Way back in December 2011, in a funk over the lack of baseball during a long winter, I dreamed up the baseball solstice. It would mark the midpoint between the end of the World Series and the first pitch of Spring training. It would also serve as a mid-winter reason to celebrate the game we love.
Naively, I hoped that the idea would eventually spread. Maybe somebody in the media outside the blogosphere would pick up on it, and fans of the national pastime (sorry, NFL; you have our money but MLB has our hearts) would mark the occasion.
That wasn’t happening, and I stopped my annual posts on the solstice after 2017. But here we are, facing another winter with only reports about how much money the Dodgers and Yankees are spending on free agents to keep us entertained. Or annoyed.
I decided to give the solstice another shot. With major league teams releasing their Spring Training schedules today, now is the time.
The 2025 World Series ended early the morning of Nov. 2, and the first spring games of 2026 will be Feb. 20 with all teams in action on the 21st.
That puts the solstice on Dec. 27. The date should give us hope as we clear we the no-baseball hump.
When I googled “baseball solstice” today, I was surprised that the term has caught on in a minor way, getting some references as recently as last year on Reddit and a few other places, even Instagram.
Who knows? This year, maybe it’ll hit TikTok! 🧢
The Ball Caps Blog 
December 27th, another reason to have a few drinks!
’Tis the reason for the season!