If you hear about a doubleheader being played in today’s MLB betting schedule, it almost always as the result of a rainout the day before. However, there was a time when doubleheaders were commonly part of a team’s schedule, especially on such holidays as Memorial Day or Labor Day. However, now teams can only schedule one a year, and they generally don’t schedule any because they don’t want to have to lose the gate of the second game, as fans often stick around between games. Some teams, like the Boston Red Sox, schedule enough time between the games on the makeup doubleheaders to clear the stands and then have fans buy another ticket, but that generally has attendance even lower.
2015 MLB Betting: Should Doubleheaders Be Reinstated?
This equipment’s gettin’ a lotta use today! These six guys are playing two games. #doubleheader pic.twitter.com/WiKCYnCdOm
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 2, 2015
Sometimes, though, teams will schedule a doubleheader as part of a promotion. The prior Collective Bargaining Agreement actually kept teams from scheduling doubleheaders without the union’s permission and special circumstances. However, the new CBA allows one a year, and teams get to add a player for the day of the doubleheader. One example happened in 2013, when the Arizona Diamondbacks scheduled a Memorial Day doubleheader when the Texas Rangers were in town. The teams had an off day on Sunday and then played two on Monday, as the Diamondbacks had a special Memorial Day promotion. The Chicago Cubs scheduled a doubleheader on June 28, 2014, because June 29 was supposed to feature significant traffic with the Chicago Pride Parade.
