MLB revokes Cubs' win after they cut ground crew to avoid Obamacare

The Chicago Cubs lost a game on appeal because they deliberately understaffed their grounds crew in an effort to get around the mandates regarding the provision of insurance created by Obamacare.

The Chicago Sun Times says that the crew was poorly staffed in a deliberate effort to stop members of the grounds crew from hitting the 130 hours of work a month after which a company must provide health insurance benefits.

A sudden rainstorm brought the practice to light when the crew was unable to pull the stadium's tarp over the infield to prevent it from flooding and become a muddy mess in a timely manner.

The crew of 15 finally succeeded in covering the field, but not before it was essentially inundated with rainwater. The Sun Times reports that before the rain started to fall, 10 members of the grounds crew were sent home by Cubs executives without any input or discussion by the crew's on-the-field supervisors.

The Cubs tried to defend sending home the employees by saying that it is standard practice to cut some workers when the forecast does not call for rain. The Sun Times notes that several forecasts from that day actually did say it was going to rain the night of the game.

Adding to the embarrassment is the fact that the Cubs had their win that evening revoked by Major League Baseball. Their opponent, the San Francisco Giants, claimed that because the tarp was not properly applied to the field, it was not fair to call the game on account of rain. The Cubs were awarded a win after four and a half innings, according to Time. The rest of the game will be rescheduled and played at a later date.

It is the first successful such protest lodged in professional baseball in 28 years.