Osler's Razor

I know this one! I asked the same question at a recent minor league game as we waited for 2 1/2 hours for the field to dry out. The answer is: the baseball players could get hurt if they slipped on the wet field, and they're worth too much to lose that way. I don't know what that says about football players.
 

Because baseball is already boring enough in good weather. It would be absolutely interminable in bad weather. Football, on the other hand, is always enjoyable no matter where played or in what conditions.
 

Desiree, the whole point of football seems to be slipping on the grass!

And don't baseball players slide into bases already... and wear spikes?
 

Because if they were good enough to play in the rain, they would be playing another sport besides baseball. HEYOO!
 

Football fans are usually too drunk to notice the rain.
 

Because in football you don't HAVE to throw the ball. In fact, football games in the rain finish faster because of fewer incomplete passes and the inability to get all the way to the sideline to stop the clock.

But in baseball multiple people throw the ball on any given play. That's increasingly difficult when it's wet. Even with a dry ball to make plays, it takes 3+ hours to finish the dang thing. The play time of a game if they played in a downpour would easily approach 5 hours or more.
 

baseball players don't want to get their white pants all dirty. Football players do not care.
 

baseball players don't want to get their white pants all dirty. Football players do not care.
 

diadelkendall is correct. Ever try to throw a really wet baseball? Every try to swing a really wet bat. The game of baseball becomes functionally impossible in the rain. Football becomes more challenging, but not impossible.
 

I will also add that the although the players wear spikes and that is not a problem on the grass - the infield is constructed of clay and wet clay will get stuck onto the bottom of the shoes. The clay essentially eliminates the purpose of the spikes and they have NO traction.

If you look very carefully at the backside of a pitchers mound the pitcher will have a rosin bag to dry his hands so he can grip the ball and there is a rubber shoe cleaner so he can run his shoes over it and remove the clay from the cleats. The plant of the pitchers foot is so important and if the shoes are clotted with clay it will greatly derail the accuracy of the pitch.
 

DiadaKendall/Christine-- Good answers! It kinda makes sense to me now.