‘Mad Dog’ Russo Goes OFF on MLB for Holding Season Opener in South Korea: ‘The Game Started at 3 O’Clock in the Morning in LA!’

Chris “Mad Dog” Russo slammed the MLB for hosting its season opener between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres in South Korea.

The Dodgers and Padres on Wednesday morning played the first of two games in Seoul, South Korea’s Gocheok SkyDome. Dubbed the “Seoul Series,” the games were scheduled to start at night in Seoul. For baseball fans in the U.S., that meant having to get up early in the morning to catch the first pitch.

Thursday’s game, for example, was scheduled for 6:05 a.m. ET. With both teams being from the West Coast, a large portion of their fans either woke up at 3 a.m. or just didn’t catch the game at all.

Russo, who’s strongly opposed international games in other sports, was livid.

“Listen, I’ll be careful, but I don’t like the idea that we start the baseball season and we don’t start it in Dodger Stadium with [Shohei Ohtani] and the great Dodger team,” Russo said on Wednesday’s episode of First Take. “The game started at 3 o’clock in the morning in L.A. today! Think about it! Have them start the game at six o’clock at night. Play the game in Seoul at 10 a.m.! That way it’s 6 o’clock in L.A. At least they can watch their game, the season ticket holders who spend a fortune to go to the games!

“And they play the game at three o’clock in the morning? It’s six o’clock in the morning, our time! This is the great Ohtani! This is the Dodgers! Why do we have to sit there on March 20 and feel we have to brand the sport? And I understand money and I get it, but it’s opening day! That is a special, special occurrence!”

Watch above via ESPN

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