29 replies to this topic

[CoolPapaBellhorn]

Apologies if this should go somewhere else, but Edes has seen a tentative copy of the Sox' schedule for 2013. Still subject to change, but here are the series that he reported:

Apr 2-4: at MFY (opening series)
Apr 5-7: at TOR
Apr 8-???: vs. BAL (home opening series - 3 games)
Apr 12-15 vs. TB (he says 4 games and the 15th is Marathon day, so the start date would seem to be Friday the 12th)
Apr 25-28 vs. HOU
May 27-28 vs. PHI
May 29-30 at PHI
May 31-Jun 2 at MFY
Jun 25-26 vs. COL
Jul 2-4 vs. SD
Jul 19-21 vs. MFY
Aug 1-4 vs. ARI
Aug 5-7 @ HOU
Aug 16-18 vs. MFY
Aug 19-21 at SF
Aug 23-25 at LAD
Sep 5-8 at MFY
Sep 13-15 vs. MFY
Sep 24-25 at COL

Observations:
- The season is back to starting on a Monday/Tuesday, which means it likely ends on Sunday, September 29 (and probably with a 4-game road series for the Sox)
- Every MFY series, except for the season-opener, is on a weekend. Hooray for FOX and ESPN games
- 20 inter-league games, with four 2-game series (including the home-and-home vs. Philly)
- Lots of inter-league in the second half - I thought they'd try to spread it out more, but that could just be bad luck in year one

Edited by CoolPapaBellhorn, 20 July 2012 - 11:44 PM.

[Lose Remerswaal]

Interesting.

Of course last year in August (?) we thought we were playing the Mets @ Citi Field this season and that all changed so . . .

[Toe Nash]

What exactly is the purpose of having interleague games so late in the year? So that making the playoffs can be decided under rules that aren't present for 150 games? So that a key pitcher can get hurt running the bases just in time for the playoffs?

[Papelbon's Poutine]

They have to. Houston will moving to the AL and with an odd number of teams in each league, there will be at least one interleague series each and every night.

(null)

[veritas]

What exactly is the purpose of having interleague games so late in the year? So that making the playoffs can be decided under rules that aren't present for 150 games? So that a key pitcher can get hurt running the bases just in time for the playoffs?

All the games count the same. NL teams deal with these rules all season long and no one pities them

[Toe Nash]

All the games count the same. NL teams deal with these rules all season long and no one pities them

We've had plenty of AL-NL debates in other threads. AL pitchers aren't used to hitting and running the bases and are therefore more likely to get hurt doing so. And the Sox are one of the few teams who has a real DH and a good 1B. This is great for the 150 games the team builds its roster around.

As for all the games counting the same, that's technically true but it's not the point. As we saw last year the games at the end of the season affect your playoff odds a lot more than the ones at the beginning.

I guess we should have seen this coming, and I guess it's no more stupid than the unbalanced schedule or the second wild card. But MLB keeps finding more and more ways to make baseball more complicated and less fun.

[Papelbon's Poutine]

Short of expanding to 32 teams and going with 4 divisions in each league what do you propose? It's been ridiculous the past 17 years that there is only 4 team in the AL West and 6 in the NL Central. I agree that they should get rid of the unbalanced schedule but until then this is the best option. At least everyone plays by the same setup.

(null)

[sibpin]

As for all the games counting the same, that's technically true but it's not the point. As we saw last year the games at the end of the season affect your playoff odds a lot more than the ones at the beginning.

Games at the end of the season do not necessarily affect playoff odds more than games at the beginning - you're seeing one side of the data, but not the other. For example, after a team clinches a division title, its remaining games have no effect on its playoff odds. After a team has been eliminated, its remaining games have no effect on its playoff odds. So while there may be 5-8 extremely meaningful games per day in the league's final week, there are also going to be 7-10 completely meaningless (except for draft position) games.

Regardless, MLB apparently agrees with you: "The schedule architects have set out to design a schedule in which, over the last five weeks of the season, there would be no more than one interleague series at a time -- and no team would have to play more than one interleague series on the road down the stretch. The same concept would be applied in April."

What exactly is the purpose of having interleague games so late in the year? So that making the playoffs can be decided under rules that aren't present for 150 games?

Games played in September are also decided using a rule that isn't present for the other 125-135 games - the 40-man roster.

So that a key pitcher can get hurt running the bases just in time for the playoffs?

While I generally agree with this sentiment, perhaps AL coaching staffs will decide to increase the importance of good hitting/running form for their pitchers knowing that there will be more interleague games and they won't be clustered as they were before. Also, the flip side of this argument is that the increase in interleague games and change in their distribution actually reduces the odds of a key NL pitcher getting hurt running the bases just before the playoffs.

Edited by sibpin, 25 July 2012 - 01:31 PM.

[sachilles]

Worth noting that the WBC is this March as well.

[CoolPapaBellhorn]

Full schedule released

[E5 Yaz]

After the opening road trip, the Sox play 24 of the next 32 at home.

[SeanBerry]

At least we know now that Wednesday April 10th the sellout streak will end.

[patinorange]

At Giants and at LA Dodgers. This west coast guy feels a weeklong baseball vacation is coming up.

[Lose Remerswaal]

That's a ton of April home games. I hate April home games. Usually too cold to go without a heavy coat and the crowds suck

[Lose Remerswaal]

Angels/Reds are opening Interleague, Tigers/Marlins are the closing Interleague matchup. Sox only have 3 summer (July/August) home weekend series, which means much easier planning for summer weekends away! And also means much more difficult going to a home weekend game, of course.

[ookami7m]

At Giants and at LA Dodgers. This west coast guy feels a weeklong baseball vacation is coming up.

I smell a business trip to SF and LA in my August next year....

[trekfan55]

Between Sept 5th and Sept 15th (11 days) the Sox will play 10 games. 7 vs the Yankees and 3 vs the Rays. An interesting stretch to say the least.

[Max Power]

That's a ton of April home games. I hate April home games. Usually too cold to go without a heavy coat and the crowds suck

It's really a terrible schedule. The weekend season ticket package has 8 of the 26 games in April.

[BoSoxLady]

Bad news: Only one July series and it's the MFY=no Bash in July.

Good news: Three weekends @Baltimore. Go Kate!

I loathe April games.

[mabrowndog]

An interesting assessment of MLB's 2013 schedule from a marketing/attendance perspective:

Some teams are happier than others with their tentative 2013 schedule. Others will have a tougher time selling more tickets with their schedules during the off-season. It’s important to note that the 8 worst road draws in baseball this season were the Royals, Mariners, Rangers, A’s, Indians, Twins, Blue Jays, and Rays.

The best road [draws] are all large markets including: Yankees, NY Mets, Philly, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants, Braves, and welcome to the big-time Nats ... Missing but not forgotten are the Red Sox who still claim to be a top 5 brand and given the number of transient former Boston students will continue to sell on the road.

Nine of the author's eleven "winners" are rated as such due in part to hosting Boston at opportune times:

2013 Schedule Winners
* Los Angeles Dodgers: Host NY Yankees (2 games) and Boston Red Sox (3 games)
* Toronto Blue Jays: April weekend with Yankees, Plus weekday hosts to Dodgers, Giants, Red Sox, & Yankees
* New York Mets: Host 84th all-star game in July but host Royals, Tigers, White Sox in interleague and only 2 Yankee games
* New York Yankees: Host SF and Red Sox in September weekends – 2 Red Sox series plus Dodgers, Mets during week
* Chicago Cubs: 9 April games, host Rangers in interleague, weekends vs. PHI/LAD/STLx2/ATL/NYM
* LA Angels: Red Sox, Yankees weekend - Dodgers/Cubs/Cards midweek
* Colorado Rockies: Host NY Yankees (3 games) and Boston Red Sox (2 games)
* Detroit Tigers: 21 home games before Memorial Day weekend, ATL/PHI/BOS weekend series
* Oakland Athletics: Red Sox & Cards on weekend plus Giants, Yankees, Cubs midweek
* Minnesota Twins: Host Mets and Red Sox on weekend, plus Yankees and Phillies during week – then 2014 ASG
* Cleveland Indians: Mets & Nats on weekend, plus 10 early weekday games vs. Phillies/Red Sox/Yankees

Meanwhile he has the Red Sox getting the short end of the stick, clearly ignoring the club's sellout streak charade. And apparently Cheri isn't the only one who hates April games:

2013 Schedule Losers
* Boston Red Sox: 17 April home games, Yankees first visit is July 19th, interleague host of Padres, DBacks
* Chicago White Sox: 15 April games, face Red Sox, Cubs, and Yankees during the week
* Arizona Diamondbacks: Host Rangers, Rays, Orioles, and Blue Jays in interleague
* Baltimore Orioles: Play Dodgers in April, 1 Yankee weekend, plus interleague with Rockies & Pads
* All NL Central not named the Cubs: Host AL West in Interleague play
* All NL East not named the Mets: Host AL Central in Interleague play

Edited by mabrowndog, 19 September 2012 - 10:02 AM.

[Doug Beerabelli]

At Giants and at LA Dodgers. This west coast guy feels a weeklong baseball vacation is coming up.

This East coast guy feels the same way.

[biollante]

San Fran in August ~ last time I was there in August it got wicked cold. Could be like an April game except with more deadheads.

[Skiponzo]

My 15th wedding anniversary is while they are in SF and my wife has agreed to go to all 3 games.

Did I mention how much I love my wife?

(null)

[tonyandpals]

It's really a terrible schedule. The weekend season ticket package has 8 of the 26 games in April.

This blows.

[Sille Skrub]

Aug 19-21 at SF

I highly recommend a visit to PacBell (and "The City") for anyone who has never been. Just an amazing park (and place) and it will change your thoughts on a new Fenway.

The Sox/Giants series out here in 2004 is probably the reason I am living in the Bay Area today.

[ean611]

I highly recommend a visit to PacBell (and "The City") for anyone who has never been. Just an amazing park (and place) and it will change your thoughts on a new Fenway.

The Sox/Giants series out here in 2004 is probably the reason I am living in the Bay Area today.

I hope there is a SoSH bash in SF for the Sox @ Giants games. I would LOVE to see that park.

[biollante]

Those are Mon - Wed. games in San Fran. , too bad it wasn't a weekend.

[Robert Plant]

Those are Mon - Wed. games in San Fran. , too bad it wasn't a weekend.

Yeah that sucks. I live and work in south central California and can't imagine making it up to SF for that series. The Dodgers series however is another story.

[Rasputin]

Only 187 days until opening day.

[behindthepen]

was just sifting through the schedule this weekend:

-only one late Sunday game through Aug 4, the Jul 21 vs. nyy. The last 2 nyy Sunday games are TBD (Aug 18, Sep 15).

-the weekday 630/4pm starts are introduced. Apr 22-24 vs OAK, are listed as Mon @ 630p, Tues @ 630p, Wed @ 405p, followed by HOU @630p. Spring Break is the week before, so not sure the rationale for this, although it appears to be the death of the weekday 1:35 game.

-Home games on Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day. Also Mothers Day but not Fathers Day.

-First home series vs nyy is the weekend after the ASG.

-July is thin on weekend series, but the ASG always makes July funky. We do get the July 4th game on a Thu with the night game on July 3. August has 3 weekend series, but only one weekday series, 3 vs. BAL.

-Saturday start times are about evenly split between 7pm (6) and not (4 at 105p or 135p, 3 at 4p, including the Bash game)