Why Do Major League Baseball Games Always Begin at Odd Times?

For a while, fans of Major League Baseball have noticed that most games get started at the strangest times. So, what is the explanation why behind this?

If you are an avid baseball fan, you could have spotted that each Major League Baseball sport starts at an odd time. For example, the MLB postseason games set for Monday, Oct. 11, 2021, get started at 1:07 p.m., 7:07 p.m., and 9:37 p.m.

Why do the games get started at random times? Why aren't they following the usual of at the hour or half past the hour? Here's why.

Why do baseball games get started at odd times?

There are a number of causes why MLB games start at odd times, and most of them need to do with pregame rituals beginning at the highest of the hour.

These festivities include National Anthems (games in Toronto will have to perform two national anthems), the ceremonial first pitch, announcing starting lineups, recognizing a phenomenal fan, former/present player, or a veteran.

According to Baseball Scouter, many pregame rituals take place prior to the primary pitch of the sport. When discussing the long-standing National Anthem ritual, they write, "This pregame activity became popular during World War II as a way of honoring folks ... serving in the military."

The ceremonial first pitch is thrown by way of someone the home group selects as their honorary visitor of the night time. More often than not, the guest is a former participant, a celeb, a veteran, or a fan who has considerably contributed to their group. Baseball Scouter writes that "William Howard Taft started this tradition way back in 1910 when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch to celebrate Opening Day for the Washington Senators."

Also, sooner than the beginning of the sport and the first pitch, the PA announcer pumps up the fans and informs them of who's playing by announcing the starting lineups. Typically, the player introductions are shown at the video forums and takes up about five minutes of the pregame celebrations.

Television broadcasting contracts also count for baseball sport delays.

Besides pregame rituals, television declares of MLB games give a contribution to odd start times.

Sports Fans Focus writes that television announces have the benefit of abnormal get started times. With pregame activities starting at the top of the hour, it "provides television broadcasts 5-10 minutes to do a game introduction and get in a commercial break before first pitch."

That fast advent and intensive industrial damage can prove extremely treasured for some television networks, as it attracts the gang in for the start of the game. Most of the viewership dies out later in the sport, so if delaying a matchup to a strange time is needed to garner a prime target market count, then TV channels are in the back of that call.

Does in-person attendance play a component in MLB odd starting times?

Once again, Sports Fan Focus seems to assume it does. This time, the e-newsletter states, "Another reason baseball games may start at weird times like 7:05 or 7:08 is to help accommodate the after-work crowd that is trying to get to the stadium."

The majority of MLB games play on weeknights, this means that a vast majority of the fanatics in attendance want to leave paintings and rush to get to the game on time.

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