For interleague play purposes, the NL Central plays the AL East this year. However, the Cubs only play Baltimore, Tampa, and Toronto. (The Brewers get Baltimore, Toronto, and Boston. That's no way to treat Bud's former team.) Of course, this is for the benefit of the home-and-home White Sox series, but that's quite an acceptable trade if one is looking for a softer schedule.
The arrangement of the schedule doesn't hurt, either. The Cubs fatten up on the NL Central early in the season and don't hit their worst stretch of games until mid-to-late September, when six games are left against the Brewers and four away games in Shea make up roughly half of the seven-game road trip to end the season. By that time, the Mets will likely have wrapped up the top-heavy NL East and be working on rotation setting and resting their starters. That only leaves a Brewers squad that will possibly be out of it by then.
Sam Zell should really consider sending Bud some kind of gift for this accidental assistance in possibly helping to raise the sale price of the Cubs with a World Series trophy to throw in. Maybe Selig Park?
Article comments
1 - darrell
I think you need to re-examine the Cubs schedule. I am a 40 year Cubs fan. This is the worst schedule in my I've ever seen. The home schedule has the Cubs playing a disproportional amount of home games in April and May when it's cold, while the Cubs only get 9 home games in the entire last month of the season. If the Cubs would have a preference, every month of the schedule would have the opposite amount of home and away games. They would much rather play on the road when the weather is cold and be at home in September when the division is usually decided.
2 - Ty
Even if it is the easiest schedule ever in the history of MLB, what does that mean? They win the division and get bounced in the NLDS?
I think Cubs fans want more than that.
3 - Krutic
The Cubs are incapable of winning. Its simple as that. No matter the schedule they don't have the will or the talent or the commitment to win.