Major League Baseball announced the 2020 season schedule yesterday, and I don’t know about anyone else, but looking at a 60-game season feels kind of weird.
Or at least weird to picture. Like every other club in baseball, the Rockies will play their 60 games in the span of 10 weeks (or 66 days). Playing 60 games in 66 days can either go really well, or not so well. The Athletic’s Nick Groke highlights some quirks of the upcoming season:
Five key takeaways on the Rockies’ schedule, with quirks, possible pitfalls | The Athletic ($)
Quirk #1 - The Rockies will play their opening series against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas. You know, a current hot spot for COVID-19 outbreaks. So the Rockies will leave the comfort of Denver, which seems to have managed to keep its rise in COVID-19 cases somewhat lower than other states, and enter the hot spot of Texas. One pro to the opening series: the Rockies will be the first team to ever play at the brand new Rangers’ $1.1. billion dollar Globe Life Field, so that’s pretty cool!
Quick #2 - Where is the balance? We all expected to see an unbalanced schedule for teams traveling. The Rockies were no exception. The team will travel twice to Los Angeles (Dodgers) and twice to Arizona (Diamondbacks). Arizona also happens to be another major COVID-19 hot spot.
Quick #3 - The Rockies schedule is basically non-stop. Along with every other ball club. From July 31-September 2 the Rockies will play 33 games...in 34 days. The Rockies pitching rotation is going to have to dig deep — especially the bullpen — to pitch back-to-back-to-back...to back games without a rest day.
Quirk #4 - The Rockies will fly three times in five days from August 16-20. With limited travel being a key factor in this season, it seems like the Rockies will be going back and forth more than was expected.
Quirk #5 - If Bud Black can work the Rockies pitching rotation and bullpen over the span of 60 games, along with the new NL DH rule, the Rockies may find themselves moving into the postseason. Time will tell!
Speaking of Bud Black, Mile High Sports’ Aniello Piro wrote about how the Rockies’ manager isn’t concerned with the travel or the 60-game season.
Bud Black not concerned about imbalances in Rockies’ schedule | Mile High Sports
While some are concerned about traveling to hot spots like Texas or Arizona to play, Black sees all travel as the same. No matter where you go, it’s the same amount of risk.
“I don’t think there is any difference with where you go,” Black said. “It’s the same as going anywhere in the country.”
That should help ease any stress the players have on traveling to one of the biggest hot spots of COVID-19 cases to start the season, right?
Black also sees playing 33 games in 34 days as a positive, which could lead to the team gaining momentum...if they’re doing well:
“August will be a challenge for the entire team, playing with just one off day,” Black said. “That can be good or bad. If you are playing well, pitching well, hitting the ball, you want to keep playing. It could work either way.”
Overall, I think we’re all happy baseball is back, but it’s going to be an adjustment for both the fans and especially the players with how a 60-game, 10-week season actually pans out.
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