Weekend night games coming to Wrigley?

[RedIvyCub]

Most are missing the big issue: Why are there 5 night games in April and 3 in May? Take those eight games and put them in July and August where they belong. The ordinance can easily be changed and there are provisions in it for national broadcasts and playoffs.

 

The main issue about weekend night games is you get a large group of people together that have a beer or two at 6pm, walk to the ballpark for the 7:05 start, have 3-5 more 16 oz beers and then go to one of the numerous establishments that crowd the area. No one has work for the most part on a Saturday or Sunday so they may stay till closing time..... not a pretty picture.

 

Pretty simple....attendance. Contrary to popular belief, those day games in April and May (especially April) are a tough sell compared to the weekends or a night game.

[BigbadB]

Most are missing the big issue: Why are there 5 night games in April and 3 in May? Take those eight games and put them in July and August where they belong. The ordinance can easily be changed and there are provisions in it for national broadcasts and playoffs.

 

The main issue about weekend night games is you get a large group of people together that have a beer or two at 6pm, walk to the ballpark for the 7:05 start, have 3-5 more 16 oz beers and then go to one of the numerous establishments that crowd the area. No one has work for the most part on a Saturday or Sunday so they may stay till closing time..... not a pretty picture.

 

Pretty simple....attendance. Contrary to popular belief, those day games in April and May (especially April) are a tough sell compared to the weekends or a night game.

 

That's the part I don't understand. Every year they complain about the dog days of summer, yet they used up most of their night game package in April and May, where several of those games the fans and the players are freezing their butts off. It doesn't make any sense.

[javy knows my name]

 

As a side note, teams are allowed to appear on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball 4 times per season and Fox Saturday Baseball 9 times per season.

I find it really hard to believe that the Red Sox haven't already played 4 or 5 Sunday Night Baseball games.

[UMFan83]

Most are missing the big issue: Why are there 5 night games in April and 3 in May? Take those eight games and put them in July and August where they belong. The ordinance can easily be changed and there are provisions in it for national broadcasts and playoffs.

 

The main issue about weekend night games is you get a large group of people together that have a beer or two at 6pm, walk to the ballpark for the 7:05 start, have 3-5 more 16 oz beers and then go to one of the numerous establishments that crowd the area. No one has work for the most part on a Saturday or Sunday so they may stay till closing time..... not a pretty picture.

 

Pretty simple....attendance. Contrary to popular belief, those day games in April and May (especially April) are a tough sell compared to the weekends or a night game.

 

That's the part I don't understand. Every year they complain about the dog days of summer, yet they used up most of their night game package in April and May, where several of those games the fans and the players are freezing their butts off. It doesn't make any sense.

 

Well because the bottom line is money and they don't believe that it makes a huge difference to have mostly day games in the middle of summer.

[1480]

Redivycub & UM:

 

I figured you might have a valid argument, so I decided to do a little research:

 

Using Monday-Thursday games in April:

 

Excluding opening day, Night average attendance: 39,852 Day average attendance: 39,370 less then a 500 difference.

 

With opening day Day attendance averages: 39,713, 139 difference.

 

May gets better, same formula: M-Th, 6 night 3 day games:

 

Night average attendance: 39,816

 

Day average attendance: 41,020, over a thousand in attendance difference.

 

I looked a little bit into June and since I'm tired of dividing, suffice to say there was low double digit differences in day/night attendance and was a full 1500 better.

 

Night games early in the season do not boost attendance to any significant degree. Warm weather seems to have a better effect. The average daytime temp was 12 degrees higher on average in April and 9 degrees in May. Move the night games to the warm months!!! :clapping:

[RedIvyCub]

 

As a side note, teams are allowed to appear on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball 4 times per season and Fox Saturday Baseball 9 times per season.

I find it really hard to believe that the Red Sox haven't already played 4 or 5 Sunday Night Baseball games.

 

You are correct, they have been on five times but I know what the rule was according to the paperwork I saw every year. Must be a Red Sox exemption and they get to use the games for the teams they don't put on Sunday nights like the Rockies....LOL Yes that last sentence was complete sarcasm. We all know that ESPN has become the flagship station of the Red Sox as witnessed by them being on just about every Monday night.

 

http://tvsportsratings.com/?p=81

[RedIvyCub]

Redivycub & UM:

 

I figured you might have a valid argument, so I decided to do a little research:

 

Using Monday-Thursday games in April:

 

Excluding opening day, Night average attendance: 39,852 Day average attendance: 39,370 less then a 500 difference.

 

With opening day Day attendance averages: 39,713, 139 difference.

 

May gets better, same formula: M-Th, 6 night 3 day games:

 

Night average attendance: 39,816

 

Day average attendance: 41,020, over a thousand in attendance difference.

 

I looked a little bit into June and since I'm tired of dividing, suffice to say there was low double digit differences in day/night attendance and was a full 1500 better.

 

Night games early in the season do not boost attendance to any significant degree. Warm weather seems to have a better effect. The average daytime temp was 12 degrees higher on average in April and 9 degrees in May. Move the night games to the warm months!!! :clapping:

 

Don't forget to take into consideration that they have a select few discount dates during weekdays in April and May to draw attendance. Not that I think it makes a whole bunch of difference in the final numbers. There are also quite a few school groups that attend day games in April and May as well. Yup, field trips to the ballpark for a game. I should have went to one of those schools when I was a kid. :wink: