It’s could have been a very strange afternoon in Major League Baseball on Monday, but scheduling will prevent that. There could have been as many as six games set to take place during the solar eclipse — but instead it will be a blip on the radar for all but five of them.
Why the MLB won’t be impacted by the solar eclipse (outside of Cleveland)
Scheduling means we won’t get any dramatic night shots in the middle of the day.
Photo by Adam Gray/Getty Images
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Whether you plan to watch through a pinhole in a box, use some eclipse glasses, or simply stare at the sun like an absolute moron (please don’t stare at the sun), here’s what you need to know about MLB and the solar eclipse on Monday.
The eclipse itself is set to occur in the United States between 1:23 p.m. ET and 4:40 p.m. ET. Texas will be the first state to experience the phenomenon, and Maine the last with a narrow band of the country being in “totality,” where the moon will fully block the sun — while the majority of the midwest and east coast will see a partial eclipse. This map from NASA shows the movement.
Now, when it comes to Major League Baseball we could have seen several major games happen during the eclipse — including two in totality. Astros vs. Rangers in Arlington will happen in the total eclipse path, but first pitch isn’t scheduled until 8:05 p.m. ET, well after the event.
The same can be said for Marlins vs. Yankees, Tigers vs. Pirates, Brewers vs. Reds and Mariners vs. Blue Jays. In fact, because of the later scheduling on Monday there’s only one game set to really be impacted by the eclipse in any way: White Sox vs. Guardians.
Cleveland is in the path of totality, and the main disruption will occur because of events before the game. The Guardians are opening gates at 2 p.m. ET, to allow for fans to watch the eclipse inside Progressive Field. However, those who don’t attend early could see substantial traffic delays in the city as a result of the eclipse.
The city is already being warned of massive traffic jams set to occur due to people pulling over to witness the totality, with substantial warnings being given to the public about traffic accidents which could occur due to distracted driving during the event.
White Sox vs. Guardians is set to begin at 5:10 p.m. ET, just 41 minutes after the final part of the partial eclipse ends. The Guardians are hoping fans turn up early, but those who decide to go to the game late-minute could be significantly delayed.
Sadly we won’t get a darkened inning or a game occurring during the eclipse. On the one hand I understand why MLB didn’t want this, but we were also robbed of something special.
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