Double the fun?

Double the fun?

We asked players, managers and broadcasters on both sides of town if bringing back the scheduled doubleheader would be a good idea to give players more off days or to help shorten the season. We're talking about the traditional doubleheader, with games played back-to-back. One game starts around 12:20 p.m., the next starts 30 minutes after the first game ends. Their responses:

Thumb's down

Jon Lester, 32-year-old Cubs starting pitcher

Career starts: 308

"No. Too many things can happen as far as your pitching. … It's not like back in the day where the starters threw 160 pitches no matter what. … I don't think the doubleheader move would work if they're trying to shorten the schedule. I don't know; I don't like it. Like I said, something happens in the first game - your starting pitcher goes down, your bullpen has to eat 9 innings and now you're (hosed) for the second game plus the next three or four days."

Steve Stone, 69-year-old White Sox broadcaster and former Cy Young-winning pitcher

Games played: 320 (269 starts)

"(Owners) kind of like 81 home dates. I don't think they'd have any problem if you have a day/night doubleheader. And I think for another off day, the players might even accept (that). "As far as straight-through doubleheaders, you'd have to convince baseball that the same revenue would be there. I know the players don't want to take a cut in salary. So if there's a cut in revenue, I'm not sure exactly how that's going to work out."

Jose Quintana, 27-year-old White Sox starter

Career starts: 143

"In my opinion, doubleheaders are too hard for the team. Nobody wants to play a doubleheader, especially the position players and the relievers. … I think it's better to play day by day."

Melky Cabrera, 32-year-old White Sox outfielder

Games played: 1,483

"I would prefer to just play one game a day. You get tired because you have to play 9 innings in each one of the games. I would prefer to play the way the schedule is right now."

Jose Abreu, 29-year-old White Sox first baseman

Games played: 418

"It's very difficult to handle the doubleheader because after a doubleheader you are so tired. It's difficult to play 9 innings in both games."

Thumb's up

Robin Ventura, 49-year-old White Sox manager and former third baseman/first baseman

Games played: 2,079

"I would be for it. You start looking at the way the schedule is and some days off could be used a little bit better. We seem to be traveling on most of our off days. You know, there's a way to do it (and) in the American League especially just because you don't use your roster quite as much. So in the American League it would actually be a good thing because you're going to switch up your lineup and guys get some playing time that normally wouldn't. It shakes that up as well as getting a guy a day off."

Jim Deshaies, 56-year-old Cubs TV broadcaster and starting pitcher from 1984-95

Career starts: 253

"Should they? I don't know. Would I be in favor of it? Probably so. Players value off-days, but they hate doubleheaders. … Maybe you could expand the roster by three guys so fewer guys would have to play both ends of the doubleheader. I'd be in favor it. I'd be in favor of more off-days and a shorter schedule. "I don't know if you could ever shorten it enough where it would improve the weather in the postseason. It's kind of silly we're playing these postseason games in 30-degree weather. It's just not baseball weather. I wish there was a way to fix that. If shortening the schedule would help get you there, I would be in favor of it."

Anthony Rizzo, 27-year-old Cubs first baseman

Games played: 715

"This is Wrigley Field, so you do a split doubleheader, you're losing $1 million or $2 million on the business side for the gate. From a player's standpoint we'd rather go straight into the next game. If they schedule them, I think maybe two a year (would be good) because you know you're going to have makeup games because that's two extra days off, which would be huge. But I don't make those decisions."

David Ross, 39-year-old Cubs catcher

Games played: 868

"I'd be a big fan of two 7s, like in the minor leagues (7-inning games). You don't have to play 9; shorten the game on those days. But there's a lot more that goes into it. "Sure we want more off-days. If it takes having a tougher work day, I think we'd be all for that. But I'm a little biased because I only have to catch one game."

Ron Coomer, 49-year-old Cubs radio broadcaster and infielder from 1995-2003

Games played: 911

"I loved them as a kid because you could come here and hang out here all day. It was the best baby-sitter in the world for my dad. But I don't foresee that ever happening. I think our game has evolved into something that that's just not going to be the case because of the business side of it. "(But) I'd be fine with it. … If they did one each half, you'd get a couple more off-days, which is always welcomed in August."

On the fence

Jason Heyward, 27-year-old Cubs outfielder

Career games played: 943

"I'm not leaning one way or another on doubleheaders because I feel like there's going to be too many people with different opinions on it. … Some people for their bodies don't like that; and some people might like it because of families or kids. Everybody's different."

Addison Russell, 22-year-old Cubs infielder:

Games played: 256

"I don't have a problem with the doubleheader, especially if it results in less days coming to the ballfield. I think that would be OK. Then again, I've never actually been in that situation to gather all of that information throughout a year. I don't know; it's just something cool to think about."

Chris Sale, 27-year-old White Sox starting pitcher

Career starts: 140

"It's tough on especially the position players that are playing both of the games. That's a lot. But I'm a starting pitcher - my opinion really doesn't matter too much."