{"id":649775,"date":"2026-03-29T03:12:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T03:12:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/649775\/"},"modified":"2026-03-29T03:12:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T03:12:14","slug":"tim-kurkjian-calls-for-mlb-opening-day-to-be-same-for-every-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/649775\/","title":{"rendered":"Tim Kurkjian calls for MLB Opening Day to be same for every team"},"content":{"rendered":"

MLB \u201cOpening Day\u201d has turned into a bit of a mess in recent years. With the emergence of streamers in the live-sports space and the fragmentation of media rights,<\/a> we\u2019ve come a long way from the tradition of the Cincinnati Reds\u2019 Opening Day Parade starting the season.<\/p>\n

This year, the season started with Netflix broadcasting the New York Yankees-San Francisco Giants game<\/a> on Wednesday night for its first-ever MLB game. 22 other teams opened play on Thursday, with NBC debuting its new hybrid national-local broadcast model<\/a> amid local broadcasts.<\/p>\n

The rest of the league didn\u2019t open play until Friday, when local broadcasts aired alongside Apple TV\u2019<\/a>s streaming of the Houston Astros-Los Angeles Angels game.<\/p>\n

ESPN analyst Tim Kurkjian laments how tradition has been thrown to the wayside and offers a humble suggestion.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I had my way, all the teams would play on the same first Opening Day,\u201d Kurkjian said in an appearance on the Foul Territory podcast. \u201cI thought it was really cool that the baseball season always kicked off with the parade in Cincinnati. Every first pitch that was thrown for years and years and years was thrown in Cincinnati.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd look, I understand this is all about money, this is about networks, this is about growing the game. I get it. But I think it\u2019s always right that all the teams play the first day\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cThe season really opens on Wednesday, and the defending American League champion Blue Jays don\u2019t play until Friday. That\u2019s just kind of odd to me. But there are a lot of odd things. I\u2019m willing to go along with it. But if I had my way, all the teams would play on the same first Opening Day, and it would all start with a parade in Cincinnati.\u201d<\/p>\n

What happened to tradition? \ud83e\udee4<\/p>\n

Tim Kurkjian wants to see every team play on the same Opening Day. pic.twitter.com\/RLOWujmZ9S<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

As much as people may yearn for a true \u201cOpening Day,\u201d it\u2019s unlikely to go back to the way things were. Media deals have become the lifeblood of professional sports, and every team competing on Opening Day would mean less exclusivity for networks and streamers who want to stand out and showcase themselves.<\/p>\n

However, it\u2019s not unfeasible to think of meeting fans in the middle, with the first pitch of the season occurring exclusively in Cincinnati once more.<\/p>\n

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