Indians Open 2008 Season At Home

The Indians will open defense of their American League Central Division championship next March 31 at Jacobs Field against the rival Chicago White Sox. It will be the earliest home opening date in club history. Team officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the weather will be better than it was for this year's scheduled four-game opening set against Seattle, which was snowed out.

"We are very happy to be opening at home," general manager Mark Shapiro said. "It is something that (manager) Eric (Wedge) has wanted for several years.

"It would be different if we were opening on the west coast or in domes all those years, but we've always been opening in Chicago, so what difference does it make, weather-wise?

"We're hoping the weather will cooperate and our fans who were with us during this postseason will come enjoy the opener and get some of that electric atmosphere we all just experienced in our ballpark going again."

Cleveland will open its 108th season in the AL with a three-game series against the division rival White Sox on Monday, March 31 at 3:05 p.m. After an off date, the series is scheduled to resume on April 2-3.

The Indians will then head west for three games in Oakland (April 4-6) and Los Angeles (April 7-9).

In a quirk to the schedule, AL champion Boston Red Sox will play only two games in Cleveland.

"The schedule makers don't consult me," Shapiro said when asked for an explanation.

Both the Red Sox and New York Yankees will make their only 2008 regular-season appearances in Cleveland in April.

Boston will be in town April 14-15; the Yankees visit Jacobs Field for four games, April 25-28.

The Indians won't play the Red Sox again until the final week of the season -- a four-game series at Fenway Park.

The final stretch of the Tribe’s 2008 home calendar consists of 12 games against AL Central rivals Chicago, Kansas City, Minnesota and closing out against Detroit (Sept. 19-21).

Interleague play sees the Indians playing NL West teams in addition to their annual series against their Ohio rivals from Cincinnati. The San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants and Reds will come to Cleveland. The Indians will travel to Cincinnati, the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers. Here's the interleague schedule:
at Cincinnati, May 16-18
vs. San Diego, June 13-15
at Colorado, June 17-19
at Los Angeles, June 20-22
vs. San Francisco, June 24-26
vs. Cincinnati, June 27-29

Beginning with a Memorial Day weekend series against Texas, the Tribe’s home schedule features 42 games at Jacobs Field during the summer months of late May, June, July and August. Here's a month-by-month breakdown of 2008 home games:
April: 16
May: 17
June: 12
July: 11
August: 13
September: 12

2008 CLEVELAND INDIANS REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
(Home games in boldface)

MARCH
March 31 vs. Chicago White Sox, 3:05

APRIL
April 2 vs. Chicago White Sox, 7:05
April 3 vs. Chicago White Sox, 12:05
April 4 at Oakland Athletics, 10:05
April 5 at Oakland Athletics, 4:05
April 6 at Oakland Athletics, 4:05
April 7 at Los Angeles Angels, 10:05
April 8 at Los Angeles Angels, 10:05
April 9 at Los Angeles Angels, 3:35
April 11 vs. Oakland Athletics, 7:05
April 12 vs. Oakland Athletics, 7:05
April 13 vs. Oakland Athletics, 1:05
April 14 vs. Boston Red Sox, 7:05
April 15 vs. Boston Red Sox, 7:05
April 16 vs. Detroit Tigers, 7:05
April 17 vs. Detroit Tigers, 7:05
April 18 at Minnesota Twins, 8:10
April 19 at Minnesota Twins, 7:10
April 20 at Minnesota Twins, 2:10
April 22 at Kansas City Royals, 8:10
April 23 at Kansas City Royals, 8:10
April 24 at Kansas City Royals, 8:10
April 25 vs. New York Yankees, 7:05
April 26 vs. New York Yankees, 7:05
April 27 vs. New York Yankees, 1:05
April 28 vs. New York Yankees, 7:05
April 29 vs. Seattle Mariners, 7:05
April 30 vs. Seattle Mariners, 7:05

MAY
May 1 vs. Seattle Mariners, 7:05
May 2 vs. Kansas City Royals, 7:05
May 3 vs. Kansas City Royals, 7:05
May 4 vs. Kansas City Royals, 1:05
May 6 at New York Yankees, 7:05
May 7 at New York Yankees, 7:05
May 8 at New York Yankees, 1:05
May 9 vs. Toronto Blue Jays, 7:05
May 10 vs. Toronto Blue Jays, 7:05
May 11 vs. Toronto Blue Jays, 1:05
May 12 vs. Toronto Blue Jays, 7:05
May 13 vs. Oakland Athletics, 7:05
May 14 vs. Oakland Athletics, 7:05
May 15 vs. Oakland Athletics, 12:05
May 16 at Cincinnati Reds, 7:10
May 17 at Cincinnati Reds, 7:10
May 18 at Cincinnati Reds, 1:15
May 20 at Chicago White Sox, 8:11
May 21 at Chicago White Sox, 8:11
May 22 at Chicago White Sox, 8:11
May 23 vs. Texas Rangers, 7:05
May 24 vs. Texas Rangers, 7:05
May 25 vs. Texas Rangers, 1:05
May 26 vs. Chicago White Sox, 7:05
May 27 vs. Chicago White Sox, 7:05
May 28 vs. Chicago White Sox, 12:05
May 30 at Kansas City Royals, 8:10
May 31 at Kansas City Royals, 7:10

JUNE
June 1 at Kansas City Royals, 2:10
June 2 at Texas Rangers, 8:05
June 3 at Texas Rangers, 8:05
June 4 at Texas Rangers, 8:05
June 5 at Texas Rangers, 8:05
June 6 at Detroit Tigers, 7:05
June 7 at Detroit Tigers, 7:05
June 8 at Detroit Tigers, 1:05
June 9 at Detroit Tigers, 7:05
June 10 vs. Minnesota Twins, 7:05
June 11 vs. Minnesota Twins, 7:05
June 12 vs. Minnesota Twins, 7:05
June 13 vs. San Diego Padres, 7:05
June 14 vs. San Diego Padres, 7:05
June 15 vs. San Diego Padres, 1:05
June 17 at Colorado Rockies, 9:05
June 18 at Colorado Rockies, 9:05
June 19 at Colorado Rockies, 9:05
June 20 at Los Angeles Dodgers, 10:40
June 21 at Los Angeles Dodgers, TBD
June 22 at Los Angeles Dodgers, TBD
June 24 vs. San Francisco Giants, 7:05
June 25 vs. San Francisco Giants, 7:05
June 26 vs. San Francisco Giants, 7:05
June 27 vs. Cincinnati Reds, 7:05
June 28 vs. Cincinnati Reds, 7:05
June 29 vs. Cincinnati Reds, 1:05
June 30 at Chicago White Sox, 8:11

JULY
July 1 at Chicago White Sox, 8:11
July 2 at Chicago White Sox, 8:11
July 4 at Minnesota Twins, 7:10
July 5 at Minnesota Twins, 7:10
July 6 at Minnesota Twins, 2:10
July 8 at Detroit Tigers, 7:05
July 9 at Detroit Tigers, 7:05
July 10 vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 7:05
July 11 vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 7:05
July 12 vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 7:05
July 13 vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 1:05

July 14-17 All-Star Break
July 15: All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, New York

July 18 at Seattle Mariners, 10:10
July 19 at Seattle Mariners, 10:10
July 20 at Seattle Mariners, 4:10
July 21 at Los Angeles Angels, 10:05
July 22 at Los Angeles Angels, 10:05
July 23 at Los Angeles Angels, 3:35
July 25 vs. Minnesota Twins, 7:05
July 26 vs. Minnesota Twins, 7:05
July 27 vs. Minnesota Twins, 1:05
July 28 vs. Detroit Tigers, 7:05
July 29 vs. Detroit Tigers, 7:05
July 30 vs. Detroit Tigers, 7:05
July 31 vs. Detroit Tigers, 12:05

Aug.
Aug. 1 at Minnesota Twins, 8:10
Aug. 2 at Minnesota Twins, 7:10
Aug. 3 at Minnesota Twins, 2:10
Aug. 4 at Tampa Bay Rays, 7:10
Aug. 5 at Tampa Bay Rays, 7:10
Aug. 6 at Tampa Bay Rays, 12:40
Aug. 8 at Toronto Blue Jays, 7:07
Aug. 9 at Toronto Blue Jays, 1:07
Aug. 10 at Toronto Blue Jays, 1:07
Aug. 11 vs. Baltimore Orioles, 7:05
Aug. 12 vs. Baltimore Orioles, 7:05
Aug. 13 vs. Baltimore Orioles, 7:05
Aug. 14 vs. Baltimore Orioles, 7:05
Aug. 15 vs. Los Angeles Angels, 7:05
Aug. 16 vs. Los Angeles Angels, 7:05
Aug. 17 vs. Los Angeles Angels, 1:05
Aug. 19 vs. Kansas City Royals, 7:05
Aug. 20 vs. Kansas City Royals, 7:05
Aug. 21 vs. Kansas City Royals, 12:05
Aug. 22 at Texas Rangers, 8:05
Aug. 23 at Texas Rangers, 8:05
Aug. 24 at Texas Rangers, 8:05
Aug. 25 at Detroit Tigers, 7:05
Aug. 26 at Detroit Tigers, 7:05
Aug. 27 at Detroit Tigers, 7:05
Aug. 29 vs. Seattle Mariners, 7:05
Aug. 30 vs. Seattle Mariners, 7:05
Aug. 31 vs. Seattle Mariners, 1:05

Sept.
Sept. 1 vs. Chicago White Sox, 7:05
Sept. 2 vs. Chicago White Sox, 7:05
Sept. 3 vs. Chicago White Sox, 12:05
Sept. 5 at Kansas City Royals, 8:10
Sept. 6 at Kansas City Royals, 7:10
Sept. 7 at Kansas City Royals, 2:10
Sept. 8 at Baltimore Orioles, 7:05
Sept. 9 at Baltimore Orioles, 7:05
Sept. 10 at Baltimore Orioles, 7:05
Sept. 11 at Baltimore Orioles, 7:05
Sept. 12 vs. Kansas City Royals, 7:05
Sept. 13 vs. Kansas City Royals, 7:05
Sept. 14 vs. Kansas City Royals, 1:05
Sept. 15 vs. Minnesota Twins, 7:05
Sept. 16 vs. Minnesota Twins, 7:05
Sept. 17 vs. Minnesota Twins, 7:05
Sept. 19 vs. Detroit Tigers, 7:05
Sept. 20 vs. Detroit Tigers, 7:05
Sept. 21 vs. Detroit Tigers, 1:05
Sept. 22 at Boston Red Sox, 7:05
Sept. 23 at Boston Red Sox, 7:05
Sept. 24 at Boston Red Sox, 7:05
Sept. 25 at Boston Red Sox, 7:05
Sept. 26 at Chicago White Sox, 8:11
Sept. 27 at Chicago White Sox, 7:05
Sept. 28 at Chicago White Sox, 2:05

ALL GAMES AND TIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE