MLB drop the ball on scheduling?

[drock2190]

Why didn't the Twins and the Mariners play on Friday? Now, Seattle has to make a trip back in their busy schedule just for one game. Why not schedule games during their first home opening weekend on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. If a game gets rained/snowed out(likely since its April), then they have a chance to play it on Sunday. I'm sure the players wouldn't mind getting Sunday off, especially if they are religious and the away team gets a whole extra day to travel. 

 

Does this make too much sense to anyone else?

[mazeville]

They always leave the day after opening day free in case opening day gets rained out. I don't have any issue with that.

 

I DO have an issue with giving the Twins 10 home games in early April when there's a good chance the weather will be like this.

 

I also have an issue with the Twins postponing yesterday's game. Weather wasn't that bad. They'd played in worse.

[Vanimal46]

They always leave the day after opening day free in case opening day gets rained out. I don't have any issue with that.

 

I DO have an issue with giving the Twins 10 home games in early April when there's a good chance the weather will be like this.

 

I also have an issue with the Twins postponing yesterday's game. Weather wasn't that bad. They'd played in worse.

Meh. There's too many 'cold weather' cities so I don't know how you can avoid scheduling early April games. This winter is just especially brutal this year.

 

I agree that postponing yesterday's game was weird and unnecessary.

[Blackjack]

Did they reschedule yesterdays game to protect the players from injury or because they realize attendance on a cold cloudy day would be way down and they wanted to play it on a warmer May date??

[mazeville]

 

Meh. There's too many 'cold weather' cities so I don't know how you can avoid scheduling early April games. This winter is just especially brutal this year.

I agree that postponing yesterday's game was weird and unnecessary.

 

But 10 games? That's my problem. You're going to end up with some years having games in early April I get that.

 

A 10-game April homestand is bogus. 

 

Of course, as someone who has been to horrible weather games in May you can't avoid it fully. But at least you'll have a better chance. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

I have fewer issues with April home games than I do April home night games.

 

Scheduling is hard and MLB has to walk a tightrope to keep it relatively fair to all teams (the Twins coasting with a 60/40 home/road split in August and September isn't exactly fair to warm weather teams).

 

I grudgingly accept that MLB wants a gap between the home opener and the next game for the sake of profits.

 

But what I don't get is stuff like tonight's game... it should be a 1-3pm start time. Not only does it almost guarantee warmer weather but it allows flexibility for precipitation and pushing the game back a few hours if need be.

 

The Twins are here to make money but the small pittance they make by scheduling night games this early in the season seems like going one step too far to maximize profits for little reward.

[nicksaviking]

It doesn't bother me that Seattle has to fly back to Minnesota for one game.

 

Now if it was the Twins who had to fly to Seattle for one game.....

[Loosey]

The only thing I don't like nor understand completely is the off day after the home opener.  That opening gives them flexibility only if the home opener is postponed.  If they left Sunday as the open slot if any of the Thursday-Saturday's game had a postponement they could move everything back a day.  

[Puckett34]

 

The only thing I don't like nor understand completely is the off day after the home opener.  That opening gives them flexibility only if the home opener is postponed.  If they left Sunday as the open slot if any of the Thursday-Saturday's game had a postponement they could move everything back a day.  

Would make more sense anyway.    Scheduled doubleheaders on weekends and a later start to the season would also make sense.    But MLB and MLBPA will never go for it.  

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

The only thing I don't like nor understand completely is the off day after the home opener.  That opening gives them flexibility only if the home opener is postponed.  If they left Sunday as the open slot if any of the Thursday-Saturday's game had a postponement they could move everything back a day.  

Moving everything back a day is a non-starter. If you had to postpone the Thursday game, you'd have to turn people with Friday tickets away from a Friday game, and then do the same Saturday. It would be a logistical nightmare to reschedule 3 games as opposed to just 1.

 

Note that they only really care about being able to immediately reschedule the opener, because it is a special/premium game. They don't care about rescheduling the others for later in the season (and it appears they actively wanted to do that with Sunday's game).

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

But what I don't get is stuff like tonight's game... it should be a 1-3pm start time. Not only does it almost guarantee warmer weather but it allows flexibility for precipitation and pushing the game back a few hours if need be.

 

The Twins are here to make money but the small pittance they make by scheduling night games this early in the season seems like going one step too far to maximize profits for little reward.

You might be under-estimating what they make from these night games. A lot of their revenue is probably suite rentals and of course TV rights, where people are protected from the weather and greatly prefer a 7 PM start to a weekday afternoon start.

 

I don't know if any club outside of Wrigley Field can afford multiple weekday afternoon games per week, particularly during "school months".

[ThejacKmp]

 

The only thing I don't like nor understand completely is the off day after the home opener.  That opening gives them flexibility only if the home opener is postponed.  If they left Sunday as the open slot if any of the Thursday-Saturday's game had a postponement they could move everything back a day.  

 

They want opening day to be an event. If Opening Day gets pushed back to the Saturday game, then those tickets are much less exciting and sales might drop. By having a day after, they make it more likely that you will actually see the first game of the year.

[Loosey]

 

Moving everything back a day is a non-starter. If you had to postpone the Thursday game, you'd have to turn people with Friday tickets away from a Friday game, and then do the same Saturday. It would be a logistical nightmare to reschedule 3 games as opposed to just 1.

 

Note that they only really care about being able to immediately reschedule the opener, because it is a special/premium game. They don't care about rescheduling the others for later in the season (and it appears they actively wanted to do that with Sunday's game).

Yeah, I get that but sometimes things don't work out perfectly.  I wouldn't recommend pushing everything.  Just the cancelled game gets played on Sunday.  Obviously, if it were the opener, which would then theoretically be the 3rd game on Sunday would cause issues. 

[Loosey]

 

They want opening day to be an event. If Opening Day gets pushed back to the Saturday game, then those tickets are much less exciting and sales might drop. By having a day after, they make it more likely that you will actually see the first game of the year.

You and SpyCake have put me in a box, and now I see the trouble with my viewpoints.  

 

I get the spectacle of opening day having meaning and therefore the open Friday spot to replay it.  

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

You might be under-estimating what they make from these night games. A lot of their revenue is probably suite rentals and of course TV rights, where people are protected from the weather and greatly prefer a 7 PM start to a weekday afternoon start.

 

I don't know if any club outside of Wrigley Field can afford multiple weekday afternoon games per week, particularly during "school months".

Dunno, Minnesotans are usually over-the-top excited to get outside in April, especially during the day. I know loads of people who take days off to do stuff in spring and catching a baseball game is only a half day off work.

 

All in all, I think day games cost MLB teams money but I don't think it costs them much, especially early in the season when it's still pretty cold at night and gets dark relatively early.

 

Does anyone here hang outside during your typical early- to mid-April evening/night (excluding the **** fest of weather we're getting right now)? I usually scurry inside in the evening but love to be out and about during the day when it's warmer and the sun is in the sky.

 

Minneapolis has an average April high of 57 (quite nice, all considering) and an average low of 37 (no thanks). Now, it's not going to hit the low during game time but mid-40s is still pretty uncomfortable to be outside at night exposed to the wind, whereas 50+ during the day is pleasant enough.

[Nine of twelve]

It doesn't bother me that Seattle has to fly back to Minnesota for one game.

 

Now if it was the Twins who had to fly to Seattle for one game.....

The Mariners play in Detroit the day before and Seattle the day after. The Twins play in LA the day before and Minnesota the day after. Because the Mariners travel west and the Twins travel two time zones east I think the Twins actually have the more difficult travel situation for the make-up game.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Dunno, Minnesotans are usually over-the-top excited to get outside in April, especially during the day. I know loads of people who take days off to do stuff in spring and catching a baseball game is only a half day off work.

Some of us, sure, but weekday afternoon games have the lowest attendance. That's pretty much a fact. (I know, I've been part of a few "record low Target Field crowds" on weekday afternoons )

 

All in all, I think day games cost MLB teams money but I don't think it costs them much, especially early in the season when it's still pretty cold at night and gets dark relatively early.

If it costs them anything, what's the upside for changing? Their best path to revenue is probably -- 1) TV rights, 2) advance suite rental, and 3) rescheduling for an open date later in the season.

 

I think I understand your personal preference, but logically I can't see asking them to give those things up to potentially improve comfort for a small segment of lower-revenue fans.

[RegularJoe62]

 

Meh. There's too many 'cold weather' cities so I don't know how you can avoid scheduling early April games. This winter is just especially brutal this year.

I agree that postponing yesterday's game was weird and unnecessary.

Nearly half the cities in MLB are below the Maxon Dixon line or in California. To that add Seattle, Toronto, and Milwaukee which have a roof available. There's no need to have a ten day homestand in April in the coldest city in the league. There's never a guarantee for weather, of course, but your odds of having snow or a 20-something degree day in late April are a lot less than in early April.

[Rosterman]

It was just a snaufu because of opening day needs. But the cureall is to have early season games scheduled within your division, And look at start times. Starting a noon game, is that all that bad earlier on a weekend in this unpredictable weather season.

 

And you do have to think a bit about player heath. It's not like outdoor football, whee you get a week to recover.

 

And maybe you do think about reconfiguing the pitching staff. Shorter starts, use mroe arms, especially if you do have some off days.

 

But you SHOULD begin and END the season playing teams in your own division.

[KirbyDome89]

 

I have fewer issues with April home games than I do April home night games.

 

Scheduling is hard and MLB has to walk a tightrope to keep it relatively fair to all teams (the Twins coasting with a 60/40 home/road split in August and September isn't exactly fair to warm weather teams).

 

I grudgingly accept that MLB wants a gap between the home opener and the next game for the sake of profits.

 

But what I don't get is stuff like tonight's game... it should be a 1-3pm start time. Not only does it almost guarantee warmer weather but it allows flexibility for precipitation and pushing the game back a few hours if need be.

 

The Twins are here to make money but the small pittance they make by scheduling night games this early in the season seems like going one step too far to maximize profits for little reward.

Exactly.

 

I said the same thing in the Pittsburgh game thread. They played a Wednesday evening game, in a northern city, in early April, and had to travel for a game the next day. 

 

I get that it has been unseasonably cold in the Midwest and Northeast this Spring, and bad weather games are simply unavoidable, but there are definitely ways to attempt to minimize the impact of said weather. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

If it costs them anything, what's the upside for changing? 

An easier schedule later in the year with fewer make-up games that wear down a team through the dog days of the season.

 

I'm only talking about a couple of weeks of day games here, which comes out to 3-4 weekday home games for each team once you factor in off days and scheduled day games like the Opener. It's just not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.

 

By April 15th most seasons, the weather has cleared up enough where it's not much of an issue. The night games might be brisk but they likely won't be "no ****ing way am I going outside" cold. Plus, two weeks gives you +20 minutes day light in the evening.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

An easier schedule later in the year with fewer make-up games that wear down a team through the dog days of the season.

 

I'm only talking about a couple of weeks of day games here, which comes out to 3-4 weekday home games for each team once you factor in off days and scheduled day games like the Opener. It's just not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.

But by the same token, aren't the postponements not that big of a deal either, in the grand scheme of things? Even with lousy April weather, ddds are there won't be more than 1-2 postponements -- and they were probably nudged into the one Sunday because they could make it up in just over a month.

[KirbyDome89]

 

You might be under-estimating what they make from these night games. A lot of their revenue is probably suite rentals and of course TV rights, where people are protected from the weather and greatly prefer a 7 PM start to a weekday afternoon start.

 

I don't know if any club outside of Wrigley Field can afford multiple weekday afternoon games per week, particularly during "school months".

Doesn't most revenue from suite rentals come from corporations that have season long agreements? I'm sure there are some families or small businesses that might rent a box last minute to catch a night game but isn't that a drop in the bucket? I could be way off base on this though. I'm the guy who still uses his college ID to get cheap seats and dollar dogs on Wednesday nights.... 

 

Aren't TV rights sold as a whole?  I'm not sure how much a few day games in early April dents the value of a TV package for a 162 game season.  

 

I'm playing devil's advocate here. You're right, overall the team loses money with more afternoon starts in early April. IMO it's a small concession to make for the players and fans.  

[amjgt]

I understand the reason for the day off after the opener. It's because the clubs want to be able to charge a premium for those tickets. At an average of what?.... $8 more per ticket.... all of this nonsense if for a few extra hundred thousand bucks? Greedy. 

 

They obviously can't just not play home games in early/mid April, so my big beef is with the lack of foresight in the schedule. Never ever should a team that isn't coming back to the same stadium that year, play at a stadium in a cold weather (non-dome) climate in early/mid April. MLB wants to start earlier and earlier (March now)? Fine. But you can't just ignore the potential issues that might arise from that.

 

It's possible that statistics would indicate that historically there are as many postponements in May than in April. But clearly April has the greatest chance of multi-day weather issues that have the chance of throwing a huge wrench in the schedule. 

 

Really, I'm just annoyed that I didn't hammer those tickets on Stubhub yesterday. They were going for WAAAAAAY cheap. And I could've at least doubled my money by reselling them for the May reschedule date

 

 

 

[jkcarew]

 

I'm playing devil's advocate here. You're right, overall the team loses money with more afternoon starts in early April. IMO it's a small concession to make for the players and fans.  

Agreed.  But the concessions, to the extent that there are any, are made to the TV networks, (and to the union, if travel rules apply)...period.  That ship has sailed, and it ain't coming back.  That's how we got to where we are...games in March and November.

[Vanimal46]

Nearly half the cities in MLB are below the Maxon Dixon line or in California. To that add Seattle, Toronto, and Milwaukee which have a roof available. There's no need to have a ten day homestand in April in the coldest city in the league. There's never a guarantee for weather, of course, but your odds of having snow or a 20-something degree day in late April are a lot less than in early April.

I'm not in Minnesota anymore so I feel for Minnesotans enduring this winter. I think it's just an over reaction to an especially brutal winter.

 

I remember in years past the weather was phenomenal in April. Sunny 70 degree days. Wouldn't fans be pissed missing out on those days because the Twins are on a 15 game road trip?

[amjgt]

 

Nearly half the cities in MLB are below the Maxon Dixon line or in California. To that add Seattle, Toronto, and Milwaukee which have a roof available. There's no need to have a ten day homestand in April in the coldest city in the league. There's never a guarantee for weather, of course, but your odds of having snow or a 20-something degree day in late April are a lot less than in early April.

 

9 are below the line. 2 more in northern CA

 

Edited to Add:

 

7 of the 9 started at home

6 of the 9 hosted series 2 of the year.

 

[Squirrel]

 

Why didn't the Twins and the Mariners play on Friday? Now, Seattle has to make a trip back in their busy schedule just for one game. Why not schedule games during their first home opening weekend on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. If a game gets rained/snowed out(likely since its April), then they have a chance to play it on Sunday. I'm sure the players wouldn't mind getting Sunday off, especially if they are religious and the away team gets a whole extra day to travel. 

 

Does this make too much sense to anyone else?

I don't know if someone said this already, but that make up game is actually worse for us than the Mariners. We will be coming off a weekend in L.A. and they will be stopping in MN after playing a weekend in Detroit. Not really a case of 'now they have to come all the way back here ...' Make ups for any team can be a pita. But it is what it is. We can complain about not having a roof, but if you look at temperatures around the division the last couple of seasons, Minnesota was warmer than Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit.

[bighat]

Gotta say I'm kind of shocked to see all this grousing about cold weather...from Minnesotans, donch'a know! The players have all been living in warmer climates since last October. They're not as maxed out and annoyed as you - they can play a few games in the cold, and they will. Just because you are at the end of your ropes, that doesn't mean ol' Joe Mauer can't play in a 40-degree night game.

 

In a week, this subject will be a distant memory. Until then, watch the games at home on your TV. Twins home games in April are OK, and outdoor baseball is the right thing in the long run. I think you are all just having a serious grouch about this long winter. I don't blame you, but leave baseball out of this!

[Squirrel]

Interesting enough ... both the ChiSox and Cubs are playing home games this week at the same time. That rarely happens in the schedule. And, not only are they both playing in Chicago, today, it's the Cubs' home opener. And the Cubs game is postponed while the ChiSox are playing? We got snow this morning ... big, wet, heavy stuff ... it could be that more fell north than south and that's why the Sox are able to play, but that is weird on two fronts.