PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Phillies are going to try something new in the 2022 season.
Seventeen home games will start at 6:45 p.m. — 20 minutes earlier than the traditional 7:05 start time that’s been the norm for the past 30 years.
The new times will take place during Monday through Thursday games in April, May and September of next year. Based on fan feedback, the organization decided 17 games out of 81, during that span, would be a good time for a test run.
John Weber, Phillies senior vice president of ticket operations and projects, said several reasons led to the change. For one, about half of MLB teams are now starting their games earlier than the traditional 7:05, he said.
Another pro is school nights — starting 20 minutes earlier makes it easier for families with kids to attend games.
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Whether people have school or work the next day, Weber said they wanted to give everyone an opportunity to get home a smidge earlier — even if baseball games don’t have technically clocks.
Factor in commuters, though, and visitors may have to face rush-hour traffic longer or leave home earlier to get to the ballpark.
“We did consider that,” Weber said. “That’s why we only moved the 17 games that we did. That’s why we picked 6:45. If you get in your car by 6, 6:05, hopefully things won’t be as bad. And obviously, we do have a lot of people that take public transportation as well.
“And if you miss a few minutes in the front end, just stay to the end,” he added. “Hopefully you’ll be able to see three hours of baseball.”
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Weber said they would consider making 6:45 more frequent if fans enjoy it.
Although the 7:05 start time has stood resolute for decades, this is not the first time the team has tried shifting starts. Most recently, Sunday afternoon home games moved back from 1:35 to 1:05 p.m. first pitches. There were a number of 6:05 games on Saturdays this past season, too.
In 1997, the organization did a similar trial. It tried some games at the 7:05 slot, though most games, at the time, began at 7:35. Four years later, Weber said, most of them became 7:05 games.
“It’s just a series of adjustments as you try to engage your fans as much as possible,” he added.