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2021 MLB Thread


LTtxfan

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Is the schedule still weird because of Covid?  For instance, why does the Cubs-Pirates series start on Thursday and then have a day off on Friday and then finish over the weekend?  I always thought days off occurred before or after series on Mondays and/or Thursdays.

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That's often done, even in non-Covid years to balance out the opening day/weekend schedule.  For decades, about half the MLB teams would get a day off after Opening Day for evaluation.  And then the following week, a similar day off was for the other half of the teams or because many teams would often return trip to the stadium of the team that visited them for their home opener the week before (with another mid-week series smooshed in the middle).  I dunno, could just be a Cubs thing but I've studying Cubs schedule intricacies for 40 years and this happens to them a lot.  

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17 minutes ago, Helobious said:

^^^
Almost all of that post was incorrect. Impressive. April always has a large number of off days because the weather is still bad in the northern half of the country. 

 

13 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

But they don't plan for those weather days off in advance man. The schedule is set in the fall. 

@Helobious is correct. the main reason is weather. Opening Day is the biggest ticket selling day of the regular season. On the off chance that day is postponed due to weather, this gives them either the next day, or the fourth day to still have the "Opener." It effectively adds an extra off day in the first week for a make up day. 

 

(same for if the 3rd game of a series is postponed. just moved to the next off day, rather than a prolonged wait)

 

Edited by Jameslaw121
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56 minutes ago, Helobious said:

^^^
Almost all of that post was incorrect. Impressive. April always has a large number of off days because the weather is still bad in the northern half of the country. 

I was just going off the Cubs schedule from the last few decades.  So yeah, I guess it was for weather.  Never really pay attention to opening day weather there anymore since I don't live there anymore.  But makes sense.  

This year though, the Marlins had a day off during their opening home series.  Probably not those cold Miami Aprils.  As did the Brewers and Mariners (a couple days into their seasons) in their domed stadiums on Sundays (usually a great day for baseball revenue).  Only other schedule I keep up with is the Astros to go catch some games but they're in a warm climate and a dome so I guess I never noticed the opening weekend off-day because they probably never get one.  

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2 hours ago, Helobious said:

^^^
Almost all of that post was incorrect. Impressive. April always has a large number of off days because the weather is still bad in the northern half of the country. 

Thanks.  I know they do that opening week, but I didn't realize they do it after that.  

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2 hours ago, Helobious said:

^^^
Almost all of that post was incorrect. Impressive. April always has a large number of off days because the weather is still bad in the northern half of the country. 

You sent me down a rabbit hole for the last two hours of "work." I couldn't find anything definitive, but anecdotal from all the articles I read, it appears that about 40% of all weather postponements occur in April. I figured it would be the highest, but not that high

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2 hours ago, Helobious said:

^^^
Almost all of that post was incorrect. Impressive. April always has a large number of off days because the weather is still bad in the northern half of the country. 

I agree with this. But explain to me why, for example,  the Astros have 4 days off in the first 19 days while playing 2 series in California and 3 where there are retractable roof stadiums. 

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20 minutes ago, TonyTexas said:

I agree with this. But explain to me why, for example,  the Astros have 4 days off in the first 19 days while playing 2 series in California and 3 where there are retractable roof stadiums. 

I guess the computer program that creates the schedule doesn’t account for that kind of stuff. It just knows April=off days 

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42 minutes ago, TonyTexas said:

I agree with this. But explain to me why, for example,  the Astros have 4 days off in the first 19 days while playing 2 series in California and 3 where there are retractable roof stadiums. 

I would think that they would want all the teams to be within a game or 2 of games played. Probably would be weird to see the Yankees play 25 games to Houston's 30.  Not to mention it could seem a little unfair for Houston (or some other team) to have a bunch more days off in August or September when the playoffs start getting closer

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Wow, 40% of delays are in 17% of the regular season.  Never would have thought that high.  I guess doming Milwaukee, Seattle, Saint Petersburg, and Houston probably cut that even further.  But as stated above, there are still several teams that don't have that issue that still have goofy April home schedules.  I guess it's a balance-out act.  You can't front-load Northern teams with off-days in April and make them play 28 games in 30 days in September and then reverse that for Southern teams.  Really it comes down to rain though in baseball, not cold.  There are "north" teams that aren't particularly wet in April like Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., etc. where April isn't even in the top half of months of rainfall.  

The computer must be a real Whiz.  

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26 minutes ago, Lobo said:

Wow, 40% of delays are in 17% of the regular season.  Never would have thought that high.  I guess doming Milwaukee, Seattle, Saint Petersburg, and Houston probably cut that even further.  But as stated above, there are still several teams that don't have that issue that still have goofy April home schedules.  I guess it's a balance-out act.  You can't front-load Northern teams with off-days in April and make them play 28 games in 30 days in September and then reverse that for Southern teams.  Really it comes down to rain though in baseball, not cold.  There are "north" teams that aren't particularly wet in April like Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., etc. where April isn't even in the top half of months of rainfall.  

The computer must be a real Whiz.  

I think, and I maybe totally off. But a large snow storm in the northeast could knock out several teams for a few days. But, rain in the southeast of California probably would only knock out 1 or 2 teams probably for one day. For example, the week long snow stor Texas experienced a month ago if it occurred now, would really only affect the Rangers and Astros. That same size storm hits the Northeast and it would affect what, like ten teams?

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Probably why they don't schedule the 10 Northeast teams at home at the same time in April.  Between BOS, NYM, NYY, PHI, PIT, CLE, WAS, BAL, and CIN...half -or- more are kept out on the road for much of April.  If there is a snowstorm that knocks out 3 or 4 teams and their opponents, it's made up later in the year.  The Double-Header...the beauty of baseball.  Shit, a Canadian/Arctic air front can probably fuck up more baseball by hitting the middle part of the country than the Northeast.  MIN, MIL (before the new roof), CHC, CHW, STL, KCR, and DET were just as susceptible.  

Obviously between an old Jewish guy and a slide rule in the 1920's and an AI program in the 2020's...somehow, someway every team always squeezes in 154 or 162 games come hell or high water.  The season starts a little earlier and ends a little later, the weather in our nation gets crazier, the expansions take us into new markets, gametimes change based on TV instead of weather patterns, etc., etc.  Somehow the baseball gods always permit us the full season for nearly every team, every season with very few exceptions.  Shit, one time...the baseball godzirras...even let Hideki Matsui play 163 games despite being on one team the whole season that did not play a 163rd game for playoff reasons.  They are strange, but they are Just.  Shit, I can't remember no matter tornadoes, injuries, national disasters, etc. that any team played less than 161 games (strikes and covid notwithstanding).  

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16 hours ago, Vic Mackey said:

 

The whole “strikeouts are the same as any other out” logic always bugged me as a former player. When I got to two strikes it was time to choke up and just make contact. Foul off pitches, work the pitch count up, work a walk or put the ball in play. Sure the contact was weaker but I’ll take my chances with the defense maybe making an error or something. Anything but striking out. Always felt like a bitch knowing the pitcher sat you down. /rant

And yeah, watching everyone just strikeout, walk, or homer is pretty boring. 

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1 hour ago, Helobious said:

The whole “strikeouts are the same as any other out” logic always bugged me as a former player. When I got to two strikes it was time to choke up and just make contact. Foul off pitches, work the pitch count up, work a walk or put the ball in play. Sure the contact was weaker but I’ll take my chances with the defense maybe making an error or something. Anything but striking out. Always felt like a bitch knowing the pitcher sat you down. /rant

And yeah, watching everyone just strikeout, walk, or homer is pretty boring. 

Agreed. And thus making watching the highlights less intriguing. I love to see the defensive plays. This is the most exciting part of baseball for me, the web gems.

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