“The MLB season is too long” is something usually said by casual baseball fans or those that don’t appreciate the grind of a 162-game schedule, but it’s now something one of the sport’s top first basemen agrees with.
Chicago Cubs star Anthony Rizzo told ESPN 1000 Tuesday he thinks he and his MLB peers “play too much baseball.”
Hypothetically, a slightly shorter season would mean slightly smaller paycheques for the players, but it’s something Rizzo would be willing to accept.
“Yes, guys are going to take pay cuts. But are we playing this game for the money or do we love this game?” Rizzo said. “I know it’s both, but in the long run it will make everything better. … Once you start taking money from guys, that’s where it’s going to be a little more dicey.”
Rizzo, who was activated from the 10-day disabled list Tuesday after dealing with lower back tightness, admitted playing in cold weather early in the season is a contributing factor as well.
Several games scheduled to take place on the east coast of North America have already been postponed due to inclement wintery weather
“In a perfect world, we’d start the season later and play a few scheduled doubleheaders going into an off day,” Rizzo added. “As a fan you’re going to a baseball game in April, and it’s raining, snowing and [with] freezing rain. Is it really that much fun? That’s my question.”
The current 162-game regular-season format has been the norm for the American League since 1961 and National League since 1962.
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