The Chicago Cubs today announced the 2014 regular season schedule. As the Cubs will open their 139th season, again it’s “wait till next year.” Or the year after that. Or the year after that. The Chicago Cubs should be competitive in 2015. Or maybe even good in 2016. Possibly.
The Cubs open ’14 on the road Monday, March 31 against the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 100th Anniversary season of Wrigley Field home opener taking place Friday, April 4 vs. the Philadelphia Phillies.
The 2014 season begins in Pittsburgh for the second-consecutive campaign, the first time the Chicago Cubs have opened in the same road city in back-to-back seasons since 2006-07 in Cincinnati.
The Chicago Cubs host the Phillies for their home opener for the first time since 1990. The first homestand features six games covering two series against Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
The 2014 schedule features eight interleague series, including the annual home-and-home sets against the Chicago White Sox. The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox in 2014 will again play a total of four games, with the first two games taking place at Wrigley Field on May 5-6 immediately followed by two games at U.S. Cellular Field on May 7-8.
In addition to the White Sox series, the Cubs welcome three A.L. East opponents: the New York Yankees (two games, May 20-21), the Tampa Bay Rays (three games, August 8-10) and the Baltimore Orioles (three games, August 22-24). The Cubs make their first-ever regular-season visit to the new Yankee Stadium for a pair of games with New York on April 15-16. The Cubs also play a three-game series in Fenway Park (June 30-July 2) and three games in Toronto (September 8-10). The Chicago Cubs visit Boston for the first time since 2011 and visit Toronto for the first time since 2008.
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. An analyst for 95.7 The Fan, he also writes on Chicago sports media for Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)