Bleed Cubbie Blue

Only one way to find out.

I find like God was testing my Cubs faith on opening day. I highly doubt tonight will be worse.

cubswynn - April 21, 2009 reply

I put 2004 opener slightly worse than

last Monday; weather only. Being at both, the cooler air temp in 2004 coupled with wicked 20MPH wind coming straight in over the LF wall was more overpowering than 8 days ago, but not by much.

Its amazing opening day a few times could be worse than Jan 1st.

That game was rough.

Imagine how many people would have stuck around if...

…Lilly didn’t go that deep with the no-no.

cubswynn - April 21, 2009 reply

You got that right. Every time I reached my tolerance limit with the weather on Opening Day and got up to leave...

…I glanced at the scoreboard, saw this big zero, and felt an invisible hand push me back down. Could have sworn I heard a deep voice say… “Sit down, son! You ain’t going anywhere while TRL’s got a no-no going.”

Plus, every time Lilly came out of the dugout, he looked towards the bleachers and Molina-ed me with his eyes. No way was I leaving then. Hell, I even stayed a good 5-10 minutes after the last out just to be sure….

Kudos...

… for both keeping people in your prayers while admitting their predicament “sucks anal vapors”. Literally made me laugh.

AndrewJStone - April 21, 2009 reply

OD was one of the worst weather days I can remember

attending a Cubs game in. Miserable for fans and players alike. And yet later in the week it was sunny and near 70 degrees. Sigh. It’s a crapshoot unless you play in a covered stadium.

Zeke - April 21, 2009 reply

Not much can be done,

because it is apparent that baseball will not make any compromises. They want the extra revenue, and won’t pay employees more, so they won’t shorten the season, or have double headers. What if they charged 1.5 times the normal price for tickets to DH? This would avoid some of the extra cost for labor without double admission. Plus most teams would benefit with more ticket sales, people would love going to a DH. The only teams that would suffer would be the ballparks that would be able to sell out those 2 games, like the Cubs.
Even simpler would be if every new ballpark had to have a retractable roof. If that rule was in place for the past five years, Cards, Reds, Pirates, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Nationals, (going off memory here so my list isn’t perfect), would all have no issues with weather, ever. Add the Twins to the list of crappy places to play for 2 months of the season starting next year.
Bud made what $16 million last year? Why?

slocs55 - April 21, 2009 reply

Because he made the owners a boat load of money over the years

especially the years he stuck his head in the sand and pretended no-one was shooting up with ’roids.

Touche.

slocs55 - April 21, 2009 reply

Covered ball parks

The only real solution for the extended seasons is for all teams to install a roof on their parks. This is of course not practical for fields such as Wrigley but playing baseball in November also is not practical.

One possibility is to go back to the 8 team leagues like they were years ago or two 8 team divisions per league. That would allow a single playoff week between the winner of each division before the WS thus ending the season a week earlier.

Since it’s all about money, there will never be a shorter season again so the only viable solution is to play all games in the South or cover the fields.

txtom - April 21, 2009 reply

+1 on Only Real Solution, IF...

you really, really, really want to keep weather problems to a minimum. I can’t imagine a decree that every team north of Atlanta and Arlington be required to play in an indoor stadium. BTW, it’s been known to be chilly in early April in both Atlanta and Arlington, TX. I can’t imagine a shorter season. I can’t imagine contracting early season cold weather outdoor teams. I know it can get hot in Chicago in the summer. It’s far better for baseball to keep things the way they are now and work around the weather problems.

memphiscub - April 21, 2009 reply

The downside of

requiring a domed stadium is the use of astroturf or a substitute and to get around that you could install a retractable roof like Milwaukee, Houston, etc. Then the problem becomes the increased cost to build those stadiums and we all know who ends up footing the bill on that one. Could you imagine the cost of Yankee Stadium is they were forced to somehow make it covered?

The reason weather is an issue is simply because it is weather. Zeke said it above, Opening Day was atrocious. A few days later and it was simply beautiful. A few days earlier and it would have been tolerable as well. No way to know that when the schedules are made.

CubFan81 - April 21, 2009 reply

You can add $1 Billion to the

cost and have the sliding grass tray like in Phoenix.

they could

put in a dome.

The season can never be shortened

…so the lesser-evil proposal would be day-night DH’s. Scheduling must be more thought out than today. Perhaps even the way the teams are scheduled against non-divisional teams must be re-thought. There may even need to be re-alignment.

I don’t have the solution at-hand but this is the only way to solve the issue of early/late season weather.

Simpler things to help for some – but not all – seasons is when a cold weather outdoor team plays a dome team, the games should be in the dome. Last year the Cubs hosted Milwaukee to open the season; not smart. This season the BoSox hosted the Rays; again not smart.

We covered this during Opening Week

Teams do not want all their home games loaded into April or early May.

Kids are in school (or have to go to school the next day) meaning families aren’t as likely to attend. Some places have no problem filling the stadium, but for places like San Diego and Florida, why hurt them with fewer summer home games?

I think baseball should make the DH’s, traditional ones, events. Memorial Day, Mother’s Day (with the pink bats) Father’s Day, July 4th and Labor Day would be good ones. That would save games and pumping up the “Celebrate Father’s Day with TWO games” would help mitigate the revenue losses.

Tangentially, I’d like to see baseball pick a holiday — maybe July 4th — and just own it, like the NFL owns Thanksgiving and the NBA owns Christmas.

On July 4th, we have double-headers. Put Cubs-Cards; Yanks-Sox; Giants-Dodgers… Or schedule the LCS rematches.

Covered what?

Who said “all” games? Do you really read what others write or just make it up as you go along?

I already stated this for some but not all. No one is proposing any warm weather / dome teams be forced to an inordinate number of early season games at home.

What’s a traditional DH? One gate, 2 games? Sorry, we covered this many times including opening week. No way will teams give up the gate w/o union concessions. And since when did a union ever give up much?

Mitigate revenue losses? This is what mitigates revenue losses: 81 gates. Tangentially? You’re going on a tangent?

The D/N DH is the least of the evils, however:

Re-alignment may be necessary.
With re-alignment will require better scheduling. I don’t care about this “imbalanced” crap I’ve been hearing about. There’s been imbalance for decades.
Even w/o re-alignment must come a better inter-league schedule or perhaps doing away with it. For years the 12-team NL had 18 divisional games and 12 non-divisional games.
The travel schedule must be done better. They must minimize total number of miles flown/traveled. Get-away day-games. Travel across time zones, in and out of home city etc must be better.
Say 18-20 scheduled D/N DH’s, separate gates with the concession for a few more scheduled days off being added.
A goal could be shortening the season 2 weeks total, one early, one late.
If a dome team plays a cold weather outdoor team, the dome team hosts. Nothing like Milw @ CHC in 2008 or TB @ Bos in 2009; how stupid.

First...

Eat more bran before responding to me. You need it, cranky pants.

In order the make the idea work, you need to put the majority of the April games in warm-weather cities. We’re already three weeks in and games are getting canceled or are miserable.

So, yes, in order to actually ACCOMPLISH something by front-loading games in warm cities, you have to make it three weeks to a month.

In other words, it ain’t happening. Nor should it.

I’m saying that if you market it right, you can still make money on traditional double-headers. I’m not just saying have them willy-nilly, but market them. Maybe just Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day. And that’s three games off October schedule right there. Add in chopping off the off-days and you’ve saved a week in the postseason.

You're calling me cranky pants?

You’re the most obnoxious you-know-what on this site. Extract your head, get some Oxygen.

And I’ll respond to your anger-infested posts any damned time I want. Who the hell are you to tell anyone what to respond to and what not to respond to?

Instead of trying to suppress comments by others that do not agree with you – which appears to be ever increasing – try to read what is written, not what you want to see for your rant.

One more time: NO traditional DH’s. The owners will NOT give up the gate w/o union concessions. AND there’s no way that small market teams with already a big cash flow issue, are going to be able to pull this off.

I also didn’t say front load warm/dome teams.

Wow, someone is VERY cranky today!

Who’s turn is it to burp blackhawk?

are you two guys in the right thread?

Maybe you meant for this exchange to take place over here…

You're going to make a great father

or….maybe….not

flachimesa - April 21, 2009 reply

Hey, I'll burp and change him...

I need the practice with infants.

Not that I want to defend Worf

but he needs to vent here as opposed to at his wife since she is preggo.

Madison Cub Fan - April 21, 2009 reply

Oh man...

The most exciting questions of my day are now, “How did you sleep?” and “How’s your back?”

With our first, there was also

“Didja chowder?”

When the baby finally does come

ESPN has programming all night long…Its something you dont realize the beauty of until you are feeding a whiny baby at 12, 3 and 6

wax eagle - April 21, 2009 reply

I can only watch SportsCenter

reruns for so long.

oh but

during college football/basketball season they rerun shortened versions of games that were on earlier that you missed because you were doing baby/wife stuff.

wax eagle - April 21, 2009 reply

See a little empathy goes a long way even w/ Worf. :)

Madison Cub Fan - April 21, 2009 reply

That July 4th plan is a FANTASTIC idea

It plays right into the “American as baseball and apple pie” cliche

How does that solve the issue?

It doesn't, but it's a great marketing idea for MLB

Point well taken

Now if Bud-light can market a better schedule.

It helps a little

by having two games on that day.

Make it bigger by having league wide Double headers on Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day. Do day night on two and a true DH with tix at 150%. Teams won’t lose much in gate.

Great marketing idea Worf

People won't pay another 50% higher

for the traditional DH for at least half the league. Perhaps they could get away with that at Wrigley, Fenway, Dodger Stadium and a couple others but: TB, Pgh, KC, SD, AZ, Oak, Sea, Wsh, Fla and a few others could not get away with that.

So those 3 days are a start, but without doing another 2 weeks worth of split DH’s, it won’t shorten the season measurably.

That's why I was thinking to try it on

a single game a year on a day when most have the day off.

Anyway, 3 games and the related travel to/travel from should shorten the season by close to 5 days.

As long as it's D/N DH's,

teams get the gates and scheduling falls in line with the CBA, that’s fine.

It’s a start but more is needed to make a notable change.

I understand the $$$ need for day/night,

but would like to see one traditional DH per year scheduled per team.

On way...

to mitigate that would be to schedule those traditional DH in stadiums where the 50% bump won’t be prohibitive. At least for the first couple years until the new tradition takes hold and the other cities are clamoring for their share. The only downside to this is it would eliminate rivalry type games as you couldn’t have the Yankees/Red Sox, Cubs/Cards, Giant/Dodgers since those are the teams that could actually draw on an increased ticket. Off the top of my head you could have the games in:

NL: New York, Chicago, St. Louis, SF, LA, Philly, Cincinnati, and Washington for patriotic reasons.
AL: New York, Boston, Anaheim, Cleveland, and then it gets iffy with maybe Minnesota, Seattle, and Baltimore?

CubFan81 - April 21, 2009 reply

This works a lot better...

… if they do a “rivalry week” here, like they do in college basketball.

Cubs vs Sox (or Cubs vs Cards & Sox vs Twins), Yanks vs Red Sox, Dogers vs Giants, Mets vs Braves… you get the picture.

If its a countrywide set of double headers with importance, and every park has fireworks after, people will pay $150. Maybe a nationwide MLB promotion, everybody coming in an MLB park that day gets some crap, blah blah blah. Maybe some sort of entertainment between the games (like the acoustic sets the Sox do pregame sometimes) from whatever huge name teams can land to sing the national anthem…

Do it two or three times a year, knock a few games off the end of the season, and its a (tiny) step in the right direction.

AndrewJStone - April 21, 2009 reply

gawd.

not MORE games against the Sox. Please.

Yeah...

… nobody wants to see that.

AndrewJStone - April 21, 2009 reply

Maybe there is another team, somewhere, considered a rival?

It wouldn't kill us

to play other AL teams, either. Royals, Twins…

We are playing the Twins this year.

Al Yellon - April 22, 2009 reply

It wouldn't kill us...

… but it would eliminate the purpose of the “rivalry weekend” on the 4th, as was proposed. You missed the point of my post. I wasn’t voting to add more sox games… we could use the ones we already play every year.

We are thinking of a whole new way of scheduling here, and one semi-plausable way to shave a week off the end of the season is to throw in some doubleheaders. One way to make those doubleheaders worthwhile to the owners and fans both is to make them important games, or EVENTS.

There would be excitement over a Memorial Day or 4th of July double header vs the Sox, with OAR playing at halftime and fireworks to follow.

Just spinning ideas…

AndrewJStone - April 22, 2009 reply

The only solution is for teams above the MD line to play their home games in Arizona for 2 months...

…(or FLA), just extend their time at their Spring Training facility. Wait, then people will bitch about the hot days in AZ & FLA. The solution is to dress accordingly if you are attending the game. When the 1 Million mark was the bar of achievement for season attendance this was not a big issue because no one went to the games at this time of the season. Just tough it out, you’ll have a good story to tell later.

DudeVf11 - April 21, 2009 reply

Wait, then people will bitch about the hot days in AZ & FLA.

So the Cubs opening day is held at… HoHoKam park?

People will bitch, but not about the weather…

There's gotta be a way

to schedule games in those cities least likely to have crap weather in April and May. Some logarythm (sp) to figure out how to make sure that fans don’t freeze.

That said, I am going to the game tonight, and for the first time in a long time, I am not looking forward to it at all. I’m gonna bundle up and hope Harden throws a lot of strikes.

SouthsideCub - April 21, 2009 reply

It's algorithm

Logarithm is something different entirely

sorry, dr. genius

i didn’t realize this was math class.

SouthsideCub - April 21, 2009 reply

well, no

But what you said was incorrect. Actually, algorithm is more of a computer science term.

(Full disclosure: I am a mathematician)

You can use

a logarithm in an algorithm….. :^)

wait - are you saying Al got rhythm?

This I have to see….

It's on youtube

see Greek Irish Dancers

Al Dancing :)?

They can make an algorithm to do this

But there’s too much randomness in the weather to really make it work. Unless you want to wait until May for the Cubs home opener? I don’t think anyone wants that

Don't the cubs have a ton of home games in April?

It seems the last few years, the Cubs’ schedule is weighed towards more home games in the spring. Stupid, in my opinion, that that even happens. The cubs sell out every game, but for other teams playing in the cold, I can’t imagine their home dates in April are exactly hot tickets. Why punish the fans and players in cold weather places with the lion’s share of their home dates in the spring?

reedjohnson - April 21, 2009 reply

The Cubs have 10 scheduled home games in April this year.

… one of which is April 30.

They have 12 scheduled road games in April this year, nine of which are in domed stadiums. I think the schedule makers did pretty well for the Cubs this season.

Al Yellon - April 22, 2009 reply

Get over it

Accept the fact that the start of the season will always be hindered by bad weather. By this Friday we will all have forgotten opening day and even tonight (if they play) games.

wild bill - April 21, 2009 reply

I'm sure the Twins look forward to 2010

April tickets for their new park should come with a first aid kit.

Harry Pavlidis - April 21, 2009 reply

I get it, but....

people go to football games in this kind of weather so why not for baseball? Now for the players, this should be considerably worse than for football players.

tony412 - April 21, 2009 reply

Football games are once a week.

And people expect cold/rainy/snowy weather in November and December in northern cities.

April should be better, but often isn’t.

Or Snowmachine suits.

n/t

DudeVf11 - April 21, 2009 reply

One suggestion to improve the situation ...

load up on divisional rivals early in the year (especially for teams that can have weather issues at their home park). A Cubs-Reds rainout tonight can be made up at Wrigley later in the summer.

But, say, one of the Rockies games had been rained out last week. Colorado doesn’t return to Chicago this season.

Like I said, this would improve things, but it wouldn’t correct them.

elgato - April 21, 2009 reply

That would certainly be a good idea

Another way would be to visit a scheduling re-make. I haven’t looked yet but there may be a chance the non-division teams can visit twice a season. There’s just so many variables. But to sit idly by like MLB has been doing, won’t solve a thing.

This spring's weather blows

not only has it been much colder than usual, it seems like it cannot go three days without raining on the eastern seaboard!

Chanman25 - April 21, 2009 reply

weather is always a factor

there is no way around it. if you want all retracable roof stadiums make MLB pay for them not the taxpayer. there are many people that have to work outside for a living that dont get paid no where near what these guys do.

i am guessing that most of the fans that complain about it have never gone to a football game in late fall or the winter. if you dont want to risk cold wet weather than dont buy a ticket during the spring

Get over it, its a part of game

cubsfaninkc - April 21, 2009 reply

rec'd

eswan9 - April 21, 2009 reply

MLB will only react....

….when they receive a huge black eye, like a world series being postponed a couple days.

The MLB is never proactive, but reactive.

cubswynn - April 21, 2009 reply

If last year's World Series

didn’t change it, nothing will.

Retractable Roof

Miller Park is the best venue for games that I’ve personally attended. In fact, I look forward to every game the Cubs play there, if for no other reason than I KNOW the weather is not going to decide the outcome of the game. As hallowed as Wrigley is for most Cubs fans, I would fully support a switch to a brand new retractable roof style stadium.

No more rain outs. No more checking the flags to see if it’s going to be annoying to hit or play defense. No more fans freezing their asses off on opening day.

WiscCubsFan - April 21, 2009 reply

While I dislike rainouts, I enjoy

how weather can impact a game. I love when a fly ball pitcher faces a ground ball pitcher and the difference wind out versus wind in impacts the game at Wrigley. To me, it’s part of the charm.

No good ideas, just likely very unpopular ones

To me:

1. shorten the season by at least two weeks
2. start the spring games in the south or domed parks exclusively
3. cut the gap between the end of the season and the postseason
4. rotate the location of the WS to warm parks or one’s with domes

This messes many things up including baseball’s most sacred – tradition – but as these seem the most pragmatic.

stelmodad - April 21, 2009 reply

I agree with 1, 2, & 3

but don’t believe any sport with multi-game champion series should be anywhere but on the two home fields.

Uh-huh

ain’t happening. It’s simply not going to happen.

And before we bitch about greedy owners, let’s also remember that a lot of guys making minimum wage — concession, parking, etc. — get hurt when games are canceled too.

— Not happening. Teams aren’t going to allow having a month’s worth of home games in April.

— More likely, it’s better to cut days off in the postseason. You do need one built-in day in case of tiebreaker games.

— I’m up for it, but it’s just not going to happen.

Well...that was weird

That should be 1, 2, 3, 4

Whether I agree with the idea and whether it's going to happen

are not related.

As for 1, agreed, ain’t happening, but I would be for it.

2. Doesn’t have to be the full month, but it could be skewed more that direction and still help.

3. Day game play ins and chartered night travel has everyone in place. Agreed.

4. A non-national team (Miami versus Tampa Bay?) series in San Diego will sell tickets and you will have empty seats a the the games. Not a solid marketing effort or good PR.

Play April games in spring training locations

Seating capacity is less but it’s fairly equal for all teams. Plus I would get to see Cubs games that count!

tucsoncubsfan - April 21, 2009 reply

Unless they only played in Phoenix!

So

what are the chances that we actually get to see baseball today?

Weather Channel Cubs Forcast

Looks mixed

Hour by Hour

Precip chances shrinking as we get closer to game time. My guess is Baseball.

oooh

sixteen mph blowing out towards right? That could be fun.

In other words...

Not only a wet game, but a LONG game.

What’s it looking like for Wednesday?

mid to upper 50s

I think.

So we could do a double-header?

Reds return two times

They’d probably wait if they can’t play tonight.

Shanghai Badger - April 21, 2009 reply

Oh god...

I don’t think I can go three days without baseball.

neverAcquiesce - April 21, 2009 reply

Agreed, Cub baseball

Of course.

What else?

neverAcquiesce - April 21, 2009 reply

me neither.

power hitter slump busting weather.

DLee, get your groove on.

well, they just put the tarp on the field...

…so obviously some precipitation is on the way.

If money were not a factor, I’d think they would check and recheck their forecasts and assuming it’s going to be as bad tonight as it’s supposed to be, call it off now – give everyone plenty of notice and do a day-night tomorrow when the weather will be much better.

But with no game on Sunday and off day yesterday, I gotta imagine they’re gonna play tonight.

You get to watch baseball at Wrigley Field.

Remember this when the wind is howling, the rain is piercing, and the snow is confusing.

You get to watch baseball at Wrigley Field.

Remember this when many of your bretheren are watching WGN, reading “in play, run(s),” or groaning at ESPNs “commentary.”

You get to watch baseball at Wrigley Field.

neverAcquiesce - April 21, 2009 reply

Well said - And...

“In play, no out(s)”

The E-Man - April 21, 2009 reply

Compared to the Bears games I went to this past fall/winter

tonight at Wrigley will feel like a sauna!

At least that -5 Thursday game was clear without precip.

Haha yeah...

When it isn’t real windy it isn’t as bad, because the spaceship does a pretty good job of blocking the gusts off the wind…

*Off the lake. Still waking up.

Over/Under on how many pitches

Dusty leaves Owings out there for tonight in the miserable weather…108.

I take the over.

Believe it or not...

There was only ONE canceled game last year – the Astros.

Actually, I cannot personally remember that ever happening.

The scheduling in general is terrible. I would like to start on THAT first. I know the players would appreciate it as well.

Al – you are an awesome headline writer!

The E-Man - April 21, 2009 reply

Thanks!

That Astros postponement you mention was in 2007, not last year. There were no postponements in 2008.

I talked about the weather implications of Minnesota’s roof-less stadium here.. This is going to happen in states like MN, WI, IL, MA, WA, but not very often. Baseball is effectively played in 4 seasons.

dtpollitt - April 21, 2009 reply

xD

I’d LOVE to have some of that weather over here in Southern California.
It’s been in the mid to upper 90 for the last 3 days!

Nooblet - April 21, 2009 reply

Send the 90's this way.

We’ll be more than happy to take them.

I'd settle for 50 degrees today. At lunch time it was 38

Madison Cub Fan - April 21, 2009 reply

And its supposed to be 80 by Friday!

No wonder my head feels like its in a vice.

Ow.

halfblindcubbiegirl - April 21, 2009 reply

I'm in this picture

Standing to the left of the guy in the brown coat in the foreground. We drove from Bloomington, were in line ten minutes when they called it…and of course, no refunds on parking lol

Walker71421 - April 21, 2009 reply

Wow.

All the way from Bloomington? In that weather?

Yep...we knew it was dicey but we had to do it incase they played...we gambled wrong

Walker71421 - April 21, 2009 reply

3pm loop weather observation

light rain falling, has been all day.

No break in gray sky as far west as you can see from the 20th floor.

However, precip appears almost out per tribune weather radar.

I think they'll play tonight.

If they do, who will it benefit more, Cubs or Reds? Reds seem to have more speed, Cubs more power. On the other hand, you can’t steal first base and the Cubs overall have a better hitting team than the Reds.

cowsarecool220 - April 21, 2009 reply

The Cubs.

Because the Reds are managed by Dusty.

They'll definitely wait a while if they have to

Want to avoid doubleheaders if possible

Shanghai Badger - April 21, 2009 reply

Just did a drive-by around Wrigley...

Players’ parking lot is about half-full. Looked to be about 30-35 people lined up by the bleacher entrance; didn’t see any fans waiting in front of other gates. Lots of employees walking around inside as well as heading into work. Vendors were lined up too, waiting to get in.

While waiting for traffic light at Sheffield & Addison, a bunch of fans crossed in front of me coming from the El station. Obviously their first game this year because they were surprised to see the Joe Morgan Club pancake house in front of them. All the guys were saying stuff like “what’s this shit?”, “what a joke”, and the obligatory “Arrrrgh”. And all the girls were “Ooooh – it’s so cute!”, “Cool”, and “Can we go in there now?”.

Now that’s market research… ;-)