I used to point this out quite a bit, but didn’t much harp on it this year…I don’t think. I’m kinda glad I didn’t waste the energy in hindsight, since I don’t remember the last time I gave up on a baseball season quite so hard as I have on this one. Christ, this morning Carin asked me how the playoffs looked and I had to tell her I really didn’t know how a lot of it was shaping up. Usually that stuff is right there in my brain, but not this year. You’ve ruined me, Blue Jays. Utterly ruined me.
Speaking of utterly ruining things, the 2014 schedule is out. That was the point I had in mind for this post when I opened the file and started typing…I believe.
Not only do next year’s Jays get to start the year at Tropicana Field which is pretty much hell on earth if you’re a Blue Jay or anyone who enjoys watching them, but just look at what we get or rather don’t get on holiday long weekends.
The holiday Monday of Victoria Day weekend falls on May 19th in 2014, which is a Jays off-day between a couple of tough road series in Texas then Boston.
Canada Day, July 1st, is better, as the Jays host the Milwaukee Brewers for a 1:07 PM ET start on a Tuesday, but the Monday of the August long weekend is also a friggin’ off day, as the Jays return home from Houston, getting set to host the Orioles the following day. Labour Day is an off-day too.
Ugh.
So yeah, that about sucks. it’s somehow even worse than usual. Amazing, really. But there are exhibition games in Montreal, which is kinda cool if you’re from there or up for a road trip, or even if you remember how nice it was when there was more than one Canadian team for MLB to dick around on holidays.
One thing about those Montreal games, though. They’re played on the 28th and 29th of March. the regular season starts on the 31st. So basically the Jays have to leave Florida for Montreal, then fly right back to Florida to start the season. That’s kind of inefficient, no?
I don’t begrudge Montreal its exhibition games. Those people deserve them after the way the Expos ended. But why not make them regular season games as part of a homestand? Somebody smart will probably point out all of the reasons why this would be a stupid idea, but where I’m sitting it doesn’t sound bad. You could play them in nicer weather, for a start. You could also, provided you manage to sneak it past the scheduling geniuses, avoid a dumbass travel situation like Florida to Montreal and back. At least there’s an off day in there…but I should probably keep that quiet.
I haven’t checked ours but I know most of our Holidays fall on Monday (except Thanksgiving which in the USA is always the 4th Thursday of November (much too late – I want to copy your earlier date) and possibly Veteran’s (Remembrance) Day on 11-11. Coincidentally, Mondays are often travel or off days. Bummer.
Forgot to check the “reply” box.
Thanksgiving is always on a Monday here, as is Victoria Day in May and that long weekend we have in August for some reason. The only one that moves is Canada Day, much like your 4th of July. Oh, and Remembrance Day in November, but most people don’t have that day as a holiday. Some government branches do, but not the rest of us.
That mysterious Monday in August is family/Ontario/whatever day (*), who’s actual name depends on in which province you live–and, in some cases, which part of the province. It probably won’t surprise you to hear it’s also not a statutory holiday. Not to be confused with that other family day in February, which *is* statutory. Muddled yet? Thank a politician.
(*): Damned if I can dig much up on that particular holiday, if we’re being entirely and completely honest. Personally I’m left with the impression that’s a thing McGuinty gave us to distract us for 5 seconds while he cranked up the taxes, but y’know. Oh, wait. There’s a thing in BC that day too. Well hell.
I forgot about the 4th but it may be fixed as well. It’s on a Friday in 2014. Christmas and New Year’s are fixed but the kids are on Winter Break. Thanksgiving is always a four day weekend for the schools and many private companies and five in some schools. Veteran’s Day is a legal holiday but many schools and businesses don’t observe it.