March Madness will pass directly from high school and college basketball right to Major League Baseball with regular-season openers Thursday, March 30. Although there will be two games remaining in each of the men’s and women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association semifinals followed by one each in the championship games, in very early April, it will be baseball time.
The Chicago Cubs will open at home in a rivalry skirmish against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, March 30. The White Sox will be in Houston for four games through April 2, two in the evening and two in the afternoon.
The boys of Summer may be wearing flannels, however, it will be baseball, nonetheless. The other professional teams will begin their seasons later in April, the Kane County Cougars, and both Joliet and Schaumburg.
Other baseball teams, such as college outfits will keep alive the drama and the game, even if weather plays havoc with the initial parts of the seasons. Rain delays, postponements, and delays, are parts of every team that does not play in a domed baseball park.
Variations in starting times (first pitch) for both Sox and Cubs continue their diversity. The Cubs’ and Sox game through April 14, show games starting as early as 11:35 a.m. and as late as 9:10 p.m..
There are more games in the sports world in addition to tournament basketball and professional baseball. Spring sports include high school and college boys and girls and men’s and women’s track and field. Rugby? Soccer? Tennis anyone? The list goes on of the competition in sports. Is there a limit to the interest in sports competition in our geographical area?
In the first two weeks, the Cubs will play Milwaukee, Boston, Texas, Seattle, L.A. Dodgers. Only a three-game series in the first two weeks will be on the road, in Boston, April 3-5.
In the first two weeks, the Chicago White Sox will be at home only for three days against the San Francisco Giants, April 3-5. The Sox will go Houston, Pittsburgh, and Minnesota at the start of the season.
Each Major League Baseball team will play 162 games, 81 at home and 81 on the road, so the Cubs and Sox will find equity in the number of games and games at home and on the road.
The bigger question remains for the Chicago teams and all Major League teams: Will there be enough pitching, will the teams take every game seriously, and will teams get off to good starts?
There are no guarantees, however, getting off to a good start is always beneficial for each team. The late-season, well-played, finishes can make for compelling, dramatic, comebacks, however, most teams would prefer fast starts.
Facts in a season: Injuries, slumps, the sides of baseball which does not calculate well, regardless of how most teams play in the Major League Baseball season, it comes down to approximately 20 games to make a difference. Most teams will win 70 games and lose 70 games. If anyone knows how to predict or calculate those other 20 games (or, 22) teams would pay a small fortune to identify the pivotal 20 games.
Best advice: Keep the head down, stay healthy, combine to be a compelling team player, and take little for granted
There is a big difference between the casual Spring training games and the earnest, serious, Major League Baseball games. Make the most of it.