Foul ball: MLB schedules opening day for Good Friday — UPDATED

A reader alerted me to this and called it “the most stupid marketing decision by anyone!”

Details:

Opening Day for the Cincinnati Reds will move to Friday in 2012, with an April 6 game against the Miami Marlins at Great American Ball Park.

Major League Baseball released the Reds’ 2012 schedule today. Click here to download a PDF.

For years, Opening Day for the Reds was held on a Monday. The 2011 season was the first year the season opened with the traditional Opening Day parade on a Thursday.

“The Reds already are working with the Findlay Market Parade organizers on Opening Day 2012,” said Reds Chief Operating Officer Phil Castellini. “No fans look forward to the start of baseball season more than ours.”

Think any of the fans are Catholic, Mr. Castellini?  Think this will make much of a difference to them?

Just wondering.

UPDATE: A reader left the following story in the combox:

City councilman Wendell Young says the decision by MLB to schedule Opening Day on Good Friday is a “slap in the face.” He says he is incensed and it’s clear that no one in New York looked at a calendar or bothered to consult the Reds before scheduling Opening Day for April 6th.

Young helped make Opening Day an unofficial holiday for the city after efforts to have people vote on the measure failed. Young says he doubts anything can be done at the local level to change the date, but hopes MLB will reconsider.

Original story:

Vendors at Findlay Market are already saying there will not be a parade. They are upset that they were not consulted by Major League Baseball on the decision to start the Reds season on Friday April 6th. That is Good Friday and one of the busiest days at the market all year not to mention one of the most solemn days in heavily Catholic Cincinnati.

The decision was not made by the Reds who have not commented yet on having the home opener on Good Friday. When the Reds were ordered by baseball several years ago to open up on Easter night then owner Marge Schott told fans to treat it like an exhibition and the game drew the smallest crowd at Riverfront Stadium in Opening Day history.