What ever happened to the double header in Major League Baseball?
If you have a game snowed out in Cleveland or rained out in Pittsburgh, you’re likely to see a double header scheduled.
Otherwise, you’re going to notice the double header has gone the way of the dinosaur.
Why? The answer is simple: money.
Now that the average player makes well over $2 million annually, owners can’t afford to offer two games for the price of one. The best you’ll get, if you’re lucky, are two-for-one hot dogs once or twice a season.
In fact, instead of the double header, you’ll get what are called "premium" games. For the San Diego Padres, these games include opening night, weekends with the Los Angeles Dodgers or weekends with the Boston Red Sox.
Simply put, a premium game in San Diego means you will pay $7 more than normal for most tickets.
That being the case, why not have a "non-premium" game? Those could occur when teams such as the Washington Nationals (who come in next Monday-Wednesday) are in town.
If the price goes up for the Dodgers, it should go down for the Nationals. The anticipated crowds of 15,000 or so for the Washington games next week will speak loudly for the need of non-premium games, as well as premium games.
Will that ever happen? Chances for non-premium games are about as likely as ever seeing a double header on the original schedule for a Major League Baseball season.
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