Why was the Cubs' game against the Red Sox moved to Friday?

The league brought the fixture forward from Sunday because of a poor weather forecast for the weekend.

What did Craig Counsell say about the schedule change?

The Cubs manager described the rearrangement as a disadvantage for his team, but he has not set out publicly which parts of it he objects to.

Do the Red Sox also play on Friday now?

Yes. The change applies to the fixture, so both clubs play on the new date; Counsell's argument is about how the switch lands on his own team.

Have the Cubs or Red Sox said how the change affects their plans?

Neither club has explained how the earlier date alters its pitching, travel or roster planning for the weekend.

Baseball

Cubs manager Craig Counsell says Red Sox game moved to Friday disadvantages his team

The league brought Sunday's contest forward because of a poor weather forecast, and the Chicago manager has framed the change as a cost to his club rather than a neutral one.

By Sportsback1h ago

Roger DeWitt · CC BY 2.0

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell is reported to have said his team is at a disadvantage after the league moved Sunday's game against the Boston Red Sox to Friday. The switch was made because of a poor weather forecast, and it pulls the contest forward by two days.

What Counsell has made clear is that he sees the rearrangement as working against his club. What he has not made clear, at least in public, is exactly what the Cubs lose by it.

What has been confirmed

500 West Madison during the Cubs 2016 World Series run

The bare facts are narrow. The Cubs were due to face the Red Sox on Sunday; that game will now be played on Friday. The reason given for the change was the weekend weather forecast.

A schedule change applies to the fixture, not to one side of it. Both clubs play on the new date, and both must rework whatever the original Sunday slot had allowed them. Counsell's complaint, as reported, concerns how the change lands on the Cubs, and he has not said publicly why he believes his team is worse affected than Boston.

Why the timing of a game matters

Analysis: moving a game forward two days compresses the planning a manager does around it. Pitching rotations, bullpen availability, travel and preparation are the usual pressure points when a date shifts, and a manager who believes the switch has fallen unfairly will want his position stated before the first pitch rather than after it. None of that means the Cubs are in difficulty; it means Counsell has chosen to define the terms on which the weekend will be judged.

What is not yet known

Which specific elements of the rearrangement Counsell regards as the disadvantage.
Whether the Cubs asked the league for a different arrangement before the game was moved.
Whether Boston raised any objection to playing on Friday instead of Sunday.
How the new date alters pitching plans for either club.
Whether the league weighed any alternative to Friday.

What happens next

The Cubs and the Red Sox now meet on Friday. Beyond the forecast, the league has given no account of how the decision was reached, and whatever Counsell told his players about the change has stayed inside the clubhouse.

For Counsell, stating his case beforehand puts the conditions on record before the result is known. What remains unexplained is what that disadvantage amounts to once the game is under way.

Frequently asked questions

Why was the Cubs' game against the Red Sox moved to Friday?: The league brought the fixture forward from Sunday because of a poor weather forecast for the weekend.
What did Craig Counsell say about the schedule change?: The Cubs manager described the rearrangement as a disadvantage for his team, but he has not set out publicly which parts of it he objects to.
Do the Red Sox also play on Friday now?: Yes. The change applies to the fixture, so both clubs play on the new date; Counsell's argument is about how the switch lands on his own team.
Have the Cubs or Red Sox said how the change affects their plans?: Neither club has explained how the earlier date alters its pitching, travel or roster planning for the weekend.