The MLB is Fair

Bailsbud (who would be in the Yankee message board poster hall of fame if there was such a thing) doesn't get blogs, and isn't necessarily a proponent of sabermetrics and their rise in analyzing baseball players. Some might call him our resident crank. That being said, he offers insightful and blunt opinions on the Yankeees at all times. This was originally posted on the NYY Stadium Insider message boards, but we convinced him that it was blog-worthy, so here it is:

How in the last year of the most famous sports venue in the world do the Yankees only have 10 home games in September and finish the season with 7 straight on the road? That not only undermines any celebration of the Yankee landmark but also looks suspiciously enough like an attempt to make the Yankee road to the playoffs much harder.

Consider the facts.
1) Everyone knows the Yankees will start the season with three heralded kids. MLB schedules one off-day in the whole month of April for New York. BOSTON GETS THREE OFF DAYS IN APRIL.

2) Even though September has traditionally been a month of intra-division rivalries games to finish the season, the Yankees have a six game west coast road trip to Seattle and Anaheim---two playoff contenders. On top of that, the six game west coast trip immediately follows a three game series in Tampa. So, not only do the Yankees have to play on the West Coast at a time when other contenders don't have to, they have to do it 1) during a 9 game road trip, and 2) make the longest flight in all of baseball---Tampa to Seattle. BOSTON HAS ONE OUT OF DIVISION ROAD SERIES AGAINST PERENNIAL DOORMAT TEXAS.

3) Yankees have three out of division series in September. At Seattle, At Anaheim and Chisox at Yankee Stadium. BOSTON HAS ONLY TWO: AT TEXAS AND CLEVELAND AT HOME.

4) Not only do the Yankees have to finish the season with six games on the road, but they have to do it AT TORONTO and AT BOSTON---the two best AL East rivals.

5) Yankees have 10 home games in September. REDSOX HAVE 15 HOME GAMES.

6) Both the Yankees and Red Sox have a 10 game road trip in August. The Yankees don't have a single off day during their 10 game swing. THE RED SOX HAVE TWO OFF DAYS DURING THEIR TEN GAME ROAD TRIP.

7) At the end of April and beginning of May the Yankees have a 16 game in 17 day stretch against Detroit, Cleveland, Seattle---all of whom are expected to be major contenders this season. The longest stretch the Red Sox face against top contenders is 12 games in fifteen days immediately after the All-Star Break.

8) The Yankees have three road trips of ten games or more. The Red Sox have two.

Are we off on this? Is this not a total screw job?

-bails