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Terrerobytes: OK, now we can talk about the 2013 White Sox schedule

By Jim Margalus
Kasey Kahne threw the only pitch on the South Side on Thursday night.
Kasey Kahne threw the only pitch on the South Side on Thursday night.

Major League Baseball released the 2013 schedule on Wednesday, but it was difficult to properly assess it with the focus very much on the present.

That, and seeing the White Sox scheduled to play April games in Washington for the first time since 1971 (a four-game sweep with victories by Tom Bradley, Bart Johnson, Tommy John and Wilbur Wood!) forced my brain to tell me, "Another time, please."

A well-timed rainout that preserved sole possession of first place for at least one more day gives us a little bit of breathing room, so let's take a look at what other weirdities the 15-team American League will foist upon the White Sox next year:

  • May 7-8: A two-game series in Queens against the Mets, bookended by off days.
  • May 24-26: Assuming Ozzie Guillen retains his job (nobody's saying for sure yet), he'll come back to U.S. Cellular Field and tell the media he doesn't care about White Sox fans while wondering why they don't love him more.
  • May 27-30: The crosstown series is condensed into a four-game set, with two at The Cell and two at Wrigley. The BP Cup Express!
  • June 14-17: The first crack at the Astros as an American League team, with four games in Houston.
  • June 19-20: Another one of those weird two-game series against the Mets, this time in Chicago. Off days before and after.
  • July 12-14: The first half ends with three games against the Phillies in Philadelphia ...
  • July 19-21: ... and the second half starts with four games against the Braves in Chicago.
  • Aug. 26-28: The Astros visit Chicago for the first time as an AL team.

Two things I like:

  1. The season starts in Chicago on Monday, April 1, and ends on Sunday, Sept. 29. I like Opening Day as soon as possible, and October reserved for the postseason.
  2. Also, the Sox have no interleague games at all in September, which is ultimately good. Four AL Teams will lose the DH in September, including the Tigers, who finish the season with four games in Miami.

Two things that aren't necessarily good:

  1. The White Sox open with a six-game homestand, so that'll be a little chilly.
  2. The Sox play the Tigers 19 times instead of 18, and none of those games will take place in the first three months.

If the White Sox play the Tigers in 2013 as well as they've played them this season, the Sox better hope to build a 15-game lead by the break.

As for the game that was supposed to be played, it has been rescheduled for 1:10 p.m. on Monday. The Sox will miss Justin Verlander (Detroit will start Doug Fister), and the Tigers will miss Chris Sale (Gavin Floyd). Sale will start Friday, and Francisco Liriano won't start after all.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Terrerobytes

Adam Dunn wasn't going to be in Thursday night's lineup. He probably isn't going to be in tonight's lineup ... or Saturday's ... or Sunday's. It's gotten to the point that Robin Ventura is out of snarky quips. So James tries to figure out how to work around it, and as is the case with many detours, it's all suboptimal.

Bruce Levine is indirectly referring to us, as well as Dave Van Dyck, who is more gentle about it ("Ventura's strength may not yet be x's and o's ...")

The rainout has delayed us finding out whether Brett's prediction for the final three weeks is on the right track, but unfortunately the first three steps were basically according to the sad plan.

John Danks has an official response to the lawsuit claiming that he did not properly respond to a high school friend's fall at his condo (which allegedly led to his paralysis as a result), and it's no less murky than it was before.

We've spent a lot of time wondering how much common ground there is between the marketing department and White Sox fans, so it's worth noticing that Jerry Reinsdorf received the Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy on behalf of the White Sox Volunteer Corps, which is an example of the fans and front office working well together.

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