It rained yesterday so it must have been baseball time in London. What else is new?

Last night was supposed to mark the return of the Canadian Baseball League to London. The Trois-Rivieres Saints and London Monarchs were scheduled for a four-game series.

It's been more than two weeks since the Monarchs played at Labatt Park. In the first three weeks of the season, they've only managed three home games. Last night's game will be rescheduled.

Forecast for the yesterday was warm with cloudy periods. It wound up cold with rain, and plenty of it.

It was the fourth rainout of the season for the Monarchs. They've also had to play through other games where rain was an issue.

It's made things difficult for a number of reasons. For a new team playing in a new league, there's a need to be visible. Out of sight, out of mind. The next two weeks when the Monarchs are home for two series will be a better indication of things to come.

From an on-field standpoint, the team needs work. The players didn't have a long spring camp. They've only been together for about three weeks and the weather has not allowed them to work out as much as they would like.

Yesterday was a day the team has seen far too often already. The game was rained out. The field couldn't be used for much more than a little running and throwing and the weather was cold and damp, the kind of weather that's conducive to injuries.

The Monarchs were out doing what they could. The only other activity revolved around league commissioner Fergie Jenkins getting a picture taken by Canadian Time magazine.

There is a tarpaulin which would allow the infield to be covered. It wasn't on the field yesterday. The keepers of the field say they would have rolled it out even though it takes a lot of people and takes time but were told not to by the Monarchs. Team manager Willie Wilson says his players are willing to help put it on if it means more use. Everyone will sort it out eventually. The results have been predictable, not just in London but in the other three East Division cities -- small crowds and less than textbook baseball.

Despite all this, the Monarchs have managed to win five of nine and play much better baseball than some of the other teams in the league.

And they have Willie Wilson.

Wilson has seen just about everything in baseball. He's been in just about every situation one can be in. Not much is going to phase him.

He acknowledges it's been a difficult time for his team and the league but his focus is clear . . . make the team better and keep them prepared.

"We've had the chance to play four games in a row and practise two days and we're getting better," he said. "The way I wanted to work was play four games, take the Monday off, then practise two days and play the four games. That way we'd get a day off. But the way things are, I might have to practise when I can because of the weather."

Wilson isn't frustrated by the weather or the game. He believes in the product and, given time, he'll put a solid team on the field, saying he's here for the long run and hopes that's many years.

"We have good baseball players but they don't have the ins and outs of the game down yet," he said. "It isn't the guys who have played professional baseball, guys who have played at the AA, AAA or the pros. I have eight Canadian players on this team. Some have played in college, some have played semi-pro ball. They are learning at this level and you can see them getting better.

"We haven't played to what we are capable of. We got beat a couple of times and we looked bad getting beat. When we play that way, I can turn from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. When we're on the same page, I go back the other way."

The weather is supposed to co-operate for the rest of the weekend. Tonight's game starts at 7 p.m. Maybe we'll get a chance to see just how far this team has come.