In an effort to make the game a better experience for fans, Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association are reportedly discussing a change that would make batting practice more fan-friendly.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, talks center around the home team and road team flip-flopping batting practice times. That means the road team would take batting practice first and the home team second.
Sherman explains:
By having the home team hit later, the hope is that more fans would come early to the ballpark to watch, which in turn could increase concession stand sales plus help with flow of spectators coming into a park.
The benefit for the players, in theory, would be that for 81 games they could stay a little longer at home with family before having to travel to the stadium. However, it would mean visiting players would be in clubhouses longer and, in general, the amenities in a visiting clubhouse are not nearly as good as at home.
Gates open two hours before first pitch at most ballparks. Some open a little earlier and some open a little later. The home team traditionally takes batting practice at 4:40 p.m. for a 7 p.m. game, which means by time the gates open and fans get through security and to their seats, the home team is almost done with batting practice. The road team then takes BP at 5:40 p.m. Fans can see that one in its entirety.
While it’s fun to see a top power hitter like Giancarlo Stanton come through town, most folks at the ballpark want to see the home team take batting practice, not the visitors. Making the home team take batting practice second would be wonderful for fans and maybe a little inconvenient to the visiting team, though the trade-off would be getting to spend a little more time with family before home games.
MLB and the union are still discussing this proposal and have not finalized any plans, reports Sherman. If the two sides do decide to make the change, bet on it happened before Opening Day. They won’t want to change the pregame routine in the middle of the season.
