Angels players already are losing sleep over their exhaustive upcoming travel plans.
MLB teams usually play an afternoon game on a getaway day before flying to or from the West Coast, especially if there is no day off between games, but the Angels are scheduled for an evening game Thursday against the Pirates in Anaheim before flying to Minnesota for the start of a three-game road series the following night.
And their players clearly are frustrated by the inconvenient scheduling.
“It’s not ideal for sure,” Mike Trout told the Athletic. “I don’t know when we’re supposed to land, but it’s going to be early [Friday morning]. And we’ve got to play that night. And the worst part about it is, the next day is a day game.”
Rather than schedule an afternoon game, the team elected to have first pitch for Thursday’s contest at Angel Stadium set for 6:29 p.m., the latest allowable starting time according to baseball’s collective bargaining agreement. Teams typically draw bigger crowds for night games on weeknights.
“I don’t think it’s healthy for anybody,” Angels closer Kenley Jansen said. “To finish playing a night game like that, get in [to Minnesota] at six in the morning. Then you’ve got a 7 o’clock game, and the next couple days you have 1 o’clock games. It’s definitely not fair.
“I think if the league is smart enough. I don’t know whose hand should be involved in this — if it should be the commissioner or not. But they should look into it… The only way we can fix it is through our next CBA.”
The Pirates will remain in Southern California to face the Dodgers over the weekend, so Thursday’s start time only is an inconvenience for the Angels.
“I don’t think it should be allowed, to be honest,” Angels outfielder Taylor Ward said. “I think there definitely should be rules in place to prevent that. Because it’s kind of crazy.”
Angels president John Carpino and owner Arte Moreno declined comment for the report, and manager Ron Washington said he didn’t know the reason for the late start time.
“My thoughts don’t matter,” Washington said. “It’s on the schedule. And just following the schedule. Hopefully, we make it through that day and become winners.
“I don’t have one say-so about the schedule. … I think you need to talk to the people that make the game times, because I don’t want to step on anybody’s toes.”
The Angels also learned this week that Friday’s game in Minneapolis has been moved up from 7:10 p.m. to 6:40 p.m. to help alleviate expected downtown traffic due to the Lakers-Timberwolves playoff game.
