Guys, the weather is really bad this coming homestand. It is barely going to break 40 for most of the homestand, with it barely breaking freezing over the entirety of the weekend. Doesn't look to get over 45 until Wednesday. I used the zip code for the area next to the ballpark, as I know it because I used to go to IIT.

https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/60616:4:US

Edited April 4, 20187 yr by Jack Parkman

The MLB is so stupid for starting baseball so early.

The MLB is so stupid for starting baseball so early.

They have to do one of two things: Either cut off 3 weeks of the season and don't start until late April, or make retractable roofs mandatory for all stadiums north of 35 N latitude. The latter is more plausible.

.

Edited April 4, 20187 yr by Jack Parkman

Is there any way to make the first month’s games in southern areas and domes? Or does it just become completely unfair after a week or two

Is there any way to make the first month?€™s games in southern areas and domes? Or does it just become completely unfair after a week or two

Becomes unfair. I think they seriously need to make retractable roofs mandatory. If they have to retrofit stadiums, so be it. Basically all stadiums outside of FL and SoCal, need one. This is also for purely selfish reasons, as it would force the Cubs to move from Wrigley and they lose that advantage over the Sox. I'd hate for the Sawx to lose Fenway, but so be it. They can keep Fenway/Wrigley as a historical monument and maybe play a series there in mid-summer.

Edited April 4, 20187 yr by Jack Parkman

I've always wanted to run the analysis of suspended games due to weather by week in april.

 

I heavily believe the first week would be the worst, and it having significant dips each week. Meaning if sox always had home opener in second week of april it would be a big enough improvement to enact that policy.

 

 

I've always wanted to run the analysis of suspended games due to weather by week in april.

 

I heavily believe the first week would be the worst, and it having significant dips each week. Meaning if sox always had home opener in second week of april it would be a big enough improvement to enact that policy.

 

I don't know. I think this week is worse than last week.

Becomes unfair. I think they seriously need to make retractable roofs mandatory. If they have to retrofit stadiums, so be it. Basically all stadiums outside of FL and SoCal, need one. This is also for purely selfish reasons, as it would force the Cubs to move from Wrigley and they lose that advantage over the Sox. I'd hate for the Sawx to lose Fenway, but so be it. They can keep Fenway/Wrigley as a historical monument and maybe play a series there in mid-summer.

 

It's amazing a lot of the newer stadiums don't have retractable roofs. Yankee stadium cost a billion dollars and doesn't have one. Even more amazing is that Minnesota doesn't have one due to location. I know there's complaints that it takes a while to open and close the roofs, but just keep them closed the first month of the season unless you somehow get beautiful weather for an afternoon game on a weekend.

Edited April 4, 20187 yr by soxfan2014

I don't know. I think this week is worse than last week.

 

Last week was March.

 

And it won't eliminate all bad weather, it's just intended to reduce the amount of times truly terrible weather occurs on home ball games.

The MLB is so stupid for starting baseball so early.

 

Agree.

Ever attend a midsummer day game when it is 100 degrees and your seat has no shade? That is just as miserable as the cold. If all stadiums have a retractable roof, then both players and fans are always comfortable, which makes for a better product.

Edited April 4, 20187 yr by Jack Parkman

Becomes unfair. I think they seriously need to make retractable roofs mandatory.

 

Never happen. There's a better chance of reducing the regular season back to 154 games (or less) or bringing back double headers or readjusting the schedule like the did in the late 80's / early 90's so that teams in moderate or warmer weather climates are basically at home the first week / 10 days.

Ever attend a midsummer day game when it is 100 degrees and your seat has no shade? That is just as miserable as the cold.

 

Naw no way. Those games are rough, but you can go places in the stadium for relief that are fun.

 

In April you go to the bathroom.

As long as the regular season is 186 days, there’s nothing they can do about the possibility of really bad weather postponing games.

 

If they want to shorten to 172 days and build in scheduled day/night doubleheaders with more roster provisions that don’t penalize players, I’m all for it.

 

This is just an unfortunate year.

Never happen. There's a better chance of reducing the regular season back to 154 games (or less) or bringing back double headers or readjusting the schedule like the did in the late 80's / early 90's so that teams in moderate or warmer weather climates are basically at home the first week / 10 days.

Advantages of making retractable roofs mandatory:

1. NO Weather delays/game cancellations.

2 Both players and fans are always comfortable, which makes for a better on field product and viewing experience for fans.

 

Blowing up two historical landmarks, especially Fenway, solely for a retractable roof....is a horrible idea.

They don't have to blow them up. They can use it for other things as well as playing one homestand a month there when the weather is conducive to doing so. They can have HS tournaments there, etc.

Advantages of making retractable roofs mandatory:

1. NO Weather delays/game cancellations.

2 Both players and fans are always comfortable, which makes for a better on field product and viewing experience for fans.

 

Disadvantage:

 

1) The billions in taxpayer money to retrofit stadiums with a retractable roof. You can't expect owners to pay for this themselves

 

I’m probably in the minority, but I don’t like Miller Park. It’s ok, but even when it’s open, it still feels kinda indoors. Plus if the weather is bad, you still have to drive in crap and not tailgate.

 

Every team getting a retractable roof isn’t realistic. This is just a crappy year that happens once in a while. They’ll get the games in, and the weather will be better in a couple weeks.

As long as the regular season is 186 days, there’s nothing they can do about the possibility of really bad weather postponing games.

 

If they want to shorten to 172 days and build in scheduled day/night doubleheaders with more roster provisions that don’t penalize players, I’m all for it.

 

This is just an unfortunate year.

 

Scheduled double headers has been my proposed solution to this for years. I would like to see the season start 2 weeks later and end a week earlier and make up the difference with scheduled double headers.

Scheduled double headers has been my proposed solution to this for years. I would like to see the season start 2 weeks later and end a week earlier and make up the difference with scheduled double headers.

MLBPA will never agree to that, as it puts too much pressure on pitchers.

 

I don't know how I would feel about a retractable roof rule, but they could make it more nuanced than what everyone is talking about. They could require that every new stadium north of a certain point or with certain average temperatures is built with a retractable roof. Stadiums that already exist don't have to have retractable roofs but you could incentivize them to do so by offering those stadiums all star games or not allowing them at stadiums without retractable roofs for a long period of time. Something along those lines would hopefully get enough teams to get domes that teams like the Cubs or Red Sox could keep their stadiums but play most of the series at the start of the year in warm weather or domed stadiums. Combine that with series at the beginning of the year being matched to midsummer series so that the series locations could just be switched and ticket holders could be alerted to this when purchasing tickets, and most of the weather related cancellations should be gone.

Disadvantage:

 

1) The billions in taxpayer money to retrofit stadiums with a retractable roof. You can't expect owners to pay for this themselves

 

The big 4 sports are so ridiculously profitable that there is zero reason for any stadium to be publicly funded anymore. Owners have the money they just don't want to spend it. Cry me a f***ing river you greedy bastards.

 

I don't know how I would feel about a retractable roof rule, but they could make it more nuanced than what everyone is talking about. They could require that every new stadium north of a certain point or with certain average temperatures is built with a retractable roof. Stadiums that already exist don't have to have retractable roofs but you could incentivize them to do so by offering those stadiums all star games or not allowing them at stadiums without retractable roofs for a long period of time. Something along those lines would hopefully get enough teams to get domes that teams like the Cubs or Red Sox could keep their stadiums but play most of the series at the start of the year in warm weather or domed stadiums. Combine that with series at the beginning of the year being matched to midsummer series so that the series locations could just be switched and ticket holders could be alerted to this when purchasing tickets, and most of the weather related cancellations should be gone.

This should have been done 30 years ago.

 

Disadvantage:

 

1) The billions in taxpayer money to retrofit stadiums with a retractable roof. You can't expect owners to pay for this themselves

 

This. A lot of locations are already in tax revolts and the idea of tax funded stadiums are already in trouble. Add another billion to each stadium? Not good.

The big 4 sports are so ridiculously profitable that there is zero reason for any stadium to be publicly funded anymore. Owners have the money they just don't want to spend it. Cry me a f***ing river you greedy bastards.

 

It is really easy to sound tough spending other people's money.