Open With Rangers
Houston Astros must wait on the Yankees: New American League schedule bringsissues & quirks
One of the few lures of the Houston Astros being forced into the American League is the chance to see baseball's traditional powerhouse teams at Minute Maid Park.
Well, Astros fans will be waiting a long time to see the most fussed-over franchise of all . . . those New York Yankees.
The Yankees will make their one and only appearance at Minute Maid Park on the last weekend of the 2013 season (Sept. 27, Sept. 28 and Sept. 29). Which means that by the time Houston fans see Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano, New York already could be locked into its playoff position and resting its stars.
Then again, if the Yankees are fighting for their playoff lives, Minute Maid could see meaningful baseball on the last weekend of the season — something the rebuilding Astros don't figure to deliver on their own in their inaugural American League season.
Either way, you have to figure that the Astros would have preferred to have the Yankees in before the NFL season kicks off and the Houston Texans start dominating the city's sports conversation.
By the time Houston fans see Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano, New York already could be locked into its playoff position and resting its stars.
Bud Selig didn't do Astros owner Jim Crane any favors by making a league switch a purchase requirement last summer — and the MLB's schedule makers don't appear to be interested in helping the franchise either.
Houston does get a nice home opener — hosting the Texas Rangers on Tuesday, April 2nd to kick off the season. That's the start of a three-game series and the Astros' new division rivals will be back at Minute Maid two more times — May 10 through May 12 and Aug. 9 through Aug. 12.
Other highlights of the just-released schedule include back-to-back visits from the power bats of the Detroit Tigers (May 2 to May 5) and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (May 7 to May 9). The Astros' lone home series with the bickering, but always interesting Boston Red Sox of Bobby Valentine comes August 5 through the 7th. Of course, plenty would bet the Valentine will no longer be the Red Sox manager by then.
Interleague play under the new balanced leagues (15 teams in each) brings Milwaukee, St. Louis, Colorado and Cincinnati to Minute Maid.