I once attended Baseball game in Baltimore with my dad, on a chilly April evening. I glanced over at him about the fourth inning. He was shivering and looked miserable. I don’t precisely recall when we left, but I hope I did the right thing by my lovely father and got him out of there and homeward bound in a warm car not too long after.
March 31 was Opening Day of the new baseball season. For the next six months baseball will be with us - your team, if you have a team, and my team, will be playing virtually every day during the regular season.
[There are, of course, any number of benighted people who are not fans and don’t care about the great game of baseball. What can one say?]
But baseball on March 31 and in early April? It’s still just too cold for baseball in cold weather cities, as my poor, cold dad could have attested to.
It snowed in New York on March 31. After all, it’s March, named for Mars, the Roman god of war. March does not often go out like a freaking lamb. There is nothing sheep-like about March. March does what it damn well pleases.
The game time temperature in New York was in the 40s, with periods of snow or rain forecast for the coming days. There was also a chance of rain or snow in Detroit; cold temperatures with rain or snow throughout the day in Milwaukee; cold and stormy in Chicago; and a chance of snow in Cincinnati.
Minnesota, Detroit, Cleveland, Boston, Pittsburgh and, of course, Denver, are Major League cities where the average date of the last snowfall is in April.
The reason the Major League Baseball season starts so early is to squeeze in 162 games by the end of September, when the playoffs begin to determine two World Series teams. The playoffs themselves could last up to 18 games in each league.
As a result, the World Series doesn’t start until after mid-October. If it goes a full seven games, the baseball season isn’t over until about a month before Thanksgiving, and well past the peak foliage season in many parts of the country.
Before baseball expanded from 16 teams in two leagues to 30 teams in two leagues and six divisions, the individual pennant races were over by the end of September, except for an occasional brief playoff. The World Series began in early October and until 1971 all of the games were played during the day in what was usually warm, early fall weather.
But now baseball begins when it’s cold in many cities and ends when it’s cold. It’s not a problem, of course, if the World Series teams are from warm weather cities. But recent Series have featured teams from New York, Detroit, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia. It’s not the brutal, hard cold of winter, but cold enough, particularly at night, to make the game a bone-chilling ordeal for fans as well as players.
Cold weather can also adversely affect the quality of play. Pitchers have trouble gripping the ball, for example; and there is a greater risk of injuries.
So, here’s a modest proposal for the start of the season for all games played in cold-weather cities: Only play day games at least until mid-April, when the baseball season used to start. I know that weather is a changeling, particularly at this time of year. But daytime temperatures are usually relatively mild compared to nighttime temperatures. And on good days, you could beg warmth from the Sun.
Baseball geeks love stats, so here is some weather data:
Average daytime temperature in Minneapolis on April 1 is 49 degrees F. The average temperature at night 32 degrees F. On April 11, the average daytime temperature is 55 degrees, and 36 degrees at night. In Boston, the daytime average on April 1 is 51 degrees, and 37 degrees at night. On April 11, the daytime average is 54 degrees and 40 degrees at night.
Not necessarily ideal during the day, but much better than at night.
Granted, there may be fewer people in the stands at day games this time of the year, (although it’s impossible to know how many fans choose not to come on cold nights), but day games would be more pleasant for fans and the players.
The owners may squeeze less money out of fewer fans at early season day games, but it would be a compassionate and generous gesture. Did I say generous? Wait, these are the owners - businessmen, right? Never mind.
The baseball post-season and the World Series, which is always played at night, is a cold weather game, particularly from mid-to-late October.
Then Commissioner Bowie Kuhn introduced night games to the World Series in 1971. In 1976, when the New York Yankees played the Cincinnati Reds, the average game time temperature was 48.5 degrees F. The afternoon opener was played in a chilly Shea Stadium (home to the Yankees while Yankee Stadium was being rebuilt). The next game on Sunday was the first week-end Series game to be played at night, and it got increasingly cold after the sun went down.
Then Commissioner Bowie Kuhn introduced night games to the World Series in 1971. In 1976, when the New York Yankees played the Cincinnati Reds, the average game time temperature was 48.5 degrees F. The afternoon opener was played in a chilly Shea Stadium (home to the Yankees while Yankee Stadium was being rebuilt). The next game on Sunday was the first week-end Series game to be played at night, and it got increasingly cold after the sun went down.
Kuhn watched the game in the 40 degree chill wearing only a suit jacket, while pretending to be unmindful of the cold. He was widely mocked for it. Most fans huddled in coats, blankets scarves and hats. Rumor was that Kuhn was wearing something under his suit jacket - or long underwear - to keep warm, but that’s never been proven.
The World Series has been played entirely at night since 1985.
Baseball often squanders delightful, sunny October days to play most post-season playoff games and every World Series game at night. Of course, most regular season games are played at night. But early April and late October weather is suitable for football, not our erstwhile summer game.
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