Roof requirement for future MLB stadiums

[Big Z Man 1990]

Major League Baseball calls off games for weather-related reasons far more often than any other major sports league. This is because of the dirt infield.

A vast majority of current MLB stadiums are open air, though some, like Dodger Stadium aren't as prone to rainouts as others.

I aim for a future where rainouts are completely eliminated in MLB.

To accomplish this, the league would institute a new bylaw requiring new stadiums to be built with some sort of roof, with a retractable roof preferred so games can be played outdoors when the weather is nice.

Existing open-air stadiums would be grandfathered under the new rule.

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[oknazevad]

No.

 

[MNNumbers]

This is not a good idea. Retractable roofs come at the cost of 300M or more, depending on the rest of the stadium. Since there is less and less stomach in cities for paying the cost of stadia, then it follows that 300M comes out of the owner's pocket.

There is simply not a good way for said owner to recoup that money.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

As much as I think having all future stadiums have retractable roofs would be a good idea, I'm inclined to think that that's too prohibitive of a cost requirement to mandate.

 

[Mightygoose]

The A's stadium plan and any other prospective city (Montreal, Nashville.....not sure about Portland) would already be dead if this was required. They play enough games and frequent enough making up games have never been a serious problem.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

Roofs are more for fan comfort than they are for actual rain outs. When you look at which stadiums have them they tend to be in really hot (Arizona, Houston, Dallas, Miami) or really cold climates (Toronto, Milwaukee.) The only other city that has a retractable roof is Seattle, which is a temperate climate but a lot of rainy days.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

Well, if needed, MLB and all its teams could help fund new stadiums that have roofs.

After all, wanting to eliminate rainouts is going have to be a team effort.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

Plus, you could hold more events in a stadium with a roof than you could in one without a roof.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Major League Baseball calls off games for weather-related reasons far more often than any other major sports league. This is because of the dirt infield.

A vast majority of current MLB stadiums are open air, though some, like Dodger Stadium aren't as prone to rainouts as others.

I aim for a future where rainouts are completely eliminated in MLB.

To accomplish this, the league would institute a new bylaw requiring new stadiums to be built with some sort of roof, with a retractable roof preferred so games can be played outdoors when the weather is nice.

Existing open-air stadiums would be grandfathered under the new rule.

Good Lord no, just stop.

The whole point of baseball is being out in the fresh air and sunshine.

 

[LadyStanley]

Are you going to require astroturf or equivalent without no/retractable roof?

 

[ForsbergForever]

If the vulnerability of dirt infields to turning into mud due to rain necessitates hundreds of millions in complex engineering works, would it not be slightly cheaper to just grass sod over the whole field?

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

Plus, you could hold more events in a stadium with a roof than you could in one without a roof.

Like what? Concerts and stuff are held in outdoor stadiums too.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Like what? Concerts and stuff are held in outdoor stadiums too.

BOWLING!

Remembering the 2007 USBC Masters, a failed Miller Park tournament that changed the course of professional bowling

 

[93LEAFS]

I want the new Toronto stadium if built to be outdoors. The Skydome just feels soulless when closed. Granted I haven't been to any of the new retractable buildings.

 

[93LEAFS]

Like what? Concerts and stuff are held in outdoor stadiums too.

This is outside of Baseball, but building it with a roof essentially got Minnesota and Detroit Superbowls. Outside of NYC, they'll never go anywhere cold that is outdoors for that.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

This is outside of Baseball, but building it with a roof essentially got Minnesota and Detroit Superbowls. Outside of NYC, they'll never go anywhere cold that is outdoors for that.

Baseball stadiums aren't going to host Super Bowls, so I don't really know what your point is.

 

[WildGopher]

Roofs are more for fan comfort than they are for actual rain outs. When you look at which stadiums have them they tend to be in really hot (Arizona, Houston, Dallas, Miami) or really cold climates (Toronto, Milwaukee.) The only other city that has a retractable roof is Seattle, which is a temperate climate but a lot of rainy days.

Not sure if a roof is even needed in hot-weather cities, but places like Milwaukee aren't even very cold, so the $90 million management ripped off from the taxpayers so they could save a few rainout dates was almost criminal. Add to that the roof crane accident that killed three workers during construction of the new ballpark in Milwaukee in 1997. I've had it with owners' greed. They want to build these palaces to themselves, they can pay for it themselves.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Retractable roof ballparks look like crap IMO. Soulless and cavernous. Spending a summer day outside is a big part of baseball's appeal. I don't think rain delays are a big enough issue to warrant a solution which (1) costs billions to implement across the league (2) is aesthetically decidedly unpleasant.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

Not sure if a roof is even needed in hot-weather cities, but places like Milwaukee aren't even very cold, so the $90 million management ripped off from the taxpayers so they could save a few rainout dates was almost criminal. Add to that the roof crane accident that killed three workers during construction of the new ballpark in Milwaukee in 1997. I've had it with owners' greed. They want to build these palaces to themselves, they can pay for it themselves.

A roof actually makes sense in Milwaukee because the population of the state is spread out that you can get fans from further out. It makes less sense in a place like Minnesota where around two-thirds of the population is in Minneapolis/St. Paul.

 

[PCSPounder]

I wonder how many of you have been to Safeco, where the roof covers everything, but it’s not enclosed; you get the marine air flowing through. The roof “folds” to the east, so it never really obstructs the sun when open unless they’re crazy enough to play a morning game.

The rendering in Portland generally includes a roof, but is sometimes hidden when they try to show off the rest of the park. Still waiting for a whale investor and serious answers to questions about transportation to the preferred location.