I'm probably not the only one to make a Steve Martin/The Jerk/phone books reference when it comes to the 2013 schedule, and I won't be the last. But it's how I feel. So exciting.
And this year's schedule was supposed to be extra exciting because there will be 15 teams in each league. That means interleague play all the time. So if you love interleague play -- c'mon, you know you're out there -- this is the schedule for you.
Here it is (PDF), with some highlights:
- The season starts with a three-game series against the Dodgers, whom the Giants will face 19 times. The Giants will also face the Rockies, Diamondbacks, and Padres 19 times, after facing them all 18 times in the 2012 season. Moving in the wrong direction, Bud.
- The home opener is against the Cardinals, on April 5.
- The All-Star break is four days again.
- After a four-game series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers from Sept. 12 through Sept. 15, the Giants fly to New York, where they'll have three games against the Mets and three games against the Yankees. Barry Bonds is likely to hit a home run.
- The season ends at home with three-game series against the Dodgers and Padres.
- The oddest quirk of the schedule: five-game road trip, off day, two-game homestand against the Blue Jays, off day, and a nine-game road trip with an off day after the first three. Huh.
- There are 18 home games in May and nine home games in June.
- Memorial Day is at home against the A's, which is pretty cool.
- Interleague series at home: A's for two games in May, Blue Jays for two games in June, and three games against both the Orioles and Red Sox in August.
It's an ... interesting schedule. The Giants go from 15 interleague games to 20, which isn't as bad as I was fearing. Still not preferable, but I guess when the alternative is more Padres ...