Shortening the Season?

[DoubleX]

I was just watching PTI and they were commenting on a suggestion made by Tom Glavine that given the bad weather at the beginning and end of seasons, the season should be shortened with players salaries being cut by like 5% to make up for the lost revenues to the owners.

How do people feel about shortening the season, say back to 154 games? Good thing? Bad thing? Don't care?

[Real Tribe Fan]

Personally, I don't like the idea. I say leave it at 162 games but take a week or two off of the begining and end of the season and mix those games in as double headers during the season.

[natsnsoxfan]

I say no, start everything at the normal time just try to schedule cold weather non-dome teams (IE Boston, New York, Cleveland, Baltimore) to play in warmer weather places to start the first week or so of the season. Or just make a retractable roof mandatory where it is possible, obviously not in a place like Fenway because of the way it is set up but Cleveland could be set up for one.

[CuriousBoston]

Williams wanted 10 game taken off at each end to avoid the colder weather.

[natsnsoxfan]

im sure he wasn't the only one, he played in a shorter season than now too though.

[hubkittel]

i want more baseball not less-so that's a 'no' on shortening the season.

[-Kyle-]

I know the UN would never do it, but I'd love to shift the year two months back. Winter in Xmas once again and outdoor Baseball practices before May! :thumbsup:

[catbox_9]

No way. The 162 game season goes back forever (since before I was born at least). Switching to 162 may have been a dumb idea when they did it but (I don't really have an opinion on that) but it would be even dumber to switch back.

[BoSoxNation]

I don't think that this is a good idea. I agree with natsnsoxfan's idea. Just try to schedule as many games as possible in the warm weather and throw a few doubleheaders in

[DoubleX]

This wouldn't help the weather problems at the beginning or end of the season, but I'd be for a longer All Star break, say a full week off and really build up the anticipation for the second half. The season is long and it's a grind on the players, so a few extra days of in the middle could really be a boon for the second half.

[Richmond Hill Phoenix]

I would be alright with shortening the season... I don't like going to games in April when the dome is closed in Toronto anyways. I guess they could start the season a little later, and extend the AS break a little to, to give the guys a break. Maybe start the season a week later, add a day to the AS break and start the post season a couple days earlier too.

[Zagi-CRO]

no. only 162 because of consistency

[KCGHOST]

I would love to go back to 154 games and mix in a few DHers along the way to get a full two week reduction in the season (one at each end).

[Richmond Hill Phoenix]

I would love to go back to 154 games and mix in a few DHers along the way to get a full two week reduction in the season (one at each end).Maybe another additional DH to add a day to the AS break.

[Craig S.]

I'd be willing to shorten it a little, to 144 or 152 games. I liked the 162-game schedule because it gives time for the best teams to rise to the top, but much of that effect has been reduced by the addition of the wildcards.

[Seattle1]

I vote "no" to shortening the season.

[Ubiquitous]

I've been for a shorter season now for a very long time. Something like 144 games I believe.

[bluezebra]

No way. The 162 game season goes back forever (since before I was born at least). Switching to 162 may have been a dumb idea when they did it but (I don't really have an opinion on that) but it would be even dumber to switch back.

Before expansion, the season was 154 games, and a seven-game World series. No Wild Card, no League Championship series. The season started on the first Tuesday in April, except for the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Senators, who opened on that Monday.

Yes, there WAS baseball before you were born. Try reading the history of the game.

Bob

[Appling]

No way. The 162 game season goes back forever (since before I was born at least). Switching to 162 may have been a dumb idea when they did it but (I don't really have an opinion on that) but it would be even dumber to switch back.

Hey, the 162-game doesn't go back FOREVER. It started the same year that the Berlin Wall went up (oh yes, and my second child was born that year).

I would like to see the season shortened to the original 154, or perhaps something like 156 games -- but that might cause many of the 162-game records to go unchallenged. I don't think ticket sales is the driver, but TV revenue is certainly involved in this.

Not only has MLB lengthened the regular season, but we also added the LCS and then the Division Championship Series at the back end.

Even with a shortened schedule I think games the first two weeks of the season should be scheduled for domes or warm-weather cities -- not Cleveland! BTW: did holders of season tickets in Cleveland get a refund for games moved to Milwaukee??

[Spazz]

MLB simply needs to schedule early season games at domed or southern stadiums in April. Simple fix. Who made this years' schedule anyways? For example, why was Toronto playing the D'Rays in St Pete during the second week of April with the Skydome sitting empty? Two domed teams playing IN FLORIDA, IN APRIL!!! Makes zero sense.

I could go on. The Angels playing at Fenway. The Marlins playing in Washington. The Stros playing at Citizens Bank Park. Those could have all been reversed. One the other hand you have The Giants and the Padres playing in sunny San Diego while the Phils and the Mets freeze in Queens.

Forget the roid problem, it appears as if Selig needs to institute a strict "no drinking, no drugs" policy for the scheduling staff. :hyper:

[Ubiquitous]

The problem is that a lot of the southern and dome teams do not want to have a bunch of their home games clustered in the beginning of the season. Generally speaking those are the slowest sales months for teams. The summer months are when tickets sales rise. So they too want summer month games and by adding more home games in April for them means less July or June games for them down the road. Secondly there is travel restrictions put in place by the CBA that restrict the type of travel that would probably be needed to get everyone accommodated. Finally you have the weighted schedule which means teams like the Mets are going to play a lot of northeast teams.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

MLB simply needs to schedule early season games at domed or southern stadiums in April. Simple fix. Who made this years' schedule anyways? For example, why was Toronto playing the D'Rays in St Pete during the second week of April with the Skydome sitting empty? Two domed teams playing IN FLORIDA, IN APRIL!!! Makes zero sense.
:

That could solve part of the problem. The other part, with all the playoff games and than the WS they run in to some cold weather at the tail end. Baseball is not a cold weather sport for the players or the fans.

I'm all for a shorter season or some double headers... I'm dreaming, players, owners agreeing to double headers.