Batter Up! 5 Things You Need To Know For Baseball's Opening Day

Even though it may not be shorts and tank top weather in your neck of the woods, the boys of summer are back. We have everything you need to know to talk about the long ball.

 

Swinging for the fences,

The Last Night’s Game Team


Five Things You Need To Know For Opening Day

1. Opening Day is tomorrow, Thursday March 29 and that’s the earliest start to the regular season in MLB (Major League Baseball) history (with the exception of international games played in the past few years in Japan and Australia). Why? This schedule will provide more rest days in the season. It’s also the first time since 1968 that every team is playing on the same day to start the season. The more the merrier!

 

2. Baseball players are called the boys of summer, but why? Baseball is the only major professional sport that spans the summer and starts and finishes the season in the same calendar year. It’s also the longest regular season in professional sports with 162 games.

 

3. Bringing some much needed excitement to the downtrodden island of Puerto Rico, the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins will play a two-game series in San Juan, Puerto Rico in April. The Los Angeles Dodgers have stepped up to help the island in a different way, pledging $2 million to help with the rebuilding efforts.

 

4. Need a reason for a gastronomical road trip? These stadiums have put the traditional beer and a hot dog to shame - Toronto Blue Jays for their Distillery Poutine, Atlanta Braves' Spec-Tater (potato AND a hot dog in one) and the Colorado Rockies for a Rocky Mountain Po’boy featuring, you guessed it, Rocky Mountain oysters. (If you don’t know what that is, a Google search - not on your work computer, will do the trick).

 

5. In the world where we want our news in 180 characters, the pace of game has been a huge issue for the league. They’re trying to speed up the game, which averaged a lengthy 3 hours and 7 minutes in 2017. (That also happens to the be the average time of an NFL - National Football League - game). Some teams are bringing back the bullpen cart to speed things along, although a golf cart driven by a mascot to escort a pitcher to the mound sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

Bonus - Want more of what's happening on the field and what players to watch for this season? HERE YOU GO

 

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