Did the MLB schedule makers have a grudge against the Dodgers? Did the Dodgers even lodge a whimper of protest at the crazy scheduling when MLB submitted it to them last year for approval?
Take a look at this stretch that the Dodgers are in the midst of completing:
*26 games in 27 days in the heat of July and August, including trips to humid hot beds as Washington D.C., Chicago, and St. Louis.
*Travel back to the west coast after completing night games in Toronto and St. Louis only to face a well- rested team that completed a day off or short trip prior to their arrival in Los Angeles, (e.g. Cincinnati came from SF on July 25th and Toronto arrives from a day off after a 2 game Arizona serieson August 9th).
*Travel across two time zones following night games at Dodger Stadium, forcing the team to take red-eye flights and arrive at their hotels as late as 7 and 8 am, then play evening games starting at 4 PM PST(according to their body clocks). This occurred with the Cubs series on Thursday.
*Watching their NL West competitors have three days off during the same stretch, (Arizona and San Diego), or two days off (San Francisco). To be fair, it should be noted that Colorado has had only one day off too, but they have the advantage of being geographically closer to many of the Eastern and Midwest teams they are playing, so the travel isn’t quite as taxing.
To the Dodgers credit, they haven’t let this inequitable scheduling affect their play. During this stretch of play so far, they are 10-2. There are another thirteen games to play on consecutive days before they have another well-deserved off-day, August 15th. Of course that day off will serve primarily as a travel day as the Dodgers will be taking a 5 ½ hour flight to Philadelphia as they begin another East Coast swing to Philly and Miami. Does it end there?
Not really. After completing a night game in Miami on Thursday, August 22nd, they flight back home on the red eye and then play a night contest against a well-rested Boston Red Sox team, that’ll have the day off before their arrival at L.A.
It’s a conspiracy, I tell you. An MLB conspiracy to derail the Dodgers.
Just for kicks, I calculated the Dodgers magic number to clinch the division. It is “52.”
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