Road Trip from Hell

The Red Sox are back in town after splitting the Japan Series with the Oakland Athletics and now move on to the second phase of their grueling 19-day road trip.
Imagine for a minute that you are sunning yourself in Florida, limbering up to go back to work. You are placed on a flight to Japan, stay there for a few days and go to work, then fly to Los Angeles where you suddenly have no need to work again. You then fly to Oakland where work rears its ugly head, then hop on a plane to Toronto for a few days, then to Boston, where Miguel Cabrera is waiting… all in the span of 19 days.
That’s one ugly road trip.
Here’s the full road trip, courtesy of Boston.com’s Extra Bases:

• March 28: Red Sox at Dodgers, 10:40 p.m. (Exhibition) — No TV — Bartolo Colon
• March 29: Red Sox at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. (Exhibition at LA Coliseum) — on NESN — Tim Wakefield
• March 30: Red Sox at Dodgers, 4:10 p.m. (Exhibition) — No TV — Clay Buchholz
• April 1: Red Sox at Athletics, 10:05 p.m. (Regular season) — on NESN — Daisuke Matsuzaka
• April 2: Red Sox at Athletics, 3:35 p.m. (Regular season) — on NESN — Jon Lester
• April 4: Red Sox at Blue Jays, 7:15 p.m. (Regular season) — on NESN — Pitcher TBD
• April 5: Red Sox at Blue Jays, 1:07 p.m. (Regular season) — on NESN — Pitcher TBD
• April 6: Red Sox at Blue Jays, 1:07 p.m. (Regular season) — on NESN — Pitcher TBD
• April 8: Red Sox vs. Tigers, 2:05 p.m. (Opening Day at Fenway) — on NESN — Pitcher TBD

Not only are they trying to adjust being in three time zones in less than a month (reportedly it takes the body about two weeks to adjust to the Japan/American time zone, so that will be working against them as well) but they have a heck of a hard schedule coming up starting with the Toronto series. It goes @Toronto, Detroit, New York, @Cleveland, @ New York, Texas, Los Angeles, @Tampa Bay, Toronto, Tampa Bay, @Detroit, then on May 9th we get a breather with @Minnesota and @ Baltimore, an off-day, then interleague begins by hosting the Milwaukee Brewers.
With the possible exception of Texas, that’s one tough beginning of the schedule. And the A’s didn’t look all that bad in Japan, either. Three time zones and this slate of opponents? My goodness.
If the Red Sox get off to a slow start, should we be concerned? What happens if it’s May and we’re three games above .500 and sit in third place three or more games behind the Yankees? Should we be concerned?
I say no. Terry Francona has already declared that the excuse of the Japan trip will not be used for any reason both in the past, present and future. Mike Mussina was widely chronicled to be upset about the trip in 2004, but the Yankees ended up winning the division, did they not? Did the jet lag just wait to catch up with them until the ninth inning of Game 4 of the ALCS? I bet that’s it.
Secondly, the schedule is very, very tough in the beginning… which means it will be less tough near the end. (I say less tough, not easier, because it’s still tough to win baseball games.)
For example, after the Brewers, we do not face a serious contender for over two weeks with the exception of Seattle, although they may trend back to their Pythagorean which would eliminate them as a contender (Kansas City, @Oakland, @Seattle, @Baltimore). Even after that slate, they play Tampa Bay, Seattle and Baltimore again before running into Cincinnat and then finally, an opponent to take extremely seriously in Philadelphia on June 16. After that, the rest of June is a cakewalk save for a Diamondbacks entrance, and even then, they should dominate the NL. (Saint Louis, Arizona, @Houston, @Tampa Bay.)
July gets harder (@Tampa Bay, @New York, Minnesota, Baltimore, @Los Angeles, @Seattle, New York, Los Angeles).
August should be enjoyable as we host Oakland, visit Kansas City and Chicago, then return to host Texas and Toronto. The rest of the month: @Baltimore, @Toronto, @New York, Chicago. September brings us Baltimore, @Texas, Tampa Bay, Toronto, @Tampa Bay, @Toronto, Cleveland, New York.
What should we take away from this?
We’re in the hardest part of our schedule. Right now.
Think about that for a second. The hardest part of our schedule is occurring right now and will be over by the first week of May. After that, the schedule isn’t very imposing at all (until the final two series, which may not matter at all). That bodes well.
Let’s keep our patience as we watch the Red Sox hop three countries in a 19-day span. They’re doing this trip when everyone is fresh and ready for the season to start. I’d rather start the season on a tough schedule to get the mentality in place and juices flowing and then beat up on everyone else, wouldn’t you?.
What do you think? Should we be happy that the season starts off so rough and then tapers off?