Why are MLB games played at noon/afternoon?

[WaLLy]

Is there a good reason why some MLB games are played when there's light out? I would imagine the stadium would make more money if the games would be played after middle class folks would get out of work (5PM+).

I like the NBA and NFL schedule since just about all the games are played in the evening, except for the weekend games.

 

[DamageINC]

MLB teams play 162 games in about 180 days. They frequently travel. One big reason there are early day games is because teams often have a flight to catch and game to play the next day. Playing night games often means they don't get settled into the hotels until very late/early morning. In other sports this isn't a problem because they only play a game or two a week.

Of the three earliest games going on today, every team involved is playing a different team tomm. in a different city or has an off day for travel.

I'm sure there are other reasons as well, but get away day is the biggest reason, i think. Weekend games are often played earlier as well, at least on Sunday's. Other reasons probably include TV contracts , etc. Some teams, like the Cubs, just always typically played day games. Wrigley field didn't even get lights until a few years ago.

The majority of games still start in the late afternoon/night.

 

[WaLLy]

Still doesn't make sense though. From what I've seen, MLB teams usually play against each other for 3-4 days in a row anyway. So they probably only have to travel once or twice a week.

In the NBA, teams travel every night (or every other) to get to another playing city. They try to stay in the same general area (east coast, central, pacific) though. But all games are played in the evening still, except the weekend of course when most people have weekends off.

I'm just viewing it from a worker's point of view. If games are played in the evening, the stadiums would get more people in (more sales) and more people watching the game after work. Just kinda weird seeing people in a stadium at noon (y'all don't work or what?) and not a near full stadium

 

[DamageINC]

Don't NBA teams usually get a night off after travel? They fly out of a city on the 10th, have the 11th off then play a game on the 12th. I think sometimes there are back to back games, but i don't think this happens very often.

In MLB, if a team plays a night game on get-away day, the game will end , at the earliest, between 8-9 pm. The bus leaves for the airport around 11. The flight then probably takes 3-5 hours, which means they don't get into their hotel rooms until 3am or later. They then have to get rested for a game that day. Many teams do get stuck doing this, but they try and limit it with early games. MLB teams often travel to other time zones for road trips and hit three or four cities in 10-14 days.

 

[WaLLy]

A night off from an actual NBA game yes. But they still have practice on the days off. Looking at my Suns, they had 17 back-to-back nights (34 games). That's over a third of their season.

 

[DamageINC]

Practice, lol.

I didn't know they played that many back to back games. That must occur on short travel, like Phoenix to Portland or Sacramento or something.

No people at day games? The Giants Say

 

[WaLLy]

That must be a weekend

 

[DamageINC]

That must be a weekend

Naw. The Giants have sold out like 350 games in a row. But, for most stadiums, that would hold true. Weekends always draw more.