http://www.startribune.com/brrrrrr-twins-will-open-2019-season-at-target-field-on-march-28/491459151/

 

Two items of note:

1.) Games on March 28th, including at Target Field, are the earliest regular season MLB games ever played in North America.

2.) Weekday night home games in April, May, and September will start at 6:40 PM CDT.

http://www.startribune.com/brrrrrr-twins-will-open-2019-season-at-target-field-on-march-28/491459151/

 

Two items of note:

1.) Games on March 28th, including at Target Field, are the earliest regular season MLB games ever played in North America.

2.) Weekday night home games in April, May, and September will start at 6:40 PM CDT.

Because that worked out so well this year.

 

Because that worked out so well this year.

Wasn't it the freakish snowfall in the second week of April that threw everything off? Sure, I don't think starting earlier is a good idea, but you can't stop the crazy weather in April even if you push the schedule further down the calendar.

Because that worked out so well this year.

It will get the postseason done before November. Not that it matters much for the Twins this year...

Weekday night home games in April, May, and September will start at 6:40 PM CDT.

Very interested to see this change! Acknowledging a bit of the game time length problem, if not the pace problem.

 

Hopefully it goes well and they extend it to the rest of the schedule for 2020. 7:10 start times seemed to be based in part on prime time TV slots, but in this age of cord cutting and DVR/timeshifting, it definitely feels like that can be changed.

 

FWIW, Fridays aren't considered "weekday" games so they still start at 7:10 in these months, and Saturday evening games still have their standard start time of 6:10. So I guess 6:40 is splitting that difference.

My assumption about the start time change is that it was done to encourage more families to attend on school nights. But I think I'd be fine with a 6:40 start through the whole season.

I think 6:40 also is attempting to get games in before it is below 40 degrees in April.

They've been polling the season ticket holders for a few years now about start times. I do think it has more to do with the weather/temperatures than anything. It's a welcome change for me.

I think 6:40 also is attempting to get games in before it is below 40 degrees in April.

They also have the earlier starts in May and September, though.

 

Not to say that it can't have multiple benefits, of course.

Build a dome!

 

 

My assumption about the start time change is that it was done to encourage more families to attend on school nights. But I think I'd be fine with a 6:40 start through the whole season.

It is a "school month" thing right now. But I wonder if (or hope?) it could also be a trial balloon, testing the 6:40 start time on their lower-revenue games to see what happens.

 

Although maybe standardization of start times might be a relic of the past too, like the family sitting down for 7 PM prime time TV. Just like DVR means you may not care precisely what time the games start at home, smartphones mean you can pretty easily track different start times anywhere too. (And they already have different start times on the road, so fans are used to it -- it would be different if all of their games were in the same time zone).

 

Although maybe standardization of start times might be a relic of the past too, like the family sitting down for 7 PM prime time TV. Just like DVR means you may not care precisely what time the games start at home, smartphones mean you can pretty easily track different start times anywhere too. (And they already have different start times on the road, so fans are used to it -- it would be different if all of their games were in the same time zone).

 

While I agree that start times don't matter for as much for the TV audience, I think the powers-that-be are worried about the folks in Woodbury or Chaska or whatever, and how they need time to get downtown after work. That said, I agree that the Twins should move the start time up, and the "trial balloon" you mentioned will show any changes.

 

I live in the Mountain Time Zone - I must say, watching a Twins game start at 6:05 is fantastic and you can actually watch most of it before you need to hit the sack. I went to a game in Minneapolis this summer, it was closing in on 11:00pm in the 8th inning on a random Wednesday...not cool. I'm all for earlier start times, hope it sticks.

 

Wasn't it the freakish snowfall in the second week of April that threw everything off? Sure, I don't think starting earlier is a good idea, but you can't stop the crazy weather in April even if you push the schedule further down the calendar.

Yeah, I think everything was going okay until that mid-April snowstorm.

 

And it's not as if the Twins were the only team affected by that storm. I think either Cleveland or Chicago had a slew of postponements.

While I agree that start times don't matter for as much for the TV audience, I think the powers-that-be are worried about the folks in Woodbury or Chaska or whatever, and how they need time to get downtown after work.

True, but on the flip side, people with longer routes to the stadium might best appreciate the game finishing a half hour earlier too. Especially weeknights where they work the next morning.

This "spring" in Chicago was the first year that I went from having the heater on to having the AC on with no comfortable days in between, though it has been a nice Chicago summer overall.

Anyway, another thing to point out about next year's schedule is the games against the Mets, including a series in MN, apparently a quite rare event.

Love the 6:40 time but I wish it was for way more games than that. Id want every Monday to Friday home game throughout the season. That's what I've always wanted. I understand why they don't do it, people who have to work later hours and such, but I really want it to become a thing.

Players are on such a weird schedule already, compared to most of us -- but I wonder what they think of the earlier start time? They would get home a half hour earlier too.

 

Build a dome!

Fire Gardy!      

 

 

Trade Duensing!  

 

 

Wait, what were we talking about again?

Fire Gardy!      

 

 

Trade Duensing!  

 

 

Wait, what were we talking about again?

Only three home weekend series against teams out of AL Central. A lot of great home series during the workweek.

As someone who loves to spend at least one summer weekend visiting a new ballpark, the schedule is awful. It is almost exclusively divisional opponents on the road during the summer weekend. And the one weekend I really wanted (Philadelphia) is during the Final Four.

At least give the March games to the teams in warmer climates and in domes.   Seattle, San Francisco, Oakland, Angels, Dodgers, Arizona, Texas, Houston, Miami, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Toronto,  That leaves two other teams from areas where the snow could land on the field.  I'd suggest odd year/even year alternating of St. Louis and K.C. - Washington and Baltimore - 

 

At least give the March games to the teams in warmer climates and in domes.   Seattle, San Francisco, Oakland, Angels, Dodgers, Arizona, Texas, Houston, Miami, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Toronto,  That leaves two other teams from areas where the snow could land on the field.  I'd suggest odd year/even year alternating of St. Louis and K.C. - Washington and Baltimore - 

It is completely unfair to have the same teams opening at home every year. Opening at home is a definite advantage in allowing everyone--staff and players alike--to get everything set up at home without having to deal with a road trip first. 

It is completely unfair to have the same teams opening at home every year. Opening at home is a definite advantage in allowing everyone--staff and players alike--to get everything set up at home without having to deal with a road trip first.

The Rockies only open at home about one year out of five.

It is completely unfair to have the same teams opening at home every year. Opening at home is a definite advantage in allowing everyone--staff and players alike--to get everything set up at home without having to deal with a road trip first.

I don't think it particularly matters whether you open at home or on the road, at least for a series or two. You wouldn't want to stretch it any further than that, though.

I was told the reason for the game flow in the early season is Minneapolis hosting NCAA basketball. The Twins play three games at home and then are on the road for series before, during, and after the Final Four. 

 

I also note that they have five off days scheduled in the first 15 days. Not only can they get by without a No. 5 starter for a while, they could even skip the No. 4 one time. 

 

(Edit: Oops -- I was looking at a printout and hadn't read the link. I see the article referenced that.) 

Edited August 26, 20188 yr by IndianaTwin

I think you're right IndianaTwin, starting at home on March 28th is going to be...interesting but I'm also a big college basketball fan and can't wait until we have the Final Four here so I can't complain too much.