Trivia of the day: MLB postponement rates, 2009-2012

[Le Grande Orange]

Crunched these numbers last night after seeing how much trouble some of the minor leagues are having so far this season with bad weather. The number of regularly scheduled games, make up games, and tiebreaking playoff games, the number of each type of these games which were postponed, the totals for the year, and the grand totals for the four-year period.

MLB Postponement Rates, 2009-2012


2009          Total  Ppd    Pct

Regular games  2430   37   1.52%
Make up games    36    0     --
Playoff games     1    0     --
TOTAL          2467   37   1.50%

      
2010          Total  Ppd    Pct

Regular games  2430   20   0.82%
Make up games    21    1   4.76%
TOTAL          2451   21   0.86%

      
2011          Total  Ppd    Pct

Regular games  2430   49   2.02%
Make up games    50    2   4.00%
TOTAL          2480   51   2.06%

      
2012          Total  Ppd    Pct
Regular games  2430   21   0.86%
Make up games    21    0   0.00%
TOTAL          2451   21   0.86%

      
4-Year Total  Total  Ppd    Pct

Regular games  9720  127   1.31%
Make up games   128    3   2.34%
Playoff games     1    0   0.00%
TOTAL          9849  130   1.32%

So, in total over the last four seasons, 1.32% of the 9,849 scheduled game events were postponed. That works out to an average of 32.5 games each year being postponed for one reason or another.

[jaxmagicman]

Is that 32.5 games in each league or all together?

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by jaxmagicman

Is that 32.5 games in each league or all together?

MLB total.

[kenyan_cheena]

Global warming.

[Sven Draconian]

While that isn't a high number, it doesn't change the sillyness of playing home games in Minnesota and Detroit when there are domed and warm weather sites going unused (for example, the Jays playing in Detroit this past week).

Baseball under 50 degrees is substantially different then it will be played for the rest of the season.

[Le Grande Orange]

So far in 2013 (through games of April 11th) there have been 3 postponed games out of 139 scheduled in MLB, or 2.16%.

In the minors so far this season (April 4-11):

International League, 7 postponements out of 58 total games (12.1%)
Pacific Coast League, 7 out pf 68 (10.3%)
Eastern League, 2 out of 47 (4.3%)
Southern League, 4 out of 36 (11.1%)
Texas League, 1 out of 29 (3.4%)
California League, 1 out of 40 (2.5%)
Carolina League, 1 out of 25 (4.0%)
Florida State League, 1 out of 43 (2.3%)
Midwest League, 21 out of 125 (16.8%)
South Atlantic League, 6 out of 60 (10.0%)

Originally Posted by Sven Draconian

While that isn't a high number, it doesn't change the sillyness of playing home games in Minnesota and Detroit when there are domed and warm weather sites going unused (for example, the Jays playing in Detroit this past week).

There are reasons why that happens. Travel is a part of it. Another aspect is that some clubs don't want to play home games at certain times of the year, domed stadium or not.

[Sven Draconian]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

There are reasons why that happens. Travel is a part of it. Another aspect is that some clubs don't want to play home games at certain times of the year, domed stadium or not.

To which I say tough tinsel. Cold weather baseball is a sub par product and increases injury risk. As a fan i think it's ****ty, because a few cities want an extra home series in August.

Either push opening day back, or schedule games to be played in warm cities. It's ridiculous to play a major league game in 40 degree weather when there are easy alternatives.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by Sven Draconian

To which I say tough tinsel.

When it's your club's ticket revenue being affected, you may not be as enthusiastic. It is a business after all.

[Painmantle]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Global warming.

It's called Climate change now.....In the 70's it was called Global Cooling.....I have always just call it weather myself!

[Le Grande Orange]

Updated postponement figures for games through April 14:

MLB: 5 out of 184 (2.7%)

International League, 13 out of 85 (15.3%)
Pacific Coast League, 7 out pf 92 (7.6%)
Eastern League, 3 out of 65 (4.6%)
Southern League, 4 out of 54 (7.4%)
Texas League, 1 out of 41 (2.4%)
California League, 1 out of 55 (1.8%)
Carolina League, 1 out of 37 (2.7%)
Florida State League, 2 out of 62 (3.2%)
Midwest League, 23 out of 99 (23.2%)
South Atlantic League, 6 out of 82 (7.3%)

The Midwest League in particular has been hit hard with bad weather so far this season, with nearly one-quarter of all its games postponed.


Errata: in post #6 incorrect figures for the Midwest League were given. The results should have been 15 out of 65 (23.1%)

[Kobie]

Originally Posted by Painmantle

It's called Climate change now.....In the 70's it was called Global Cooling.....I have always just call it weather myself!

Weather and climate are two fundamentally different things.

[kenyan_cheena]

LOL, I was just trying to make a funny.

[Sven Draconian]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

When it's your club's ticket revenue being affected, you may not be as enthusiastic. It is a business after all.

I think having freezing cold week day games hurt sales and TV revenue more than a couple of shifted home stands.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by Sven Draconian

I think having freezing cold week day games hurt sales and TV revenue more than a couple of shifted home stands.

It would seem the clubs don't agree since the schedules are still the way they are. There was only one season in which 'cold' weather cities opened the season in either 'warm' weather cities or those with domed stadiums, 1984. NL East clubs played the first few series of the season at West Division teams. This necessarily meant interdivisional play at the start of the season. (The AL seems to have followed the same idea to some extent, but with seven clubs in each division it makes it more complicated).

The result was obviously not deemed a success because the practice wasn't repeated.

[Sven Draconian]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

It would seem the clubs don't agree since the schedules are still the way they are. There was only one season in which 'cold' weather cities opened the season in either 'warm' weather cities or those with domed stadiums, 1984. NL East clubs played the first few series of the season at West Division teams. This necessarily meant interdivisional play at the start of the season. (The AL seems to have followed the same idea to some extent, but with seven clubs in each division it makes it more complicated).

The result was obviously not deemed a success because the practice wasn't repeated.

And, of course, MLB and it's clubs never make mistakes.

Using just the Tiger/Blue Jays example:

They play in Toronto (the only trip) for a 4 game series July 1st-4th. They could easily shift that to Detroit. The Jays would then go a 11 game road trip. If people deem that too long, they play Tampa on the road the last week of June, and then play them again post all-star break: easily changeable. Their other series on that road trip is Boston. Both are divisional opponents with multiple trips.

Of course, the Tigers themselves on that Toronto trip are on an 11 game road trip.

As somebody who viewed parts of the game I can assure you that the stands were pretty empty (and the Tigers have good attendance) and it wasn't a highly viewed game

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by Sven Draconian

Using just the Tiger/Blue Jays example:

They play in Toronto (the only trip) for a 4 game series July 1st-4th. They could easily shift that to Detroit.

The Blue Jays then lose the Canada Day holiday at home.

Originally Posted by Sven Draconian

The Jays would then go a 11 game road trip.

The typical length of road trips has declined over the years. Now they are generally in the range of 6-7 games, with a maximum of around 10-11 games.

Originally Posted by Sven Draconian

If people deem that too long, they play Tampa on the road the last week of June, and then play them again post all-star break: easily changeable.

And how does that affect the travel mileage? Does it violate the 20-day rule in terms of consecutive days of play? Does it violate any of the other various scheduling restrictions contained in Article V of the CBA? (The scheduling provisions run six pages.) Are the stadiums in question free on those days? (Rogers Centre, as well as other ballparks, are used for other events when the baseball club is not at home.)

The changes you claim are easy are not in reality that easy. If they were, and there was a benefit to doing so, the schedules would be changed at the start of the season as you suggest. The fact that they are not suggests either it really isn't possible to do while satisfying the many other requirements, or that any benefit to doing so is outweighed by the drawbacks.

Lastly, the MLBPA has to give its consent to the schedule.

Originally Posted by Sven Draconian

As somebody who viewed parts of the game I can assure you that the stands were pretty empty (and the Tigers have good attendance) and it wasn't a highly viewed game

Other than home openers, early season games tend not to be as well attended as games later in the season. The opposing club also matters, as well as other factors.

[Sven Draconian]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

The Blue Jays then lose the Canada Day holiday at home.

And the Tigers already lose the 4th of July holiday at home.

The typical length of road trips has declined over the years. Now they are generally in the range of 6-7 games, with a maximum of around 10-11 games.

This would not violate that.

And how does that affect the travel mileage? Does it violate the 20-day rule in terms of consecutive days of play? Does it violate any of the other various scheduling restrictions contained in Article V of the CBA? (The scheduling provisions run six pages.) Are the stadiums in question free on those days? (Rogers Centre, as well as other ballparks, are used for other events when the baseball club is not at home.)

Would not affect mileage in any meaningful way. Besides the fact the cities are close anyway, it just shifts the length of homestands, it doesn't add anything cross country.

I don't know of the events the stadiums host, but as the customer for baseball, I also don't care.

The changes you claim are easy are not in reality that easy. If they were, and there was a benefit to doing so, the schedules would be changed at the start of the season as you suggest. The fact that they are not suggests either it really isn't possible to do while satisfying the many other requirements, or that any benefit to doing so is outweighed by the drawbacks.

Lastly, the MLBPA has to give its consent to the schedule.

Other than home openers, early season games tend not to be as well attended as games later in the season. The opposing club also matters, as well as other factors.

I'm not really suggesting they change the schedule the week before the season, my issue is with the philosophy in general. Rather than spouting off "factors," why don't you look at my proposed changes and tell me what is violated by swapping the positioning of the home series. Anybody can play the devil's advocate in generalities.

Is it possible these little ****s might hurt a clubs $$ a little. Yes. I also understand that they are a business to make money.

However, in my opinion, the job of the commissioner is to protect the game and the product on the field. Early season games in northern cities are an inferior product. The purpose of a league and a commissioner is to provide fans with consistency in the level and circumstances of play. If you let each club dictate it's schedule based on their own selfish interests, you might as well go back to barnstorming.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by Sven Draconian

Rather than spouting off "factors," why don't you look at my proposed changes and tell me what is violated by swapping the positioning of the home series.

It's your proposal. So it's up to you to see if it meets all the necessary requirements if you want it to be taken seriously.

All I can tell you is that assembling the MLB schedule is a big undertaking, and is prepared many months in advance. The last I heard it was being done by a special firm in Pittsburgh which uses a sophisticated computer program to do most of the job. (For many years prior it was done by a couple who created the schedule by hand.)

[Le Grande Orange]

Updated postponement figures for games through April 21:

MLB: 13 out of 282 (4.6%)

International League, 19 out of 139 (13.7%)
Pacific Coast League, 12 out pf 150 (8.0%)
Eastern League, 5 out of 108 (4.6%)
Southern League, 5 out of 89 (5.6%)
Texas League, 2 out of 66 (3.0%)
California League, 1 out of 55 (1.1%)
Carolina League, 5 out of 68 (7.4%)
Florida State League, 2 out of 104 (1.9%)
Midwest League, 42 out of 162 (25.9%)
South Atlantic League, 8 out of 133 (6.0%)

The poor Midwest League continued to get hammered by bad weather—one game out of every four it has tried to put on has been postponed.


NOTE: This will probably be my last postponement update for awhile.

[Le Grande Orange]

Updated postponement figures for games through Sunday, May 12, 2013:

MLB: 22 out of 574 (3.8%)

International League: 27 out of 286 (9.4%)
Pacific Coast League: 21 out of 306 (6.9%)
Eastern League: 15 out of 233 (6.4%)
Southern League: 15 out of 191 (7.9%)
Texas League: 10 out of 151 (6.6%)
California League: 2 out of 186 (1.1%)
Carolina League: 11 out of 152 (7.2%)
Florida State League: 11 out of 220 (5.0%)
Midwest League: 57 out of 328 (17.4%)
South Atlantic League: 30 out of 274 (10.9%)