Chattanooga Lookouts crew members pull the tarp out over AT&T Field.Officials with the Chattanooga Lookouts had every reason to be optimistic for a banner 2013 season.
A successful 2012 season had ended with 243,051 fans filing through the AT&T Field turnstiles, representing Chattanooga’s highest home attendance since 2004. A mild winter had shifted into a pleasant March, and the Los Angeles Dodgers provided a perk early last April by sending touted outfielder Yasiel Puig to Class AA.
Everything seemed in place for a special spring and summer, but then it started raining.
“There were 38 days where it rained in Chattanooga on our game days,” Lookouts general manager Rich Mozingo said. “It was unbelievable. There was a measurable amount of rain at the Chattanooga airport on 38 of our 70 home dates.
“I can’t fathom another year like that, but we’ll see. Hopefully we’re going to do the same things as we did last year and draw 30,000 more people to the ballpark.”