It's April. It is 40 degrees. It is raining. It is the opening day of baseball. In Milwaukee, they have the retractable roof closed, and everyone is comfortable. Conversely, in Minneapolis, there is a rain delay, and at Wrigley, they have postponed the game due to bad weather.
This inclement weather continues for the next month, and there are rain delays and game postponements. When the weather is nice enough to play a game, it is still cold and nasty. Consequently, in the northern states, both the fans and players are miserable.
This is why they should start putting retractable roofs on new baseball stadiums. Obviously, you are not going to put a retractable roof on Wrigley Field, but they can start putting them on new stadiums that they are building.
Just look at the Milwaukee Brewers. When fans buy tickets to see them at Miller Park, they know that the game will not be cancelled. Furthermore, they know that they will be comfortable, because the retractable roof will be closed if the weather is bad.
In contrast, for outdoor stadiums, fans are taking a chance when they buy tickets to a game in April. It could be 60 degrees and sunny, or it could be 40 degrees and raining. Most likely, it will be the latter, and they will be cold and miserable when watching the game. Or the game could just be cancelled altogether. Yes, I know that they get the ticket to the rescheduled game, but what if they have to work that day? Then, they completely miss out on the game.
Moreover, the players don't want to play in these conditions. It is uncomfortable to them and increases their chances of getting injured. Furthermore, if the game gets cancelled, they then have to play double headers to make up those games or play them on one of their off days.
I'm not saying that we should put roofs on every new stadium. I'm just saying that cities above a certain latitude should put retractable roofs on new stadiums that they build. It would benefit both the fans and the players.
We have the technology to implement retractable roofs into our new stadiums. Why not use it?
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