Since MLB wants to play just 50 games, brevity seems the order of the day. (That and wanting to pay the players as little as possible.)
With that in mind, I propose that MLB play tripleheaders. The whole regular season could be done in 17 days. (Note to MLB: Pay the players by the day, not by the game.)
Only three tripleheaders have been played in MLB’s history. The last (and only one to admit fans for all three games via one admission) was hosted by the Pirates at Forbes Field on Oct. 2, 1920. Cincinnati was the visitor.
The Pirates had a slim chance to catch the Reds for third place in the National League. The top three in each league got a share of World Series receipts. The Pirates had four games left, but rain intervened and left the Pirates with more games than dates.
So, Pirates president Barney Dreyfuss cajoled the NL into letting the Pirates (and forcing the Reds to) play a trip, trip, tripleheader.
The first game started at noon. The Reds won 13-4 in two hours and three minutes. The Reds won the second game 7-3 in 1:56. The Pirates won the finale 6-0. It was called after six innings (and 1:01) because of darkness.
That’s three major-league baseball games played in exactly five hours. These days, five hours doesn’t always get you through seven innings.
For more on MLB’s last-ever tripleheader, click HERE.
Current Pirates owner Bob Nutting would never do this. He wouldn’t give away three games for the price of one.
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