40 minutes ago, South Side Fireworks Man said:

Maybe some of the old timers here can confirm or correct me if I'm wrong but I seem to remember the Sox games starting around 8:00pm back in the '60s when I was a little kid.  Am I remembering wrong?

I think Jack Dreese was the commentator at that time. Games used to take 2 to 2.5 hours back then

 

40 minutes ago, 35thstreetswarm said:

My kids will be overjoyed about this -- they hate having to miss the end of just about every game.  It also makes attending a weekday game with kids possible.

I will say that this makes it tough for me and plenty of others to make it to a weekday game after work, though.

This is why it was done, so kids could watch/go to games before their bedtime. 

I've been saying they should do this for years! Selfishly. I'm in the eastern time zone. Games starting at 8 pm and lasting until past 11 suck. Can only get 3-4 innings in before I gotta go to bed. But on a larger scale, this only makes sense. Games are going longer. And it won't stop anytime soon.

58 minutes ago, mqr said:

They have been playing 6:10 games in April for years at this point. 

It's cold in april man. 

This is....not true. Yes, there do tend to be more week DAY games, but aside from holidays/Saturdays or whatever 6:10 April games are definitely not the norm. Just pulled up the 2019 and (planned) 2020 schedule and there are zero weekday 6:10pm home games.

1 hour ago, southsider2k5 said:

As someone who works, but doesn't go to weeknight games, I love this.  It means I can watch a whole game without getting to bed late.

I was going to post the exact same thing.  

Hey guys, 

 I just checked?….Early start times are only for April…. And for the reasons you guys have stated about weather and cold, I agree 100 percent…. I should have checked the full schedule…..im just glad it’s not for the full year, because that would make for a lot of lost fly balls in the evening sky as has happened with the Saturday night 610 starts….those twilight games are not something I’m a fan of…. Though I know a lot of you guys like it for taking the kids to a game….the east coast tv ratings argument could be corrected by Indiana going to the central time zone(Where they belong imho…)…

Edited March 30, 20223 yr by Scubadentist
Grammar

I say let's all start a contact email bombardment demanding full time 6:10 pm start times full time or fire brooks boyer

17 minutes ago, ScooterMcGee said:

I've been saying they should do this for years! Selfishly. I'm in the eastern time zone. Games starting at 8 pm and lasting until past 11 suck. Can only get 3-4 innings in before I gotta go to bed. But on a larger scale, this only makes sense. Games are going longer. And it won't stop anytime soon.

As a fellow eastern time zoner, I'm down with this.

2 minutes ago, bmags said:

I say let's all start a contact email bombardment demanding full time 6:10 pm start times full time or fire brooks boyer

Since Reifert and Brooks don't seem to hear our calls to terminate Hahn, I am with you, they need to be terminated. Who do we contact demanding their ouster?

1 hour ago, CentralChamps21 said:

The earlier start time is going to be worse for some, but I think it will be better for others.

A lot more people have flexible work schedules. People can schedule around getting to the ballpark.

Lots of Sox fans in the Eastern time zone, and those 7:10 Chicago starts are 8:10 eastern which may diminish TV audiences.

I always thought 6:40 would have been a good time to start games. Compromise between the early people and late people.

6:40 would be awesome.

6 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

Since Reifert and Brooks don't seem to hear our calls to terminate Hahn, I am with you, they need to be terminated. Who do we contact demanding their ouster?

That one beer vendor that goes "BEEEEEEEeeeeeRRRRRRRRrrrr" in a gravely voice.

I'd prefer if they did this for all the games.

Going to a 7PM game means I'm probably not going to be home and in bed before midnight, which makes for a very tired next day.

I can get out of work at 5, hop on the train, and be at the stadium well before 610.

35 minutes ago, Quin said:

That one beer vendor that goes "BEEEEEEEeeeeeRRRRRRRRrrrr" in a gravely voice.

I like the singing beer vendor best.

We all work in a yellow shirt all day, a yellow shirt all day, a yellow shirt all day.

2 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

I like the singing beer vendor best.

We all work in a yellow shirt all day, a yellow shirt all day, a yellow shirt all day.

An old neighbor of mine (I’m friends with his son, who also worked there). He’s really good guy. He also does (used to do?) Cubs and Bears games too.

1 hour ago, ThirdGen said:

I'd be in favor of doing this in May and September as well. Most people don't want to keep kids out until 11 pm or so on school nights. This may make it easier for kids to go to games. You don't see too many people tailgating during April weeknight games. You can always spend the last hour of work drinking to make up for it.

I would agree with this as well.  I don't go to any weekday games because of how late I get home from them ruining school and work the next day.

2 hours ago, CentralChamps21 said:

The earlier start time is going to be worse for some, but I think it will be better for others.

A lot more people have flexible work schedules. People can schedule around getting to the ballpark.

Lots of Sox fans in the Eastern time zone, and those 7:10 Chicago starts are 8:10 eastern which may diminish TV audiences.

I always thought 6:40 would have been a good time to start games. Compromise between the early people and late people.

agree, plus maybe some more kids can attend the earlier start time and not get home close to midnight.  We need more young people to get interested in the game and a 6:10 start might help with that.  We don't need any more old grumbling Sox fans who complain about every move Management makes.  Give it a rest, you'll figure out a way to attend the game if you really want to be there.  I think most people who complain on this board sit at home and watch on TV anyway at least one would think so since how many times have we heard "I'm not giving my money to JR"

2 hours ago, he gone. said:

Appears this is just for April. I'd go as far as to extend it to May as well. It's a smart move in so many ways. 

a) school - kids are in school. if you want to increase the chance of kids/families at the park this type of move helps. 

b) weather- the earlier you start, the more sunlight you get, and the more warmer innings you get

c) kids - kind of under the first point, but if games are 3 hours+ this is perfect. now you can watch a game all the way through. build your fan base. 

 

a) Agree

b) Agree

c) Agree

d) This was an overreaction by a disgruntled fan who spoke before he knew all the facts. 

I live in the Eastern time zone.
I approve.

2 hours ago, South Side Fireworks Man said:

Maybe some of the old timers here can confirm or correct me if I'm wrong but I seem to remember the Sox games starting around 8:00pm back in the '60s when I was a little kid.  Am I remembering wrong?

Yes start time was 8:00 pm, but the games were almost always over by 10:30.

1 hour ago, zisk said:

I think Jack Dreese was the commentator at that time. Games used to take 2 to 2.5 hours back then

 

TV was Jack Brickhouse as WGN did both Sox and Cubs in 50's and into early 60's (?). 

Radio was Bob "hit like a bullet" Elston and the radio color was Milo Hamilton who was just starting out.    Turning on a game in progress on the radio was brutal as they never told you the score .. maybe every 2 or 3 innings.  On off days Hamilton would "announce" games from the tape with sound effects to make seem like  a real life broadcast.

I didn't even realize that 6p games in April was a thing.  I like 7:10 games, but wouldn't mind 6:40 or 6:45.

2 hours ago, gogosox1959 said:

TV was Jack Brickhouse as WGN did both Sox and Cubs in 50's and into early 60's (?). 

Radio was Bob "hit like a bullet" Elston and the radio color was Milo Hamilton who was just starting out.    Turning on a game in progress on the radio was brutal as they never told you the score .. maybe every 2 or 3 innings.  On off days Hamilton would "announce" games from the tape with sound effects to make seem like  a real life broadcast.

Jack Dreese and Billy Pierce did the Sox games on TV when they moved from WGN Ch.9 to WFLD Ch. 32 around 1968 or '69.

Seattle is doing more 6 starts and got great feedback iirc. If you have kids you can now get home With them before 11 most nights which is the big draw for many.

Hell yes.  The games are way too late during the week.

Work is becoming more flexible for most.

Traffic on our expressways has become so unpredictable that the days of being able to take a 45 minute drive to the park, leaving one hour before game time hasn't been feasible for years.  It has become a "take a half day or leave early" for many already.   

No one shows up to these April weeknight games anyway.  Maybe people will with the earlier start, it can't hurt.