Whoever is Responsible for Scheduling Please Stand Up
In the first two weeks of the MLB season I think all will notice that an inordinary amount of games have been ppd or played in the cold. Bad weather is cause but these postponements can be battled.
Yes, it was colder in Atlanta on Easter Sunday this year than on Christmas Day. The weather has been unseasonable cold throughout the eastern seaboard and the mid-west but the scheduling has left few opportunities for make-up games.
There was a 4-game series scehduled for Cleveland all four games were ppd due to snow and cold. They even tried to play a double header on the Monday which was also ppd due to snow. According to travelclimate.com the typcial day in early April in Cleveland one would expect temperatures between 2C and 15C. How good of a baseball game can be played in 2C. It is not ideal. What would be ideal is to play those games in early April in Seattle who has a domed stadium in a temperate climate and the game and the entire series for that matter would not be adversley affected. Instead, opening week in Cleveland is tainted. The opening series ended up being against the Angels in Milwaukee and instead of a sell out the Indians have been getting less than 20,000 for a series between two teams expected to compete for the playoffs playing in temperatures under 10C. All the while a stadium is sitting open in balmy SoCal. There was also an unused domed stadium in Milwaukee. The Indians and MLB went ahead and played a neutral site game insead of trying to rebook or play in the cold and rain. Terrible situation.
The leagues have enough warm weather or dome teams to make due for the first two weeks of the season.
NL Dome / Warm weather 9 of 16
Atlanta
Florida
Houston
Milwaukee
St. Louis
Arizona
Los Angeles
San Diego
San Fransico
AL Dome/ Warm Weather 8 of 14
Tampa Bay
Toronto
Kansas City
Texas
Minnesota
Seattle
Oakland
Los Angeles
In the first two series of the season there were 7 games ppd and none of the above teams were hosting those games. However, all the 7 ppd games included either a dome or a warm weather team. In the case of Sea vs Cleve and Tor vs Det those are the only visits to those cities. Tor and Sea will have to make special trips to replay those games. Seattle must make up 4 games somewhere. Cleveland might have to play split doubleheaders (two games in one city against different teams). This is very difficult for teams to make up. This will hurt the teams pitchers when these games are made up and also add to travel and take away much needed off days in September.
Along with the 7 ppd games there were also several northern cities which did play games. Chicago, New York, Cincinnati, Detroit and Washington all played games in temperature under 5C.
Northern teams such as Boston, Baltimore, Mets and Cubs all started the season on the road for at least two series.
While the weather was unseasonable cold there is still a reasonable chance of cold and snow in Detroit, Cleveland and Chicago the first week of April. So, MLB should not schedule games in those cities until at least the middle of April.
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Tags: Bud Selig, MLB Scheduling Practice
April 14, 2007
The weather is what it is. Sometimes it’s ok, but its usually pretty cold in the early months.
It would be an unfair advantage for “cold weather” teams to have a number of backdated home games. First off, attendence (outside of opening day) is always slower in the opening month than in the summer, etc, no matter where the park is located. The west coast or domed teams would have to eat the majority of home games at the start of the season, putting them at a financial disadvantage. Also, more pro-rated home games later in the year (even May) would lead to unfair advantage for “cold” teams on the field (home field advantage later in the year when pitchers have been used more, not skipped, etc).
My advice is to “Man Up”. This isn’t going to happen every year and in reality only a few games have been cancelled due to the weather (under 10).
April 14, 2007
You’re right it isn’t going to happen every year but it is not unreasonable to predict cold weather in Det, Cleve etc early in spring. I am not suggesting that they play a month of games on the road. Detroit is currently of a 2 week road trip. There is no reason that they couldn’t start that 2 week trip at the start of the season and have their home opener on say apr 19. I remember about 5 years ago the CWS had 700 people at a game vs the Jays in very cold weather. How about that for financial disadvantage. Indians were lucky to get 50,000 out to their series in Milw – more financial hardship.
April 14, 2007
Yes, financial hardship but for the cold weather teams. When you own a franchise in these type of cities, build a retractable dome (Milwaukee) or take your chances (Det, Clev, Chi). These teams all built new stadiums in the past 20 years and they knew the risks. Why should the teams in warm weather areas and with domes pay the price?
April 14, 2007
I agree that games should be scheduled in the covered ball parks or southern locations during the first two weeks of the season, but don’t hold your breath waiting for common sense to prevail.
Major League Baseball is run by the greedy owner’s and administered to by “This Bud’s for you”, and that means the fans be dammed.
The owners have been bending the fans over for years, through higher and higher ticket prices, parking fees and concession costs.
Fans can save their breath because MLB only listens to the
kachink kachink at the box office, and until fans stay at home, refuse to watch games on TV, or listen to them on the radio and issue the edict they will buoycot sponsors products or services, MLB doesn’t want to hear from you, they just want your green.
April 15, 2007
One of the things that can be done is play teams within the division in the early season games. Therefore if games are ppd then at least they can be played when the team returns to for a second or third trip. Part of doubleheaders etc. By playing out of division teams especially with only one trip in the season leads to schedulding nightmares and poor baseball later in the year. Minor league pitchers having to pitch. Tired teams.
If MLB is putting it to the fans for money as has been suggested they seem to be going about it the wrong way . Worries about money would be diminished if the early games are played in the south/domes by the fact of greater attendances. Traditionally make up games are poorly attend as compared to scheduled games. Also play within the division especially rivilaries for early season encounters. More people would come out for a Chicago Cleveland tilt in early April rather than a Cleveland Seattle game.