Around professional baseball Tuesday, there were earlier games in some cases and fewer games in others.
The Mets, with the agreement of the Diamondbacks who they defeated 4-3 in 10 innings, moved their game from 7:10 p.m. to 4:10 p.m. so they could begin play with temperatures in the low 50s.
Similar alterations were made in Cleveland and Chicago. In the Mets farm system, games involving Triple-A Syracuse (which had been set to play in Buffalo) and Double-A Binghamton (which was set to host) were postponed due to the chill and the expected heavy winds.
The Yankees, meanwhile — roughly 6 miles away from Citi Field — decided to continue with their 7:05 p.m. start as planned and they battled through the cold night for a 5-3 comeback win over the A’s.
A source said the Yankees met Monday and discussed the possibility of tinkering with the game time and decided against it.
The game-time temperature in The Bronx was in the low 40s, and “this is not the first or last time” an early season baseball game in the Northeast will be played in such cold, the source said. The temperatures fell into the mid-30s later in the windy night.
If the Yankees postponed or altered the time of an early April contest, they reasoned, the case could be made that plenty of games early (or late) in the season would be subject to change. This cold, they believe, is not extreme enough to warrant action.
“It’s going to be cold here the next couple days, whatever time we play,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who was part of the discussions. “So we’ll be ready for that. … Everyone’s got to deal with it. It’s about the players, both sides got to deal with it.”
Boone’s former bench coach, Carlos Mendoza, appreciated the earlier start in the other borough.
“It’s going to be pretty cold later on today and windy. That’s one thing here in Citi Field — the wind plays a big factor,” the Mets manager said. “Players’ health. They’re looking out for our fans, too.”
For fans who had already purchased tickets for games Tuesday or Wednesday (whose start time the Mets also moved up), the Mets said they would honor the tickets and provide an additional voucher for a future game. The club also offered a limited number of complimentary tickets for Tuesday and Wednesday, understanding there would be plenty of empty seats.
In acting generously with the tickets and moving the games into late-afternoon first pitches on weekdays, the Mets are not maximizing their profit.
This move reflects that Steve Cohen is the richest owner in the sport and probably does not notice if he earns the absolute highest return on a Tuesday game in April.
“We can appreciate that,” one Mets player said.
Mets players were not polled regarding whether they wanted the earlier start times and simply received a text informing them of the changes Monday.
Mets and Diamondbacks officials had discussed the possibility of adjusting the times as early as Saturday.
“I think it was done for the right reasons,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “And it is awkward, a little bit, to change the game time this late in the game, but overall I think it’s for the right reasons.”
— Additional reporting by Greg Joyce
