A new approach......what do you think?

[Motor City Sonics]

I don't like late October baseball. I think it's stupid to potentially play in 38 degree weather. This can be solved.

Why can't baseball start it's spring training around February 1st, it's Exhibition Schedule around February 20th and get the season started around March 22-25.

I have always felt the first two weeks of the baseball season games should only be played in warm weather/dome markets.

American League
Houston
Kansas City
Los Angeles
Oakland
Seattle
Tampa Bay
Texas
Toronto

National League
Arizona
Atlanta
Cincinnati
Los Angeles
Miami
Milwaukee
St. Louis
San Diego
San Francisco


Then, schedule just 2 or 3 day/night doubleheaders. Get the season over by September 20th.


So the Tigers would never start the season at home, but they could still have their first home game between April 5-12. I can live with that.


Now, I know this would never ever happen but does it sound like a good idea?


To me the baseball season can't start soon enough and Spring is March 20/21. WHY NOT????

[Just Some Dude]

Baseball ticket sales are at their best in the summer when kids are out of school. I think MLB feels that starting earlier may impact ticket sales among other issues I'm sure. I'd like to see them increase the MLB roster to 30 players and then play at least a dozen day/night doubleheaders.

[Tigers4F4]

Yeah, great idea.

I have wondered if the wheels fall off of a lot of players when winter-like conditions arrives, especially a team like the Tigers with a lot of players from countries with warmer climates.

[will the thrill]

It's pretty dumb marketing wise to play the world series in games below 50 when your sport is best enjoyed in the middle of summer.

It's like the NFL playing the superbowl outdoors in the snow every year, it would kill the event after a couple of years.



But the MLB isn't known to be great at marketing, Why on earth sunday games start at 8:30 in the world series is crazy, My kid who loves baseball and is 6, got to watch the first inning of every game and then it's bed time.

[PuNk42AE]

But the MLB isn't known to be great at marketing, Why on earth sunday games start at 8:30 in the world series is crazy, My kid who loves baseball and is 6, got to watch the first inning of every game and then it's bed time.

That isn't the MLB as much as it is Fox due to the agreement. It's because of Football on Fox and the NFL.

[HeyAbbott]

Baseball ticket sales are at their best in the summer when kids are out of school. I think MLB feels that starting earlier may impact ticket sales among other issues I'm sure. I'd like to see them increase the MLB roster to 30 players and then play at least a dozen day/night doubleheaders.

I agree with this. If every MLB team played 14 day/night doubleheaders, we could see less late October baseball. In an ideal world, I would like aggressive scheduling that would see the World Series done by October 15, at the latest.

Alas, it will never happen.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

Yeah, great idea.

I have wondered if the wheels fall off of a lot of players when winter-like conditions arrives, especially a team like the Tigers with a lot of players from countries with warmer climates.

What country was Prince Fielder from again? As for the idea itself, I'd be for it if roster were increased to 30 guys. It does seem stupid to be playing baseball in near winter weather given how much conditions outside can effect a baseball itself and given how much negative effect the weather could have on a player.

[waffel]

Any idea to move baseball out of late October territory is good for me. I'm sure most fans agree.

I do like the idea of starting the season earlier and having occasional day/night double headers. I'm sure the players wouldn't mind too much, either.

[Bambino Lino]

I love baseball too much to want to see the offseason begin any sooner than it already does. Let's play until mid-November! But seriously, I kind of feel that it should be a requirement for all new parks to come equipped with an attractable roof. I understand that it's not the most traditional thing, but it would save a lot of rain outs, which are a pain in ace, and make the World Series a lot more comfortable.

[djhutch]

It could also be corrected by cutting the season to 150 games, but that isn't happening either.

[chasfh]

I don't like late October baseball. I think it's stupid to potentially play in 38 degree weather. This can be solved.

Why can't baseball start it's spring training around February 1st, it's Exhibition Schedule around February 20th and get the season started around March 22-25.

I have always felt the first two weeks of the baseball season games should only be played in warm weather/dome markets.

Then, schedule just 2 or 3 day/night doubleheaders. Get the season over by September 20th.

So the Tigers would never start the season at home, but they could still have their first home game between April 5-12. I can live with that.

Detroit's average mean temp on April 5: 44 degrees.
Detroit's average mean temp on October 20: 51 degrees.

If you really want to push the season back to a date that's at least the same mean temperature as late October, you're looking at April 21.

[Yoda]

Detroit's average mean temp on April 5: 44 degrees.
Detroit's average mean temp on October 20: 51 degrees.

If you really want to push the season back to a date that's at least the same mean temperature as late October, you're looking at April 21.

45-50 degrees in April feels entirely warmer than 45-50 degrees in October. There's a difference.

[chasfh]

It could also be corrected by cutting the season to 150 games, but that isn't happening either.

Why stop there? Have a 50 game season running from June 25th through August 20th, then cut the playoffs down to one series, the World Series, and wrap it up before Labor Day. That way, you never play in any cold weather at all, and the baseball season doesn't interfere with more important sports like football, basketball and hockey.

[chasfh]

45-50 degrees in April feels entirely warmer than 45-50 degrees in October. There's a difference.

Spoken like somebody who's been living down south so long he's forgotten what living up north is like.

I can assure you this is not at all true.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

45-50 degrees in April feels entirely warmer than 45-50 degrees in October. There's a difference.

I think the only difference is April games are more likely to be day games.

I don't think the body responds to 45 - 50 degree weather differently depending on the month.

[Yoda]

I think the only difference is April games are more likely to be day games.

I don't think the body responds to 45 - 50 degree weather differently depending on the month.

Maybe not the body, but the brain does. What happens in September, after months of 70-90 degree weather, and it suddenly drops to 50 degrees? People start wearing hoodies and winter coats.

Now, what happens in February, after 10-30 degree weather for months, and it suddenly warms up to 50 degrees? People are going out in t-shirts and driving with their windows down.

I don't believe the body changes, rather it's just a comparison thing. You're used to hot so 50 degrees seems cold in September, where as in the winter you get used to it being very cold, and 50 degrees feels much warmer.

This leads to people thinking October is much colder than April, which simply isn't true. But it absolutely does feel that way.

[chasfh]

I think the only difference is April games are more likely to be day games.

I don't think the body responds to 45 - 50 degree weather differently depending on the month.

I'm not sure Comerica Park sees any difference in this regard, but at Wrigley Field, when the temperature is 45 in April or May, the wind howls in from the east or northeast directly off the lake, unblocked because the stadium is open to the north and east. It picks the cold lake water into the air and swirls it around the ballpark, also picking up and distributing the chill from the ballpark cement. An early-season Cubs game can be a godawful experience, and that's not even contemplating what's happening on the field.

In October, when it's 45, the wind is coming from the west or, at worst, northwest, not off any body of water and blocked in part by the third base side of the stadium itself. There are fewer complicating factors in the fall to make it feel colder as there are in the spring.

[Oblong]

Maybe not the body, but the brain does. What happens in September, after months of 70-90 degree weather, and it suddenly drops to 50 degrees? People start wearing hoodies and winter coats.

Now, what happens in February, after 10-30 degree weather for months, and it suddenly warms up to 50 degrees? People are going out in t-shirts and driving with their windows down.

I don't believe the body changes, rather it's just a comparison thing. You're used to hot so 50 degrees seems cold in September, where as in the winter you get used to it being very cold, and 50 degrees feels much warmer.

This leads to people thinking October is much colder than April, which simply isn't true. But it absolutely does feel that way.

The flaw here is that the players are spending their February and March's in AZ and FL where it's warm, then coming up North where it's colder so what's happening to your people in October is happening to them in April because that's what they are used to.


The reason this proposal is not a good idea and will never fly is that the warm cities won't go along with a schedule front loaded like that during the school months. They are not cutting games and not moving the schedule around to an unbalanced home/away split. That goes against the bottom line and that's what is important.

[Oblong]

I think the only difference is April games are more likely to be day games.

I don't think the body responds to 45 - 50 degree weather differently depending on the month.

That's very true. When we get those "warm" days in April it's usually still pretty cold by the time the sun goes down.

I can safely say that I'm a lot colder at games in April and May than I am in September and October. The only cold game I had this year in the end was the WS game. By cold I mean even if you layer up you still are chilly. Last time I was cold at a game prior to that as in mid June, a Friday Yankee game.

[RedRamage]

45-50 degrees in April feels entirely warmer than 45-50 degrees in October. There's a difference.

For the fans, sure... but the players are used to Florida and Arizona temps.