Royals release game times for 2017 schedule, do away with 6:15 weeknight starts
The Royals’ one-year experiment with earlier start times for weekday games in April and September is over, the club revealed on Thursday.
In an afternoon announcement, the club released start times for every game on the 2017 schedule, including the traditional first pitch time of 7:15 p.m. for most Monday-Friday games. In addition, home Saturday games will continue to start at 6:15 p.m. while Sunday games will begin at 1:15 p.m. in most cases.
The Royals used a 6:15 p.m. start time for weekday games in April and September last season, hoping to draw more families. But the move proved largely unpopular with fans who struggled to arrive on time after work.
There are some exceptions. The Royals will open their home schedule against the Oakland A’s at 3:15 p.m. April 10 at Kauffman Stadium. And a Monday home game on May 29 against the Detroit Tigers is set for 6:15 p.m.
In addition, the Royals announced four weekday afternoon games, all of which will begin at 1:15. Those games: Thursday, May 4 against the Chicago White Sox; Wednesday, June 21 against Boston; Thursday, August 24 against Colorado; and Wednesday, September 13 against the White Sox.
The are also exceptions for a collection of weekend games. Four Saturday games will start earlier: May 6 against Cleveland (3:15 p.m.); June 3 against Cleveland (1:15 p.m.), June 24 agasinst Toronto (1:15 p.m.) and July 1 against Minnesota (1:15 p.m.). The regular-season finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, Oct. 1 will begin at 2:15 p.m.
Rustin Dodd: 816-234-4937, @rustindodd. Download True Blue, The Star’s free Royals app.
Royals 2017 schedule
All times Central and p.m. and subject to change
Home games at Kauffman Stadium
TV information will be released at a later date
APRIL
3 at Minnesota 3:10
5 at Minnesota 12:10
6 at Minnesota 12:10
7 at Houston 7:10
8 at Houston 6:10
9 at Houston 1:10
10 Oakland 3:15 (home opener)
12 Oakland 7:15
13 Oakland 7:15
14 Los Angeles Angels 7:15
15 Los Angeles Angels 6:15
16 Los Angeles Angels 1:15
18 San Francisco 7:15
19 San Francisco 7:15
20 at Texas 7:05
21 at Texas 7:05
22 at Texas 7:05
23 at Texas 2:05
24 at Chicago White Sox 7:10
25 at Chicago White Sox 7:10
26 at Chicago White Sox 1:10
28 Minnesota 7:15
29 Minnesota 6:15
30 Minnesota 1:15
MAY
1 Chicago White Sox 7:15
2 Chicago White Sox 7:15
3 Chicago White Sox 7:15
4 Chicago White Sox 1:15
5 Cleveland 7:15
6 Cleveland 3:15
7 Cleveland 1:15
8 at Tampa Bay 6:10
9 at Tampa Bay 6:10
10 at Tampa Bay 6:10
11 at Tampa Bay 12:10
12 Baltimore 7:15
13 Baltimore 6:15
14 Baltimore 1:15
16 New York Yankees 7:15
17 New York Yankees 7:15
18 New York Yankees 7:15
19 at Minnesota 7:10
20 at Minnesota 1:10
21 at Minnesota 1:10
22 at New York Yankees 6:05
23 at New York Yankees 6:05
24 at New York Yankees 6:05
25 at New York Yankees 12:05
26 at Cleveland 6:10
27 at Cleveland 3:10
28 at Cleveland 12:10
29 Detroit 6:15
30 Detroit 7:15
31 Detroit 7:15
JUNE
2 Cleveland 7:15
3 Cleveland 1:15
4 Cleveland 1:15
5 Houston 7:15
6 Houston 7:15
7 Houston 7:15
8 Houston 7:15
9 at San Diego 9:10
10 at San Diego 3:10
11 at San Diego 3:40
13 at San Francisco 9:15
14 at San Francisco 2:45
15 at Los Angeles Angels 9:07
16 at Los Angeles Angels 9:07
17 at Los Angeles Angels 7:15
18 at Los Angeles Angels 2:37
19 Boston 7:15
20 Boston 7:15
21 Boston 1:15
23 Toronto 7:15
24 Toronto 1:15
25 Toronto 1:15
27 at Detroit 6:10
28 at Detroit 6:10
29 at Detroit 12:10
30 Minnesota 7:15
JULY
1 Minnesota 1:15
2 Minnesota 1:15
3 at Seattle 9:10
4 at Seattle 5:40
5 at Seattle 9:10
7 at Los Angeles Dodgers 9:10
8 at Los Angeles Dodgers 6:15
9 at Los Angeles Dodgers 3:10
11 All-Star Game in Miami
14 Texas 7:15
15 Texas 6:15
16 Texas 1:15
17 Detroit 7:15
18 Detroit 7:15
19 Detroit 7:15
20 Detroit 7:15
21 Chicago White Sox 7:15
22 Chicago White Sox 6:15
23 Chicago White Sox 1:15
24 at Detroit 6:10
25 at Detroit 6:10
26 at Detroit 6:10
28 at Boston 6:10
29 at Boston 6:10
30 at Boston TBD
31 at Baltimore 6:05
AUGUST
1 at Baltimore 6:05
2 at Baltimore 6:05
3 Seattle 7:15
4 Seattle 7:15
5 Seattle 6:15
6 Seattle 1:15
7 St. Louis 7:15
8 St. Louis 7:15
9 at St. Louis 7:15
10 at St. Louis 6:15
11 at Chicago White Sox 7:10
12 at Chicago White Sox 6:10
13 at Chicago White Sox 1:10
14 at Oakland 9:07
15 at Oakland 9:07
16 at Oakland 2:37
18 Cleveland 7:15
19 Cleveland 6:15
20 Cleveland 1:15
22 Colorado 7:15
23 Colorado 7:15
24 Colorado 1:15
25 at Cleveland 6:10
26 at Cleveland 6:10
27 at Cleveland 12:10
28 Tampa Bay 7:15
29 Tampa Bay 7:15
30 Tampa Bay 7:15
SEPTEMBER
1 at Minnesota 7:10
2 at Minnesota 6:10
3 at Minnesota 1:10
4 at Detroit 12:10
5 at Detroit 6:10
6 at Detroit 6:10
7 Minnesota 7:15
8 Minnesota 7:15
9 Minnesota 6:15
10 Minnesota 1:15
11 Chicago White Sox 7:15
12 Chicago White Sox 7:15
13 Chicago White Sox 1:15
14 at Cleveland 6:10
15 at Cleveland 6:10
16 at Cleveland 6:10
17 at Cleveland 12:10
19 at Toronto 6:07
20 at Toronto 6:07
21 at Toronto 6:07
22 at Chicago White Sox 7:10
23 at Chicago White Sox 6:10
24 at Chicago White Sox 1:10
26 Detroit 7:15
27 Detroit 7:15
28 Detroit 7:15
29 Arizona 7:15
30 Arizona 6:15
OCTOBER
1 Arizona 2:15
This story was originally published January 19, 2017 at 12:26 PM with the headline "Royals release game times for 2017 schedule, do away with 6:15 weeknight starts."