Originally Posted by
BmillsSkier
MLB season started this morning in Tokyo which is great for the Dodgers and global superstar Ohtani.
It is not great, however, for MLB.
How many people could tell you that the season started 13 time zones ahead of the east coast this morning? Even die hard fans would probably tell you that the season starts a week from now.
The season used to officially start with the Cincinnati Reds and not a game before. Now the Reds still get to always open at home, but the tradition of the oldest team in baseball kicking off the season went away a while ago. The Reds provide MLB a glaring example of how you should do Opening Day right - its a regional holiday with people taking thier kids out of school, a parade that winds through downtown, and a block party all around the stadium - you know when baseball is back if you're in Cincinnati.
The rest of America? Not so much.
East coast and midwest teams having Game 1 first pitches across the counrty at 10pm sucks. Opening up the season in another country, or on the road in minor league parks, and other gimicks sucks. Every other pro sports league has figured out how to make the start of their season a date that is circled on the calendar and must see TV, why then, does MLB refuse to figure out what used to be known as the unofficial start of summer?
Look, I like games in Tokyo, and the DR, and anywhere else you can grow the game internationally, just don't do it on Opening Day.
Besides, can you even call it Opening Day if there's no bunting (the decorative kind)? We used to be a proper country.