[3][4] Note that rainouts and other cancellations are often rescheduled ad hoc during the season, sometimes as doubleheaders.
However, if two teams are scheduled to meet for the final time in the last two weeks of the season, and the game is cancelled, it may not be rescheduled if there is no impact on the divisional or wild card races.
For example, in 2016, the September 29 game between the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers was originally cancelled due to rain.
In contrast, a 2008 AL Central division game between Detroit and the Chicago White Sox needed to be made up following the last day of the regular season because it played a part in the division race involving the White Sox and the Minnesota Twins.
From 1953 to 1981, Harry Simmons was responsible for devising the Major League Baseball schedule.
Henry and Holly Stephenson, a husband-and-wife team, were in charge of constructing the MLB calendar for over two decades (1981–2004).
For example, the National League (NL) scheduled 84 games during 1879, 1880, 1881, and 1882 – that is, four seasons from 1879, ending before 1883, the next listing.
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (1871–1875) did not schedule games, nor did it control the number of teams, a major reason for its demise after the 1875 season.
Clubs paid a $10 entry fee, later $20, to enter the Association for one season, and thereby declare for that year's national championship.
Without continuing membership or heavy investment, there was little to deter a team from breaking a commitment, and though it happened, it was mainly due to clubs going out of business.
Naturally, the leader by games played was always a strong club fielding one of the better gate attractions.
But in its first season in 1876, the new league followed its predecessor in merely agreeing that each club would play a certain number of matches to a decision (excluding ties) by a certain date.
The schedules for 1995 were revised and shortened from 162 to 144 games, after late resolution of the strike that had begun in 1994 required a delay in the season to accommodate limited spring training.
Since 1998, there have been 30 major league teams with a single advance schedule for every season that comprises 2430 games.
(This is true even on the rare occasion when a game is played at a ballpark not home to either team.)
Occasionally, the advance schedule is subsequently altered due to a game postponement or a one-game tie-breaker to determine which team will play in the postseason.
These interleague games were played from mid-to-late May to late June or early July.
Under the collective bargaining agreement reached in December 2016, several changes were made to the scheduling pattern for the 2018 season.
First pitch typically occurs between 5 and 10 minutes past the hour, in order to allow time for pre-game ceremonies.
Since 2021, MLB has implemented NFL-style flexible scheduling procedures for the final four weeks of each season for ESPN Sunday night and Fox Thursday or Saturday games on national television.
Washington Nationals home games played on the Fourth of July and Boston Red Sox home games played on the local Patriots' Day holiday start at 11 a.m. in order to coincide with the events of the two cities that are scheduled to take place on the two respective days.