Friday, September 15 Hart: 3-team doubleheader unfair to Indians, fans By Jayson Stark ESPN.com |
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A doubleheader against two different teams?
That bizarre option has been talked about involving the Cleveland Indians on Sept. 25, thanks to their rained-out game with the Chicago White Sox last Sunday.
Under the plan being discussed by the commissioner's office, the players' union and the clubs involved, the Indians would play a noon ET game against the White Sox that day at Jacobs Field. Then at 7 p.m., the Indians would play their scheduled game with Minnesota.
That's the plan, anyway. But it's not a plan the Indians are thrilled about going along with.
"We made it clear we're not in favor of that," said Indians general manager John Hart. "We'll do it if we're told to do it. But the union has to approve it. And they asked us our opinion, so we gave our opinion." Hart said he felt it was unfair to his club, which would be coming off a "grueling" 10-day, 12-game road trip with two earlier day-nighters in Boston, to have yet another doubleheader added to the schedule. And he said it would be unfair to fans who held tickets to what was supposed to be a Sunday afternoon game, forcing them instead to make plans on short notice to attend a Monday afternoon game.
"So our perspective is, it doesn't make sense for us," Hart said. "If that game counts, if that game has to be made up, we prefer to play it the day after the season."
Ordinarily, rained-out games of this sort are made up after the season only if necessary. But Katy Feeney, MLB's vice president for club relations and scheduling, said this game might be different because it involves potential complications in both the wild-card race and the race for home-field advantage throughout the American League playoffs. That's determined by the best record in the league. And the White Sox held a two-game lead on the Yankees in that race going into play Thursday.
A game Monday also could push back the start of the two American League playoff series, both of which are scheduled to start on Tuesday, Oct. 3. So because of all those other factors, Feeney said, the commissioner's office was "looking into ways to make that game up prior to the end of the season." But given the Indians' opposition, it's now unlikely that will happen. Jayson Stark is a senior writer for ESPN.com. |
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