Indians statement regarding Friday's game experience

Tribe fans:

Thank you to all those who endured the rain delays from Friday night's (May 31st) series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays at Progressive Field.

For those who were unable to remain at the ballpark, we apologize for the inconvenience of the delays and subsequent re-start of the game after midnight.

There was a multitude of extenuating circumstances that led to what we recognize was a challenging experience for our fans:

• At the time of last night's game, there was considerable uncertainty within the remainder of this weekend's weather forecast
• Last night's weather forecast continually changed throughout the evening leading to the unfortunate after midnight re-start
• Our ability to play at a future date was limited by two factors of significance: Tampa Bay does not return to Progressive Field in 2013 and as outlined within the terms of the basic agreement there are no viable mutual off days in the future to reschedule

We value each and every one of our fans. We want to thank the fans that did stay for some or all of the game for their loyalty, patience and perseverance. Our fans were incredible last night.

While we did our best to ensure that those who stayed had a great experience, we realize that the weather related circumstances from Friday's game presented difficulties for many fans to have a memorable ballpark experience.

We are always looking to provide our fans the best experience possible at Progressive Field and in the near future reach out to last night's fans to make it right.

Thank you and Go Tribe!