2011 Red Sox Season Features Cubs, Brad Mills, a Wasted Yankees Series and More

Not that we’re looking past this season, but the 2011 Red Sox schedule came out this week.

There are some obvious highlights on the schedule, like the Chicago Cubs making their first visit to Fenway Park since the 1918 World Series or a trip to Houston that pits Terry Francona against his former bench coach Brad Mills.

Let’s look beyond the obvious and analyze next year’s schedule. There are some things you might not like about it if you’re a Sox fan.

The return of the dreaded two-game homestand
It happened this summer for the first time in years. The Sox were at Fenway for approximately 36 hours May 19-20, facing Minnesota twice after splitting a pair in New York. From there, it was off to Philadelphia. This year is even worse. The Sox are home for a two-game stretch Aug 16-17 where they face Tampa Bay. The two games are the only ones played in the Eastern Time Zone in a 16-game, 18-day stretch. The Sox go from Minnesota to Seattle to Boston to Kansas City to Texas. Brutal.

Another waste of a Yankees series
For the second straight year, the Sox play their home opener against New York. It's ridiculous. Opening Day is a New England tradition, a time for fans to celebrate the return of spring and analyze the upcoming season. Boston should host Kansas City or Cleveland or Baltimore that day, since it's an annual highlight regardless of the competition. Let the Sox and Yanks spend a month gearing up for each other, then give them a head-to-head test in early May.

A brutal stretch run
The Sox will be put to the test in September, playing 16 of their final 28 games against teams currently holding onto a playoff spot. There are two series with the Yankees, two with Tampa and one with Texas in that month.

And now for the good news, as there are some things you should like in the coming season.
 
No November baseball
The MLB schedule starts earlier this season, with opening night in Texas falling on April 1. It ends earlier, too. The season finale against Baltimore is Sept. 28, meaning the playoffs can begin that weekend and the World Series can end before Halloween.

Interleague fun
The Sox have fared well against the National League for years, posting a 13-5 record this season alone.  Next year should be no different. The strange collection of interleague foes (Chicago, Milwaukee, San Diego, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Houston) are a combined 38 games under .500 this season. Four of the six NL teams facing the Sox in 2011 have losing records.

No late West Coast trips
The Sox only play three games in the Pacific Time Zone after April. In fact, they only play three series on the West Coast all year: a six-game trip to Oakland and Anaheim in April and a three-game trip to Seattle in August. As we learned again this week, September trips out west are not good for the fan base.  Imagine if they were a game or two out with all these late-night games this week.

So there you have it. A look at 2011, just in case you're looking beyond the final 16 games of 2010.