A Close Look at the 2015 Schedule

[fearthenoodle]

Attendance ramifications are overblown, imo. You are going to draw well the opening weekend obviously. Follow up with a series against NY and a weekend series against Boston and you are off to a great start. The other four weekday series against CHW, TOR, SEA and HOU may not be huge draws, but my guess is they are higher than recent years for that time of year. The Houston series starts on Memorial Day which will draw well, too.

[OFFNY]

Sat down this afternoon and took a close look at the schedule.

A few overall thoughts:

1) We open with 19 consecutive division games, the 3rd highest total in team history since divisional play begain in 1969. (1975 -- 23; 1969 -- 26).

2) For the second straight year we play the 11:05 AM Patriot's Day game in Boston

3) May is an incredibly home-heavy month, with 19 home games and 9 road games. In fact, from April 24 to May 31, we play 25 of 34 games at home.

4) The combination of #1 and #3 above means we better play well early. Most of April is in division, games we need to win. And we need to take advantage of the home-heavy May because starting June 1, only 53 of our remaining 114 games are at home.

5) Between July 2 and July 27, in a stretch of 25 days, we have only 3 home games (vs the Nats).

6) We get the NL East in interleague play this year. Home and home 3 game series with the Nats (at home in July, on the road in late September, our latest interleague series ever). We also play home and home 2 game series with Philly and the Mets. The Philly 4 games are consecutive, while the Mets are a few months apart (the road games vs the Mets are part of a quick NY roadie that also includes the Yankees). We have Atlanta at home and Florida on the road.

7) We are on the road for 2 national holidays (in Chicago on 4th of July, at the Yankees on Labor Day), and home for one (Houston on Memorial Day).

8) It seems to me that the schedule makers are trying harder to give teams day games on getaway days. We have 14 weekday day games this year, seems higher than normal to me. Of course two of those are home openers, and 4 are holidays (counting Patriots Day).

9) One 9 game west coast trip this year to hit all west coast opponents.

Month by Month Breakdown:

April ("AL East Month") -- we stay in Florida for 3 vs the Rays, then come home for the Blue Jays and Yankees. Then we travel to Boston (4) and Toronto. We come home and start a 10 game home stand, our longest of the year, vs the Red Sox and White Sox.

May ("Home Month") -- the homestand continues with the Rays. Then we travel to New York for 6 games (2 vs the Mets, 4 vs the Yankees). We return home for a 9 game home stand vs Toronto, Anaheim, and Seattle. Assuming the New York trip was via train, the team then boards a plan for the first time in nearly a month for a quick 3 game trip to Miami. Then right back home to complete the 19-out-of-28 home stretch with the Astros and Rays.

June -- begins with a 7 game road trip to Houston and Cleveland. Home for the Red Sox, Yankees, and 2 with Philly. We then zip up to Philly for 2 before going to Toronto and Boston. Back home for Cleveland and Texas.

July -- after completing the Texas series, we travel to the White Sox and Twins. Home for a 3 game set vs the Nats, then the All Star Break. Then a 9 game road trip to Detroit, Tampa, and NY. After a stretch of just 3 home games in a 24 day span, we come home for Atlanta and Detroit.

August -- after the Tiger series ends, we make our annual West Coast trip. Then home for our 2nd 10 game homestand of the year, vs the A's, Mets, and Twins. We then visit KC and Texas.

September/October -- 26 of our last 32 are in division, and the ones that aren't are against playoff teams from last year (KC and Washington). A quick homestand vs Tampa is followed by a road trip to Toronto and New York. Then back home for KC and the Red Sox. Then a 9 game road trip to Tampa, Boston, and Washington. Back home to finish the season with 7 vs Toronto and New York.

Good observations, Steve.

We're treading water so far at 5-4, 9 games into the season.

[mobico]

We're treading water so far at 5-4, 9 games into the season.

This is innacurate. It is impossible to be "treading water" 9 games into the season. 5-4 extrapolated over 162 games has the team winning 90 games. 4-5, conversely, would have them winning 72 games. Here's another way to look at it: 5-4 means that the Orioles have won 2 out of 3 series so far. Of course, if they lose 2 out of the next 3 games, then they would be treading water. But right now they have established a strong winning trend!

[schittenden]

This is inaccurate. It is impossible to be treading water 9 games into a season. A 5-4 record means that the Orioles are a on a pace to win 90 games. Conversely, a 4-5 record would have them on a pace to win 72 games. 5-4 means that they have won 2 out of the first 3 series. Now, if they lose 2 out of the next 3 games, then they would be treading water. For that matter, yesterday they were treading water. But right now they have established a strong winning trend!

Well, I guess that means the Orioles are in a division with 3 90-win teams and a 108-win team. That seems improbable.

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[isestrex]

Next 10 games are against BOS and TOR. Gotta come out of this with series wins or the Orioles might be playing catch up in the division all season.