Next to an injured superstar, there are few things as costly to a major-league baseball team as a canceled game - except maybe two canceled games.
Wednesday's train wreck that tied up much of downtown Baltimore forced the postponement of a split doubleheader yesterday between the Orioles and Texas Rangers.
Schedulers for the teams and the league are scrambling to find makeup dates, to keep the games from being canceled. Among the Orioles' suggestions: a game the day after the season ends that would allow retiring third baseman Cal Ripken to finish his career at Camden Yards.
The team raised that possibility in regard to an earlier postponed game and was denied, casting doubts the request will be approved now.
The Orioles are planning to go ahead with tonight's game against the Anaheim Angels, scheduled for 7:05, the first of a four-game series, Orioles spokesman Bill Stetka said. A final decision will be made today by the fire department, which is cleaning up the wreckage of chemical cars in a tunnel that runs near the stadium.
"We're taking it day by day," Stetka said. The team is hoping to avoid more postponements.
The stakes are high: unique among the major-league sports, baseball teams derive nearly 80 percent of their money from the sale of tickets, concessions and other "local" revenue that is earned only when a game is played. An NFL team, by contrast, makes most of its money from network television fees that are distributed by the league.
The Orioles estimate they could lose $3 million in revenue if the two Rangers games are not made up. The Maryland Stadium Authority, too, stands to lose a share of its revenue.
Generally a missed game is added to the next series in which the visitors return to town. The game played Wednesday afternoon, for example, was a makeup of a May 26 rainout. But the Rangers aren't scheduled to return again this season.
Baseball rules permit the Orioles to make up the lost games at the Rangers' home field in Arlington, Texas, where the team is scheduled to visit next week. But the league tries to avoid swapping fields for both competitive and financial reasons. It would deny the Orioles a home-field advantage for the games as well as the money that would be made from tickets and concession sales.
"No team wants to lose their gate or home-field advantage. You want everybody to have their 81 home games," said Katy Feeney, vice president of scheduling and club relations for Major League Baseball in New York.
The home team keeps all of the money made on a game other than 20 percent of "net revenues" that are paid into a league fund for distribution back to the clubs, with the neediest clubs getting the most.
Yesterday, Feeney began searching for gaps in the two teams' schedules. Three open days overlap: Aug. 13 and 27, and Sept. 17. At least one of those days presents a travel problem for the Rangers, who would be forced to fly cross-country twice for the game.
Scheduling a makeup game requires consultation with the players union, whose contract prohibits more than 20 straight game days without the players' consent.
If no date can be found, and either team is in contention, a game can be added after the season's end, Feeney said. That's not likely to be a factor for either the Orioles or Rangers, both of whom are in fourth place.
Stetka said the team already tried to get the May rainout scheduled as a postseason game for Ripken's finale, but the league rejected the idea and it was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. The team has asked again, but isn't optimistic the league will approve because of the prior denial, Stetka said.
John Moag, managing partner of investment firm Legg Mason's sports industry practice, said, "You never, ever want to lose a game because it's hard, real cash that's being removed from the bottom line."
For the Orioles, the postponements come at a time of declining attendance. The team, although the fourth-best drawing club in baseball this season, is averaging about 37,000 fans per game, a 12 percent drop from last year.
"When you're getting hit with reduced attendance, the last thing you want is a lost game," Moag said.
NOTE: Fans with tickets to either of yesterday's games can hold them until a makeup date is announced or exchange them for available seats at any Monday-Thursday home games this season. Fans living 75 miles or farther from Camden Yards may request a refund by sending a letter, and the original tickets, via certified mail to the Orioles at 333 W. Camden St., Baltimore, Md. 21201. Send the letter to the attention of "July 18 [or 19] Postponement."
Wire reports contributed to this article.
Wednesday's train wreck that tied up much of downtown Baltimore forced the postponement of a split doubleheader yesterday between the Orioles and Texas Rangers.
Schedulers for the teams and the league are scrambling to find makeup dates, to keep the games from being canceled. Among the Orioles' suggestions: a game the day after the season ends that would allow retiring third baseman Cal Ripken to finish his career at Camden Yards.
The team raised that possibility in regard to an earlier postponed game and was denied, casting doubts the request will be approved now.
The Orioles are planning to go ahead with tonight's game against the Anaheim Angels, scheduled for 7:05, the first of a four-game series, Orioles spokesman Bill Stetka said. A final decision will be made today by the fire department, which is cleaning up the wreckage of chemical cars in a tunnel that runs near the stadium.
"We're taking it day by day," Stetka said. The team is hoping to avoid more postponements.
The stakes are high: unique among the major-league sports, baseball teams derive nearly 80 percent of their money from the sale of tickets, concessions and other "local" revenue that is earned only when a game is played. An NFL team, by contrast, makes most of its money from network television fees that are distributed by the league.
The Orioles estimate they could lose $3 million in revenue if the two Rangers games are not made up. The Maryland Stadium Authority, too, stands to lose a share of its revenue.
Generally a missed game is added to the next series in which the visitors return to town. The game played Wednesday afternoon, for example, was a makeup of a May 26 rainout. But the Rangers aren't scheduled to return again this season.
Baseball rules permit the Orioles to make up the lost games at the Rangers' home field in Arlington, Texas, where the team is scheduled to visit next week. But the league tries to avoid swapping fields for both competitive and financial reasons. It would deny the Orioles a home-field advantage for the games as well as the money that would be made from tickets and concession sales.
"No team wants to lose their gate or home-field advantage. You want everybody to have their 81 home games," said Katy Feeney, vice president of scheduling and club relations for Major League Baseball in New York.
The home team keeps all of the money made on a game other than 20 percent of "net revenues" that are paid into a league fund for distribution back to the clubs, with the neediest clubs getting the most.
Yesterday, Feeney began searching for gaps in the two teams' schedules. Three open days overlap: Aug. 13 and 27, and Sept. 17. At least one of those days presents a travel problem for the Rangers, who would be forced to fly cross-country twice for the game.
Scheduling a makeup game requires consultation with the players union, whose contract prohibits more than 20 straight game days without the players' consent.
If no date can be found, and either team is in contention, a game can be added after the season's end, Feeney said. That's not likely to be a factor for either the Orioles or Rangers, both of whom are in fourth place.
Stetka said the team already tried to get the May rainout scheduled as a postseason game for Ripken's finale, but the league rejected the idea and it was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. The team has asked again, but isn't optimistic the league will approve because of the prior denial, Stetka said.
John Moag, managing partner of investment firm Legg Mason's sports industry practice, said, "You never, ever want to lose a game because it's hard, real cash that's being removed from the bottom line."
For the Orioles, the postponements come at a time of declining attendance. The team, although the fourth-best drawing club in baseball this season, is averaging about 37,000 fans per game, a 12 percent drop from last year.
"When you're getting hit with reduced attendance, the last thing you want is a lost game," Moag said.
NOTE: Fans with tickets to either of yesterday's games can hold them until a makeup date is announced or exchange them for available seats at any Monday-Thursday home games this season. Fans living 75 miles or farther from Camden Yards may request a refund by sending a letter, and the original tickets, via certified mail to the Orioles at 333 W. Camden St., Baltimore, Md. 21201. Send the letter to the attention of "July 18 [or 19] Postponement."
Wire reports contributed to this article.
