Sept. 09--The Cubs are considering cutting back their 3:05 p.m. starting times for Friday home games at Wrigley Field after manager Joe Maddon voiced his concerns.
Maddon recently spoke to business operations president Crane Kenney and baseball operations president Theo Epstein in hopes to going back to 1:20 p.m. starts in 2016.
The 2016 schedule was released but game times have yet to be announced.
"Obviously this is just the preliminary schedule that goes out," Cubs spokesman Julian Green said. "So there's usually some time before the version goes out with the times, typically after the season. So we've got time."
The Cubs went back to the late-afternoon starts on Fridays in 2014 after many fans said they preferred them. They were popular in the 1980s before lights were installed, marketed as the "businessman's special."
But Maddon said Cubs' players are at a disadvantage when they go from a 1:20 p.m. start to a 3:05 p.m. start to a 7:05 p.m. start on consecutive days because it affects their preparation and routines.
As much as some fans like the 3:05 p.m. starts, Maddon is likely to get his way.
"The premise of this was for fans who liked the prospect of 3 o'clock games, saying 'I can work a half day,' vs. working the morning and leaving," Green said. "The goal was to drive attendance for the Friday games. But given that there were concerns raised by our manager, we we're going to give deference to the team and the players, because we want to be helpful at the end of the day.
"Given that it was raised, it's something we're currently reviewing and plan to address. But there are no immediate deadlines."
The Saturday games are often scheduled at 3 p.m. due to the national broadcasts for Fox-TV.
"We don't have control over the nationally televised games, but the Friday games we do have influence, and we want to work with (Maddon) and the players," Green said.
