Will they really be playing baseball on my birthday in 2009?

Watching game one of the World Series convinces me that the baseball season is way too long.


Tug McGraw's teammates included Pete Rose, Mike Schmidt, and Steve Carlton. The '80 Phillies were my introduction to baseball characters. Tug McGraw was an original, no doubt about it. He starred in the '80 World Series. At the time, I didn't know he had starred with the Mets a few years earlier. The 1980 World Series ended on October 21 when Tugger struck out Willie Wilson.

I think the baseball season should end about September 15, allowing the post season to be wrapped up by October 15, or so (at the latest). The season could start the Monday of the second week of April and finish by the Sunday of the week that includes September 15.

Without adding asterisks to every statistic in the game, you would have to keep 162 games on the baseball schedule. How could you do that? You could have each team play double headers on Saturdays in July and August — that would allow you about eight Saturdays to play 16 games. You would probably need teams to play two other scheduled double headers through the season.

"No way!" you say because "the owners want to make the money from playing all 162 games separately." Then, just charge for the day/night double header as the teams do on make–up double headers currently. I used to look forward to a Saturday double header at Tiger Stadium back in the '80s.

I'm not sure what other avenue to take but the fans look miserable, the players look cold, and the weather looks TERRIBLE. Baseball is meant to be played in the summer, with temperatures hovering around 75°.

(The last World Series game I attended, Oct. 22, 2006, the temperature in Detroit, Mich., was 34°.)