiser-Salem Volcanos made history Monday morning when they underwent an eclipse delay.
Thousands of people have flocked to the area to view the total eclipse of the sun so it wasn't surprising that baseball fans began streaming into the Volcanos parking lot at 3:30 a.m.
"It's just going to be such a spectacle," Volcanos owner Jerry Walker told KPIX 5. "It's the first ever sporting event that has delayed due to an eclipse. It's bringing people from all over the country. People were flowing into this parking lot at 3:30 this morning. It's awesome."
"It will be a day to remember," Walker said.
Jeff Miller from Long Beach was among those at the game.
"I expect to see a great game and a solar eclipse," he said as he walked into the stadium. "It should be exciting."
Andy from Santa Cruz was also excited as he headed into the game with his girlfriend.
"It's the last eclipse on the West Coast for a long time and a chance to see a baseball game," he told KPIX 5. "It's pretty awesome."
John Butterworth makes an annual baseball trip each year. This year, he said, there was little doubt where he would be.
"It's clear, sunny and a great day for a baseball game and an eclipse," he said.
Alexis Mather, the 2016 Miss Oregon, was at the game to sing the National Anthem.
"What better way to view an eclipse," she said looking at the growing crowd. "And I get to do something I love to do -- sing."
The Volcanos took on the Hillsboro Hops in the Class A Northwest League game that got off to a slightly late start because the Hops were stuck in eclipse traffic.
Play stopped in the middle of the first inning as fans and players paused to watch the eclipse. Many players donned their special glasses and sat in the grass in front of both dugouts.
The Volcanoes wore eclipse-themed jerseys for the event, which was dubbed "Total Eclipse of the Park." The sellout crowd chanted "Let's Go Science!" at one point and cheered wildly when the eclipse was at its height.
