MLB scheduling of games in early days of the season....

[CTOkie]

Here's a radical idea:
Schedule the first week to 10 days in cities with domed stadiums or in cities in warmer climates.
There are seven indoor stadiums....Arizona, Houston, Miami, Tampa, Milwaukee, Toronto and Seattle.
There are two stadiums in Los Angeles....and stadiums in San Diego, Arlington, Atlanta, St.Louis, Kansas City.
That's 14 locations that are much more weather-friendly than Boston, NYC, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver and Minneapolis.
Places like Baltimore, Cincinnati and San Francisco/Oakland are generally more weather-friendly as well.
What is MLB's logic ?
The Yankees opened the season on April 5th in NYC vs Houston in cold weather after the opener was cancelled to cold and wet weather.....then the team plays Houston later in July...IN HOUSTON.
So in the first 6 days, that's two postponed games for the Yankees.
Shouldn't having the early season schedule protected from cold and rainy-snowy weather be common friggin' sense ?

 

[Soonersincefitty]

Here's a radical idea:
Schedule the first week to 10 days in cities with domed stadiums or in cities in warmer climates.
There are seven indoor stadiums....Arizona, Houston, Miami, Tampa, Milwaukee, Toronto and Seattle.
There are two stadiums in Los Angeles....and stadiums in San Diego, Arlington, Atlanta, St.Louis, Kansas City.
That's 14 locations that are much more weather-friendly than Boston, NYC, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver and Minneapolis.
Places like Baltimore, Cincinnati and San Francisco/Oakland are generally more weather-friendly as well.
What is MLB's logic ?
The Yankees opened the season on April 5th in NYC vs Houston in cold weather after the opener was cancelled to cold and wet weather.....then the team plays Houston later in July...IN HOUSTON.
So in the first 6 days, that's two postponed games for the Yankees.
Shouldn't having the early season schedule protected from cold and rainy-snowy weather be common friggin' sense ?

Well, you answered your own question...if it makes total, logical sense, just flat can't do it.
It is after all the silly season.

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

Here's a radical idea:
Schedule the first week to 10 days in cities with domed stadiums or in cities in warmer climates.
There are seven indoor stadiums....Arizona, Houston, Miami, Tampa, Milwaukee, Toronto and Seattle.
There are two stadiums in Los Angeles....and stadiums in San Diego, Arlington, Atlanta, St.Louis, Kansas City.
That's 14 locations that are much more weather-friendly than Boston, NYC, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver and Minneapolis.
Places like Baltimore, Cincinnati and San Francisco/Oakland are generally more weather-friendly as well.
What is MLB's logic ?
The Yankees opened the season on April 5th in NYC vs Houston in cold weather after the opener was cancelled to cold and wet weather.....then the team plays Houston later in July...IN HOUSTON.
So in the first 6 days, that's two postponed games for the Yankees.
Shouldn't having the early season schedule protected from cold and rainy-snowy weather be common friggin' sense ?

I think they have some formula that rotates the teams that host the Opening Day, But I hear you. Houston playing NYY in early April and then host in July just doesn't look great this year.

 

[PtLavacaSooner]

The sense of the commoner is no sense at all...

 

[humblesooner]

They are all going to play at home within the first two weeks. No one ever has more than a 10 game road trip.
And early in the season, the fans of all teams deserve a chance to see their team at home.
Not a lot of difference in weather from the first week in April to the second.
If they play all early games in the south, then the should also play the late games (October) in the south, including playoff games.

 

[CTOkie]

They are all going to play at home within the first two weeks. No one ever has more than a 10 game road trip.
And early in the season, the fans of all teams deserve a chance to see their team at home.
Not a lot of difference in weather from the first week in April to the second.
If they play all early games in the south, then the should also play the late games (October) in the south, including playoff games.

Nonsense.
It's no fun having your team's schedule plagued by bad weather in early April. These postponed games have to be made up later, often on an open date or as a day-night double header....and today's pampered and overpaid players don't like either option.
In New England....unlike Texas....there is usually a big difference from the first week in April to the second week in April.
New England, Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania have 4 seasons....unlike Texas....and having a northern team open on the road in an indoor stadium or southern city through the first week makes perfect sense. Some minor tweaking of the schedule between Houston and the Yankees could have had the season open in Houston, with the Astros coming to NYC in July.....and that's just one example.
Postseason baseball now runs through the entire month of October and sometimes into the first 1-2 days of November....where five teams in each league are awarded playoff spots....but really raw winter weather is still a month away except in Minnesota.
My own opinion is that baseball season is too long and that the World Series should end by the third week in October. But it's all about money and a 154 game schedule with more day-night doubleheaders will never be a consideration.

 

[humblesooner]

Nonsense.
It's no fun having your team's schedule plagued by bad weather in early April. These postponed games have to be made up later, often on an open date or as a day-night double header....and today's pampered and overpaid players don't like either option.
In New England....unlike Texas....there is usually a big difference from the first week in April to the second week in April.
New England, Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania have 4 seasons....unlike Texas....and having a northern team open on the road in an indoor stadium or southern city through the first week makes perfect sense. Some minor tweaking of the schedule between Houston and the Yankees could have had the season open in Houston, with the Astros coming to NYC in July.....and that's just one example.
Postseason baseball now runs through the entire month of October and sometimes into the first 1-2 days of November....where five teams in each league are awarded playoff spots....but really raw winter weather is still a month away except in Minnesota.
My own opinion is that baseball season is too long and that the World Series should end by the third week in October. But it's all about money and a 154 game schedule with more day-night doubleheaders will never be a consideration.

Not arguing your points. It COULD be done. It just won't.
Regardless of the weather (or potential weather), the northern teams are not going to set still and let the southern teams or teams with domes have opening day every year.
I bet if you asked the Yankees (organization, not individual players) if they would have preferred to open in Houston or New York this year, their answer would not have been Houston.

 

[CTOkie]

Not arguing your points. It COULD be done. It just won't.
Regardless of the weather (or potential weather), the northern teams are not going to set still and let the southern teams or teams with domes have opening day every year.
I bet if you asked the Yankees (organization, not individual players) if they would have preferred to open in Houston or New York this year, their answer would not have been Houston.

The northern teams and the lords of MLB may not want to open in southern climates or indoor stadiums, but the players, managers and lightly regarded fans of northern teams would not mind. As long as a team gets its 81 home games, what's the problem ? It is not fun sitting in a ball park in 30 degree weather.

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

ALL MLB fans deserve to have their teams host a season opener. Period. Weather is a factor of course, but this is baseball, not football. The games can be cancelled if need be. It's been this way forever and a day, week, season. Rotating the Season Openings is the only way to make this work. If you don't like sitting in cold weather, don't go. If it was a comfortable 65 degrees and the game was in Houston, the Yankeee fans would have been bitching if they NEVER get a season opener because of a weather related scheduling rule.

 

[CTOkie]

ALL MLB fans deserve to have their teams host a season opener. Period. Weather is a factor of course, but this is baseball, not football. The games can be cancelled if need be. It's been this way forever and a day, week, season. Rotating the Season Openings is the only way to make this work. If you don't like sitting in cold weather, don't go. If it was a comfortable 65 degrees and the game was in Houston, the Yankeee fans would have been bitching if they NEVER get a season opener because of a weather related scheduling rule.

Let's not confuse a HOME opener with a SEASON opener. Every team has its home opener, but common sense by MLB would be to start at least the first series (2-3 games) of the season in a weather friendly stadium....for the sake of the players, the fans and the quality of the game.
I'm a Yankees fan, but I would be very happy to see the team start the season on the road in a domed stadium, or a southern city.....every season....and, like it or not, the Yankees are a big draw on the road and generate a lot of money.
The fans of both the Yankees and Red Sox that I talk to feel the same way.
Again, each team plays 81 home games regardless of where they start the season.
Rest assured that my "radical idea" has no traction with MLB as it continues to be run as a very dysfunctional business.

 

[glmays11]

Let's not confuse a HOME opener with a SEASON opener. Every team has its home opener, but common sense by MLB would be to start at least the first series (2-3 games) of the season in a weather friendly stadium....for the sake of the players, the fans and the quality of the game.
I'm a Yankees fan, but I would be very happy to see the team start the season on the road in a domed stadium, or a southern city.....every season....and, like it or not, the Yankees are a big draw on the road and generate a lot of money.
The fans of both the Yankees and Red Sox that I talk to feel the same way.
Again, each team plays 81 home games regardless of where they start the season.
Rest assured that my "radical idea" has no traction with MLB as it continues to be run as a very dysfunctional business.

The Giants opened at the Brewers. Sideways snow outside as the announcer said. 70 degrees indoors. No game if it was outside.

But as you said, a very dysfunctional MLB management group.

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

Let's not confuse a HOME opener with a SEASON opener. Every team has its home opener, but common sense by MLB would be to start at least the first series (2-3 games) of the season in a weather friendly stadium....for the sake of the players, the fans and the quality of the game.
I'm a Yankees fan, but I would be very happy to see the team start the season on the road in a domed stadium, or a southern city.....every season....and, like it or not, the Yankees are a big draw on the road and generate a lot of money.
The fans of both the Yankees and Red Sox that I talk to feel the same way.
Again, each team plays 81 home games regardless of where they start the season.
Rest assured that my "radical idea" has no traction with MLB as it continues to be run as a very dysfunctional business.

I recognize the difference between a Home Opener and a Season Home opener. But the fact is, Yankee fans would be bitching like crazy if they never had a 'season opener home game'. Especially if the weather was nice outside. The past couple of years the weather has been effected by the weather cycle known as 'El Nino'. I'm not a fan of changing rulings because of weather patterns. Again, if the weather isn't comfortable for fans then they have a choice to not go to the game(s). I'll also say that I can't understand why in the hell any team from the north would build a new staium w/o a retractable roof. i.e. the new Yankee Stadium.

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

The Giants opened at the Brewers. Sideways snow outside as the announcer said. 70 degrees indoors. No game if it was outside.

But as you said, a very dysfunctional MLB management group.

At least this organization was smart enough to build a stadium w/ a retractable roof.

 

[CTOkie]

I recognize the difference between a Home Opener and a Season Home opener. But the fact is, Yankee fans would be bitching like crazy if they never had a 'season opener home game'. Especially if the weather was nice outside. The past couple of years the weather has been effected by the weather cycle known as 'El Nino'. I'm not a fan of changing rulings because of weather patterns. Again, if the weather isn't comfortable for fans then they have a choice to not go to the game(s). I'll also say that I can't understand why in the hell any team from the north would build a new staium w/o a retractable roof. i.e. the new Yankee Stadium.

Northern teams (excluding Toronto and Minnesota) really only have weather issues during the first half of April, so a domed stadium really isn't a necessity.
When I lived in Houston during the Astrodome years, I was able to watch indoor baseball in 72 degree temperatures....prior to the Dome, sitting in the heat and humidity at Colt Stadium while swatting mosquitoes was much more of a problem than sitting in Yankee Stadium in 40 degree weather. The few times I went to Arlington to see the Rangers-Yankees games were also plagued by extreme heat.
Trust me, Yankees fan bitch much more when there's a game called on weather conditions than having the team's first game of the season played at home.
Summers here in the northeast are much more comfortable for attending a ball game than the sauna bath summers in Texas, Florida and Georgia.

 

[Soonersincefitty]

At least this organization was smart enough to build a stadium w/ a retractable roof.

That's why I prefer the NFL over MLB, slightly.
The comforts of climate control always favor the fans, not the players.

That's why the Packers have always appealed to me.
Those are some tough mofos, players and fans.

 

[Schoonerman]

Nonsense.
It's no fun having your team's schedule plagued by bad weather in early April. These postponed games have to be made up later, often on an open date or as a day-night double header....and today's pampered and overpaid players don't like either option.
In New England....unlike Texas....there is usually a big difference from the first week in April to the second week in April.
New England, Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania have 4 seasons....unlike Texas....and having a northern team open on the road in an indoor stadium or southern city through the first week makes perfect sense. Some minor tweaking of the schedule between Houston and the Yankees could have had the season open in Houston, with the Astros coming to NYC in July.....and that's just one example.
Postseason baseball now runs through the entire month of October and sometimes into the first 1-2 days of November....where five teams in each league are awarded playoff spots....but really raw winter weather is still a month away except in Minnesota.
My own opinion is that baseball season is too long and that the World Series should end by the third week in October. But it's all about money and a 154 game schedule with more day-night doubleheaders will never be a consideration.

My thoughts exactly. Delay the start of the season by about 10 days, shorten the season to 154 games and throw in a few more double headers. Fans would love it, players would hate the double headers and owners would hate the loss of revenue if those 8 games were cut.

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

Northern teams (excluding Toronto and Minnesota) really only have weather issues during the first half of April, so a domed stadium really isn't a necessity.
When I lived in Houston during the Astrodome years, I was able to watch indoor baseball in 72 degree temperatures....prior to the Dome, sitting in the heat and humidity at Colt Stadium while swatting mosquitoes was much more of a problem than sitting in Yankee Stadium in 40 degree weather. The few times I went to Arlington to see the Rangers-Yankees games were also plagued by extreme heat.
Trust me, Yankees fan bitch much more when there's a game called on weather conditions than having the team's first game of the season played at home.
Summers here in the northeast are much more comfortable for attending a ball game than the sauna bath summers in Texas, Florida and Georgia.

The Yankees are the richest MLB in terms of worth and history regarding the Playoffs/World Series. They had the money to build a retractable stadium. And while the summers are more pleasant than in Houston, it still rains in NYC during the summer months.

Edit: I only go to Arlington on or before Mother's Day and after Labor Day. It's just to damn hot to pay the money they ask for these days to watch a game live there during the summer months.

 

[WP76]

My thoughts exactly. Delay the start of the season by about 10 days, shorten the season to 154 games and throw in a few more double headers. Fans would love it, players would hate the double headers and owners would hate the loss of revenue if those 8 games were cut.

I agree completely. However, doubleheaders have pretty much gone the way of the dodo bird. Ballparks hate giving up parking, concessions, admission revenue, etc. On the rare occasions when doubleheaders are played, they usually empty out the parks so they can at least double up on admission.

The other glaring downside is the fact that the World Series doesn't end until November. Great idea if you're playing the 7th game in Colorado, New York, or any non-domed stadium north of St. Louis.

 

[CTOkie]

The Yankees are the richest MLB in terms of worth and history regarding the Playoffs/World Series. They had the money to build a retractable stadium. And while the summers are more pleasant than in Houston, it still rains in NYC during the summer months.

Edit: I only go to Arlington on or before Mother's Day and after Labor Day. It's just to damn hot to pay the money they ask for these days to watch a game live there during the summer months.

Two things prevented a domed stadium being built in NYC....the state of the NYC economy following the 9/11 attacks in 2001 and the desire by the Yankees to make the new stadium architecturally similar to the original stadium (the one BEFORE the 1973-75 remodeling). The cost of a retractable roofed stadium would have exceeded $3 billion dollars...the existing stadium came in at around $1.6 billion, which exceeded the initial estimate of $800 million.
But this is really getting away from my original OP of scheduling games in the first week of the season in open air/indoor stadiums in southern cities.
Also, the Yankees did not acquire a single free agent during the off-season to control spending, believe it or not...so even the Yankees have financial limits, at least at this time. That will change after Beltran, Teixiera, Sabathia and A-Rod are all gone following the 2017 season.

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

CT your argument, although packed w/ passion is seriously flawed. Beyond explaining that MLB has forever rotated teams to host Season Openers, the temperatures in NYC vary from year to year. For example;
Record Low is 18 degrees, Record High is 87 degrees, w/ an avg low temp of 42 degrees and an avg high of 58 degrees.

I admit that it was cold as all get out last week and as a result the schedule looked flawed. But the temp varies every year. If it was even the avg high of 58 degrees, we wouldn't be posting on this subject.

For the record, I'm all for the Yankees never hosting a World Series game in October.... it's too cold.

Here's the historical weather link. With this... I'm out.

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/History.aspx?month=4

 

[CTOkie]

CT your argument, although packed w/ passion is seriously flawed. Beyond explaining that MLB has forever rotated teams to host Season Openers, the temperatures in NYC vary from year to year. For example;
Record Low is 18 degrees, Record High is 87 degrees, w/ an avg low temp of 42 degrees and an avg high of 58 degrees.

I admit that it was cold as all get out last week and as a result the schedule looked flawed. But the temp varies every year. If it was even the avg high of 58 degrees, we wouldn't be posting on this subject.

For the record, I'm all for the Yankees never hosting a World Series game in October.... it's too cold.

Here's the historical weather link. With this... I'm out.

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/History.aspx?month=4

It's not flawed and it's not necessarily about the Yankees. In this case, I'm only using the Yankees (a team that had its home and season opener postponed and had its game in Detroit cancelled Sunday night) as an example. Players and managers and fans of any northern team would much prefer to open in playable weather, regardless of those games being on the road.
I'm 67 years old and have lived in six states throughout my life and have live in Connecticut since 1986 so I know about the weather in New England and NYC as well as Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and New Jersey.
Colder weather means smaller crowds, possible postponements, and compromises player and fan comfort and safety. Numerous articles have been written about this issue for years, as well as comments from players and managers, along with the other dysfunctional aspects of MLB.
At least I enabled you to vent your hatred for the Yankees (and their fans)....but I understand the "hatred" of sports teams. It's usually due to the success of hated teams. I never find too many Milwaukee Brewers haters.

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

It's not flawed and it's not necessarily about the Yankees. In this case, I'm only using the Yankees (a team that had its home and season opener postponed and had its game in Detroit cancelled Sunday night) as an example. Players and managers and fans of any northern team would much prefer to open in playable weather, regardless of those games being on the road.
I'm 67 years old and have lived in six states throughout my life and have live in Connecticut since 1986 so I know about the weather in New England and NYC as well as Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and New Jersey.
Colder weather means smaller crowds, possible postponements, and compromises player and fan comfort and safety. Numerous articles have been written about this issue for years, as well as comments from players and managers, along with the other dysfunctional aspects of MLB.
At least I enabled you to vent your hatred for the Yankees (and their fans)....but I understand the "hatred" of sports teams. It's usually due to the success of hated teams. I never find too many Milwaukee Brewers haters.

You've mentioned several times that northern baseball fans would prefer to have season openers on the road. You Sir, can not & do not speak for the these fans. As far as that goes, neither do I. BTW...Milwaukee has a roof!

 

[CTOkie]

You've mentioned several times that northern baseball fans would prefer to have season openers on the road. You Sir, can not & do not speak for the these fans. As far as that goes, neither do I. BTW...Milwaukee has a roof!

No Red Sox fan or Mets fan or Yankees fan disagrees with me on this. If you lived up here you would also agree.
.....And what does Milwaukee having a roof have to do with what I said ?....I was referring to the Brewers' less-than-stellar history, not their stadium.

 

[humblesooner]

No Red Sox fan or Mets fan or Yankees fan disagrees with me on this. If you lived up here you would also agree.
.....And what does Milwaukee having a roof have to do with what I said ?....I was referring to the Brewers' less-than-stellar history, not their stadium.

CT - Even you have to admit that the brush you are using to paint northern baseball fans is a little wider than reality. I've never lived north of Tulsa, but I would bet my annual salary that I can find at least one, and more likely, much more than one Red Sox, Mets or even Yankees fan who would be vehemently opposed to their favorite team never being allowed to have the season opener in their home digs.

 

[CTOkie]

CT - Even you have to admit that the brush you are using to paint northern baseball fans is a little wider than reality. I've never lived north of Tulsa, but I would bet my annual salary that I can find at least one, and more likely, much more than one Red Sox, Mets or even Yankees fan who would be vehemently opposed to their favorite team never being allowed to have the season opener in their home digs.

I'll admit to having common sense....and of course there are a few fans here that don't care or disagree. So go ahead and place your bet.
Most fans would rather see their team play with at least the first series of the year intact even if it was away from home. Here in the Northeast, every Mets, Yankees and Red Sox game is televised so there is no issue with starting on the road, outside of just common sense.
You and WNAS have no concern anyway given the lack of the fan-friendly mentality that governs MLB. Nothing will change....except maybe more expansion (with the further dilution of talent), ever-increasing concession and parking prices and higher salaries.

 

[humblesooner]

I'll admit to having common sense....and of course there are a few fans here that don't care or disagree. So go ahead and place your bet.
Most fans would rather see their team play with at least the first series of the year intact even if it was away from home. Here in the Northeast, every Mets, Yankees and Red Sox game is televised so there is no issue with starting on the road, outside of just common sense.
You and WNAS have no concern anyway given the lack of the fan-friendly mentality that governs MLB. Nothing will change....except maybe more expansion (with the further dilution of talent), ever-increasing concession and parking prices and higher salaries.

I would actually be happy for your "crazy" idea being implemented. That would give the Astros an Opening Day most years. But, as you said, the only changes MLB is going to consider making are the non-fan friendly changes you listed.

 

[CTOkie]

I would actually be happy for your "crazy" idea being implemented. That would give the Astros an Opening Day most years. But, as you said, the only changes MLB is going to consider making are the non-fan friendly changes you listed.

I understand (to a small degree) the opinion on keeping the scheduling as is, but I would rather have my team playing its opener without weather interference. After a winter of hibernation, no one wants to see the season get started more than I do....especially without bad weather. Had Houston and New York simply exchanged dates (NY to Houston to start the season....Houston to NY in July), not one player, manager or rational Yankees fan would have had issues with this.

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

CT, I've been attending MLB games since 1965 with a roof. Hell I never saw a MLB game in an outdoor stadium until 1989. I can totally appreciate playing games w/o weather interference. But the only way that this is ever going to happen is placing roofs on a stadium. The new Yankee Stadium had this opportunity to assist you, and all other Yankee fans. But they chose to continue to pay astronomical salaries instead. It's been the way of the Yankee organization since I've followed MLB closely and probably longer. So, instead of blaming MLB for scheduling, you need to look no further than your own team's ownership & management. They had their chance and in my opinion, blew it.

BTW, the Astros are sucking right now. Pitching, Hitting, Base Running, and Defense. It's bad start for the kids. The newest kid, Tyler White has had an All-Star start. Hope he continues.

 

[CTOkie]

CT, I've been attending MLB games since 1965 with a roof. Hell I never saw a MLB game in an outdoor stadium until 1989. I can totally appreciate playing games w/o weather interference. But the only way that this is ever going to happen is placing roofs on a stadium. The new Yankee Stadium had this opportunity to assist you, and all other Yankee fans. But they chose to continue to pay astronomical salaries instead. It's been the way of the Yankee organization since I've followed MLB closely and probably longer. So, instead of blaming MLB for scheduling, you need to look no further than your own team's ownership & management. They had their chance and in my opinion, blew it.

BTW, the Astros are sucking right now. Pitching, Hitting, Base Running, and Defense. It's bad start for the kids. The newest kid, Tyler White has had an All-Star start. Hope he continues.

I'm mentioning a MINOR schedule adjustment for the first week in April to facilitate northern teams being able to avoid cold weather at least to some degree....I'm not advocating the construction of a $3 billion dollar domed stadium that neither the Yankees or New York City can afford just to have the first week of the baseball season more weather friendly....or to assure Yankees fans that their team will play at home on the first day of the season.
Since the Yankees have drawn more than any other team, home or away, for the past century while playing outdoor baseball, I would not say that they "blew it" in keeping the tradition of the old Yankee Stadium intact.

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

the Yankees have drawn more than any other team, home or away, for the past century while playing outdoor baseball,

Then they, the fans, suck it up for the next century as well while they attend outdoor baseball games in the tradition they always have.

 

[CTOkie]

Then they, the fans, suck it up for the next century as well while they attend outdoor baseball games in the tradition they always have.

They will.
If they can tolerate a season-ending strike as they did in 1994, they'll take any bad decision MLB makes.