Cubs Will Invade Fenway Park Again In 2014

The Cubs will open the 2014 season in Pittsburgh March 31 -- perhaps playing a league or World champion? -- and then start the home season April 4 against the Phillies. But here are more interesting details from the 2014 schedule, released today by Major League Baseball.

It's not only the second time in four years that the Cubs will be visiting Fenway Park, but the third time the two teams will have played in that span. I wonder why?

Part of it is the new interleague schedule, which matches up divisions in this way:

One three-game series with four of the five teams in the interleague matchup division.

One two-game, home/home series with the fifth team in the interleague matchup division.

That's 16 games; the other four are the designated two-game, home/home series with the "natural rival" that Bud Selig is so fond of, in the Cubs' case, the White Sox.

With the American League East being the Cubs' designated interleague division in 2014, they'll play the Rays and Orioles at Wrigley Field, as well as the White Sox, in three-game sets. It'll be the first visit by Tampa Bay since 2003, when they were still the Devil Rays. For Baltimore, it's the first Wrigley visit since 2008.

The other interleague home-and-home set is with the Yankees; and the Cubs will also make their first regular-season visit to the new Yankee Stadium. (You might remember the Cubs were the very first visiting team there, for two exhibition games in April 2009.) The Cubs will also travel to Toronto for the first time since 2008, and the home series against the Rays and Orioles will be the Cubs' first-ever interleague matchups after the All-Star break.

Here's the complete schedule for 2014. Note that it's still listed as "tentative" and no game times are yet available. I'll fill these in as they come in, and this link will be permanently on the front page under "Really Important BCB Stuff." HOME GAMES IN CAPS

Let's hope for more wins from this schedule than from the one this year. (All times CDT, "a" indicates a.m.)

March 31, April 2-3: at Pirates (12:05, 6:05, 11:35a)
April 4-5-6: PHILLIES (1:20, 1:20, 1:20)
April 8-9-10: PIRATES (7:05, 7:05, 1:20)
April 11-12-13: at Cardinals (7:15, 1:15, 1:15)
April 15-16: at Yankees (6:05, 6:05)
April 18-19-20: REDS (1:20, 3:05, 1:20)
April 21-22-23-24: DIAMONDBACKS (7:05, 7:05, 1:20, 1:20)
April 25-26-27: at Brewers (7:10, 6:10, 1:10)
April 28-29-30: at Reds (6:10, 6:10, 6:10)
May 2-3-4: CARDINALS (1:20, 3:05, TBD)
May 5-6: WHITE SOX (7:05, 7:05)
May 7-8: at White Sox (7:10, 7:10)
May 9-10-11: at Braves (6:35, 6:10, 12:35)
May 12-13-14-15: at Cardinals (7:15, 7:15, 7:15, 12:45)
May 16-17-18: BREWERS (1:20, 3:05, 1:20)
May 20-21: YANKEES (7:05, 1:20)
May 22-23-24-25: at Padres (9:10, 9:10, 9:10, 3:10)
May 26-27-28: at Giants (3:05, 9:15, 12:45)
May 30-31, June 1: at Brewers (7:10, 3:10, 1:10)
June 2-3-4-5: METS (7:05, 7:05, 6:05)
June 6-7-8: MARLINS (3:05, 3:05, 1:20)
June 9-10-11-12: at Pirates (6:05, 6:05, 6:05, 6:05)
June 13-14-15: at Phillies (6:05, 2:05, 12:35)
June 16-17-18: at Marlins (6:10, 6:10, 11:40a)
June 20-21-22: PIRATES (3:05, 3:05, 1:20)
June 23-24-25: REDS (7:05, 7:05, 6:05)
June 26-27-28-29: NATIONALS (7:05, 3:05, 3:05, TBD)
June 30, July 1-2: at Red Sox (6:10, 6:10, 6:10)
July 4-5-6: at Nationals (10:05a, 3:05, 12:35)
July 7-8-9-10: at Reds (6:10, 6:10, 6:10, 11:35a)
July 11-12-13: BRAVES (3:05, 3:05, 1:20)
July 14-15-16-17: All-Star break
July 18-19-20: at Diamondbacks (8:40, 7:10, 3:10)
July 22-23-24: PADRES (7:05, 7:05, 7:05)
July 25-26-27: CARDINALS (3:05, 3:05, TBD)
July 28-29-30-31: ROCKIES (7:05, 7:05, 7:05, 1:20)
August 1-2-3: at Dodgers (9:10, 8:10, TBD)
August 5-6-7: at Rockies (7:40, 7:40, 2:10)
August 8-9-10: RAYS (3:05, 3:05, 1:20)
August 11-12-13-14: BREWERS (7:05, 7:05, 7:05, 1:20)
August 15-16-17-18: at Mets (6:10, 6:10, 12:10, 11:10a)
August 19-20-21: GIANTS (7:05, 7:05, 7:05)
August 22-23-24: ORIOLES (1:20, 3:05, 1:20)
August 26-27-28: at Reds (6:10, 6:10, 11:35a)
August 29-30-31: at Cardinals (7:15, 6:15, 1:15)
September 1-2-3: BREWERS (1:20, 7:05, 7:05)
September 5-6-7: PIRATES (1:20, 3:05, 1:20)
September 8-9-10: at Blue Jays (6:07, 6:07, 6:07)
September 12-13-14: at Pirates (6:05, 6:05, 12:35)
September 15-16-17: REDS (7:05, 7:05, 7:05)
September 18-19-20-21: DODGERS (7:05, 1:20, 3:05, TBD)
September 22-23-24: CARDINALS (7:05, 7:05, 7:05)
September 26-27-28: at Brewers (7:10, 6:10, 1:10)