With the major problems that have cropped up this season due to the weather (snow & massive rain) and extreme cold of this month of April there are a few simple steps to ease the pain of future months like this. I understand that the scheduling is very complex, especially considering the Mets, Yanks, Cubs, White Sox are never in town on the same day, and other problems but I think the major leagues should try to set some standards in the month of April in the future.1) Obviously try to get as many games in at places that are either in warm weather or under a dome. This ensures that their won't be any snow outs or the even more ridiculous cold outs. Half the teams inthe AL fit the mold and almost half the teams in the NL fit the mold, these teams should have more home than road games the first month every year.
AL Dome Teams - Toronto, Tampa, Minnesota, Chicago, Seattle
AL Warm Weather Teams - LAA, Texas
NL Dome Teams - Milwaukee, Arizona, Houston
NL Warm Weather Teams - Atlanta, Florida, San Diego, LAD
San Fran and Oakland are not warm weather, but do not otften have snow or incredibly frigid cold.
2) Do not schedule a teams lone trip to an opponent in April. The Mariners were making one lone trip to Cleveland this year, all snowed out. There is plenty of time to schedule teams road trips in the last 5 months of the season, by scheduling them in the most dangerous month of the year you are taking a severe risk.
3) Schedule close to 2/3 of the games in April as divisional games. When Divisional games get snowed or rained out it's not nearly as big a deal. Each divsional team will make another two trips to their opponent, scheduling double headers later in the season or increasing a series by a game is not that big a deal, attempting to find a time when the Giants can play in Pittsburgh a big deal. Teams in cold weather parks should almost exclusively play divisional opponents the opening month.
Just taking these 3 simple steps should curtail many of the problems baseball will face the remainder of the season when attempting to make up all the canceled games.
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