The Tigers 2010 schedule is out. Next year the Tigers are scheduled to play 162 games which is pretty much league average. They also have an even split of home and road games with 81 apiece. Let’s take an even deeper dive though and see what’s what.

Interleague-ness

One of the first things to look at is who do the Tigers draw in interleague match-ups. The Tigers host the Pirates, the Nationals, and the Diamondbacks. Let this be a lesson to other teams who go over slot and show complete disdain for Selig’s recommendations. MLB will try and limit your gate so that you don’t do it again.

On the road the Tigers will get the Dogers, the Mets, and the Braves. The Dodgers series is in the middle of a 7 game, 3 city left coast trip. Yep, they have a pair of 2 game series on the West Coast. Nice.

Opening and Closing

The cold shouldn’t be too much of a problem opening the season. The Tigers start things off with 3 games in Kansas City before their home opener on April 9th against the Indians. After 3 more against KC the Tigers head out on a brutal road trip. They have 3 in Seattle, 4 in LA, and 4 in Texas. That’s right, an 11 game West Coast roadie with no offdays.

At the end of the season the Tigers finish things up with a 7 game road trip to Cleveland and Baltimore. Huh.

The Big Boys

The Tigers host the Yankees and Red Sox in May. The 4 against the Yankees are all weekday games and then they have 3 against the Red Sox immediately following. Again, not really revenue friendly with the Yankees during the week in May. They have the Sox on the road at the end of July and a 4 game set in the Bronx in mid August.

Homestands and Road Trips

I’ve already complained about the 11 gamer in April. And I mentioned the West Coast trip for the Dodgers. But guess what. That’s it. Just 2 trips out west all season, and they are done. They don’t head past KC after May 26th. That is huge.

The Tigers have a 10 game road trip spanning the end of August and beginning of September, but that’s it for the grueling travel. Plus all of their trips to Minnesota are between May 3rd and September 2nd meaning they should avoid the bitter cold.

As for homestands the Tigers will get to enjoy July in Michigan. They open the month with a 9 games at Comerica Park heading into the All Star break. They play 3 in Cleveland after the break, and then return home for 7 games. So 16 of 19 games will be at home.

MLB has released the 2009 schedule, way earlier than last year. In past years I remember piecing the schedule together as teams would announce their own home schedule. Now it’s all done.

The Tigers have a pretty favorable weather schedule in April, opening the season in Toronto on April 6th. The home opener is against Texas on April 10th, as part of a 6 game homestand. They then head on the road to Seattle, LA, and Kansas City before returning to face the Yankees at the end of the month.

As for interleague, the Tigers host the Rockies, the Cubs, and the Brewers. They travel to St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Houston.

The home/road trips don’t look to remarkable or ridiculous. One head scratcher is a Houston-Oakland-Minnesota 9 game swing.

As for that extra day after the All Star game, the Tigers get the Thursday off before heading to New York.

The Tigers close out the season with their last 15 games against Central division teams that aren’t the Royals (they are the preceeding 3 games). They finish with a 6 game homestand against the Twins and White Sox with the last day of the season coming on October 4th. So there will be October baseball at Comerica Park.
2009 Tigers Schedule | tigers.com: Schedule

Secure in the knowledge that the Tigers had won the series I decided to play some things out in my head. I indulged myself and thought about “what if” the Tigers managed to sweep the White Sox. What would come next.

Of course the Tigers start their interleague tour with 3 games against the Dodgers. And then 3 against the Giants, and then the Padres. Then series against the Cardinals and Rockies. And then the Twins and Mariners. And a couple against the Indians and 4 more against the Twins.

Why do I bring this up? Between now and the All Star break the Tigers have only 3 games on the schedule against teams that are above .500 and that would be against St. Louis. The Twins and Dodgers are in the vicinity of .500 and the Indians could get there by July. But even with 2 more left coast swings it isn’t a daunting schedule ahead.

Granted, those other teams are probably looking at the Tigers and thinking the same thing, but the Tigers certainly have a golden opportunity to bolster their record. A lot of it will come down to the cobbled together back end of the rotation to keep the team in the game. And maybe I’m a little too giddy after an unexpected sweep and an impressive 5 out 6 stretch. And I’ve been falsely optimistic following sweeps in the past (Yankees). But yes Tigers fans, there is a reason for hope over the next 28 games.