For openers in Baltimore; Cubs in mid-June
The Rays released their 2008 schedule Wednesday highlighted by the first-ever visit by the Chicago Cubs, as well as the return of former manager Lou Piniella, on June 17-19.
The Rays will again open the season on the road, playing three games at Baltimore starting March 31 and four at New York, before returning to Tropicana Field for the April 8 home opener against Seattle.
The Rays will also host the Astros (June 20-22) and Marlins (June 13-15) in interleague play. They will make their first trip to St. Louis (May 16-18) and also visit Pittsburgh (June 27-29) and South Florida (June 24-26).
As standard under the unbalanced schedule format, the Rays will play 18 games against each of their AL East opponents (the Blue Jays, Orioles, Red Sox and Yankees). Of the other AL teams, the Angels and White Sox make two visits each, the other teams one each.
The Red Sox are scheduled to visit April 25-27, June 30-July 2 and Sept. 15-17; the Yankees are coming in April 14-15, May 12-15 and Sept. 2-4.
The Rays are accepting reservations for a season-ticket priority list; individual tickets usually are not available until the spring. See the full schedule.
Follow the Rays through spring training and the season with Marc Topkin, Joe Smith and the Times sports staff. We invite your participation in the comments area.
why are we playing the cubs midweek and the astros on the weekend-same with the yankees and we are going to see KC on the weekend
Posted by: ron mexico | October 10, 2007 at 03:04 PM
Because there are 29 other teams that have to be scheduled, too. MLB comes up with all the schedules. Ask them.
Posted by: Nadie | October 10, 2007 at 03:57 PM
An unbalanced schedule is OK, if it's maybe 14 games at most against your division rivals, but 18 games is just ridiculous! Give us fans a little more variety MLB!!
Posted by: Steve | October 10, 2007 at 05:03 PM
want to sell some tickets? replace the last game of the cubs/rays series with a lou+zambrano vs joe+kazmire tag team cage match. oh, that's right... joe would just sit in the corner and refuse to take kaz's tag!
Posted by: TonyC | October 10, 2007 at 06:19 PM
Take your tickets and shove them Rays owners. I'll wait to see what you do this off-season before I spend a single nickle.
Posted by: Joe | October 10, 2007 at 07:34 PM
i will wait to renue my season tickets depending on the off season transactions. this schedule is crap and the rays continue to get screwed and I have to say the owners are allowing some of this by not fighting a better fight. again we dont get to open the season at home and now we only have one big series on a weekend. the schedule is crap so the rays better sign some BP help
Posted by: the trop | October 10, 2007 at 11:09 PM
What's the diff who the Rays play and what days of the week? The stingy owner won't spend enough to field a competitive team. The Rays have beaten one division rival once in ten years. And, I have it on good authority that a very good player won't re-up with TB when his contract expires.
Posted by: the shrink | October 12, 2007 at 07:21 AM
To Ron Mexico:
Simple. In this town. no one goes to see the home team. The Yanks and Cubs will sell tickets no matter when they play.
Posted by: jr | October 14, 2007 at 10:50 AM