Billy Martin was standing at the batting cage on a sunny afternoon in Kansas City. This was Oct. 8, 1976. The next day, the Yankees and the Royals would tangle in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, the Yankees’ first postseason appearance in 12 years, first-time ever in an ALCS. 

First-time ever in a best-of-five series, which is what determined the LCS winners from 1969 until 1984. 

“It’s a part of your inner calculator when you play enough best-of-seven series,” said Martin, who’d played in his share of them as a second baseman with the Yankees in the ’50s. “In a best-of-five, you’d better not have a bad day because you have to play catch-up right away. And sometimes, you never do.” 

The Yankees were smart about it: They won Game 1 and then Game 3, so even when the Royals won Games 2 and 4, they were never chasing. But that did set up the first winner-take all Game 5 in Yankees history, so it would be the first such game in the history of Old Yankee Stadium (freshly refurbished and reopened that year). 

Game 5 … 

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For a team built around power, the Yankees’ two best power hitters had inconsistent performances in the first four games of the ALDS, with Aaron Judge going 2-for-16 with a homer and a team-high nine strikeouts and Giancarlo Stanton just 1-for-12 with one home run and five strikeouts. 

Asked about Judge’s production at the plate against Cleveland — a team that’s handled Judge well in the past — Aaron Boone said: “I feel like, one, they’ve pitched him tough this series. I feel like the last two games in Cleveland, he started to get really close to being really locked in like we saw him most of the season.” 

Boone noted the homer Judge hit in the Game 3 loss and another hit in the Game 4 win on Sunday in Cleveland — both of which came after Boone moved Judge out of the top spot in the lineup and back to the two-slot. 

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With the Guardians’ season on the line, they declined to reveal whom they would trust to save them.

In the hours after Monday’s game was rained out, Cleveland listed its starter as “To Be Announced” for Game 5, which will be played Tuesday afternoon in The Bronx.

Aaron Civale was set to start Monday, and manager Terry Francona had told Cleveland reporters that afternoon that Civale would get the ball even if the game were pushed back. Yet, as the Yankees announced Nestor Cortes, on three days’ rest, would start instead of the scheduled Jameson Taillon, the Guardians held off on a public decision.

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There will be attempts to grasp meaning because we are humans and we want answers. Not doubt. Not more questions. Not a shrug when trying to explain who it is good for or bad for that a baseball game was rained out Monday night under bizarre circumstances. 

If people screaming at each other on TV and making millions to do so has taught us nothing else, it is that it is better in this moment in time to be loud, definitive, lacking in information and without any qualms about being wrong. 

But these playoffs should be proof of the randomness and unpredictability of — let’s laser focus on one period and one sport — October baseball. We are now in the midst of every hot take available to fix the playoff system because the 100-plus win Mets, Braves and Dodgers lasted a total of three wins — combined — this month. 

So what does it mean that Nestor Cortes will now go on short rest Tuesday in a rescheduled Game 5 while Cleveland manager Terry Francona had intimated to reporters well before the rainout that he would stick with No. 4 starter Aaron Civale rather than ace Shane Bieber if there were a rainout? It means, well, who knows what it means? 

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Yankees GM Brian Cashman understands the frustration many across the baseball universe are feeling after Monday's rainout, especially with the lacking communication from MLB.

A 7:07 start was delayed, with no official updates until it was officially postponed after 9:30 pm.

"A lot of people were forced to wait through some bad weather," Cashman told reporters. "And for that, we're sorry. I don't wish that on our fans ever. Nobody wants to have their customers struggle through that type of stuff. We all thought we were playing tonight."

Game 5 is a go for Tuesday at 4:07 p.m.

Nestor Cortes has been the most consistent pitcher the Yankees have had this season and on Tuesday, the left-hander will have a chance to pitch them into the ALCS for another matchup against the Astros. 

Due to Monday night’s rainout in The Bronx following an outrageously long rain delay that was bungled by MLB, the Yankees and Guardians will meet in a decisive Game 5 Tuesday at 4:07 p.m. 

The postponement gives the Yankees a chance to give Cortes the ball again after he pitched five innings and gave up two runs on Friday in a Game 2 loss. 

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Per the Yankees, tickets for Monday's rained-out game are valid for Tuesday's make-up finale:

Tickets for the game (listed on tickets as ALDS “Home Game 3”) are valid for the game tomorrow, Tuesday, October 18. Pursuant to MLB ticket policy, there are no refunds or exchanges for tickets to ALDS Game 5 (“Home Game 3”).

The gates at Yankee Stadium will open to fans with valid tickets at 2:30 p.m.

For those unable to make it, the game will be broadcast nationally on TBS.

It’s going to be a chilly afternoon in the Bronx on Tuesday.

After a night of rain that kept the Yankees and Guardians from taking the field for Game 5 on Monday, the sides will reconvene on Tuesday afternoon at 4:07 p.m. to settle their AL divisional series.

While the weather forecast promises to be sunnier, it will still be a chilly afternoon — 56 degrees with wind — for the series finale.

Per AccuWeather, a west-southwest wind of 6 mph will feature gusts of up to 16 mph and a sunset at 6:11 p.m.

With the AL Championship Series slated to being Wednesday in Houston, the teams will have to finish up on Tuesday.

Rain, rain, go away.

The ALDS finale between the Yankees and Guardians will have to wait until Tuesday after a rain postponed Monday’s attempt at Game 5.

Instead, the sides will take the field at 4:07 p.m. ET on Tuesday to decided this series once and for all.

It's not as simple as just deciding to play -- the tarp at Yankee Stadium needs to come off, which will be a huge factor in any potential start time, delaying things at least 30 minutes.

The best-case scenario at this point is first pitch at 9:30 p.m., ET.

That is, if the weather cooperates:

Someone at Yankee Stadium is channel surfing.

The scoreboard has changed over from the NYFC game to the Rangers-Ducks tilt.

A Blueshirts goal by Mika Zibanejad elicited a cheer from the rain-soaked crowd — and gave them a 3-2 lead.