Baseball junkie’s guide:
Jackie’s 100th birthday; games in Mexico, London, Omaha; stars change teams and return home; here’s an MLB ’19 primer.
❚ Should fantasy owners be leery of loaded Dodgers? Page 7
From opening day to the All-Star Game, from a return to Mexico to the first games to be played across the pond, here are the Major League Baseball dates to put in your mobile calendar now. And don’t forget about the historic returns of Manny Machado to Baltimore, Albert Pujols to St. Louis and Robinson Cano to New York. Here are games and series you don’t want to miss this season.
International kickoff
March 20-21: The 2019 season kicks off in Tokyo with a two-game set between the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners. The series likely will be a farewell for Ichiro Suzuki and a debut (of sorts) for Mariners lefty Yusei Kikuchi.
Opening day for rest
March 28: Opening day for the rest of baseball features a full slate of games, including the retooled New York Mets facing the Washington Nationals in a battle of potential NL East contenders.
Cano returns to Big Apple
April 4: Former New York Yankees great Robinson Cano makes his home debut back in the Big Apple, only this time as a member of the Mets. Cano hit .309 with 204 homers in nine seasons with the Yankees.
Mexico revisited
April 13-14: The St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds play a two-game series in Monterrey, Mexico. They’ll have trouble topping what happened in last year’s Mexico series, when four Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers combined for a no-hitter. The Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels also will play in Monterrey in May.
Happy birthday, Jackie
April 15: Baseball celebrates the 100th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s birth, with all players wearing No. 42 as they do every year, plus an on-field centennial tribute at Dodger Stadium.
Interesting matchup
April 25-28: In Houston, Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer and Astros third baseman Alex Bregman will likely face off for the first time since the two traded jabs — good naturedly, we think — on Twitter in the off-season.
Visiting ‘boring’ St. Louis
May 31-June 2: The Cardinals’ series with the Chicago Cubs are always interesting, but this one could be even more so given that it’ll be Kris Bryant’s first action at Busch Stadium since calling the city of St. Louis “so boring” in January.
Omaha special
June 13: To develop closer ties with college baseball, the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals play in Omaha, Nebraska, in advance of the College World Series.
Pujols returns to St. Louis
June 21-23: Believe it or not, but Albert Pujols has yet to return to St. Louis as a member of the Los Angeles Angels. Assuming he’s healthy, this series will be his chance to bask in his former glory.
Machado’s back in Baltimore
June 25-26: The San Diego Padres pay a quick two-game visit to Baltimore that will mark slugger Manny Machado’s first appearance at Camden Yards since he was traded by the Orioles last July.
European invasion
June 29-30: MLB sends its two marquee teams to London for its first regular-season games in Europe. The Yankees and Boston Red Sox will play at London Stadium.
All-Star week
July 7-9: The All-Star Game and its accompanying festivities return to Cleveland for the first time since 1997, when Sandy Alomar Jr. became the first player from the host club to win MVP honors.
World Series rematch
July 12-14: In a rematch of last year’s World Series, the Dodgers will travel to Fenway Park for a three-game series against the Red Sox. The Dodgers lost both games they played there last October.
Hall of Fame Day
July 21: For the second year in a row, baseball will induct a six-man class into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Mariano Rivera — Mr. Unanimous — headlines the group, which includes Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, now deceased Roy Halladay, Harold Baines and Lee Smith.
Little League Classic
Aug. 18: Little Leaguers rub shoulders with the big leaguers when the Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates play in the third MLB Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Nicknames on their backs
Aug. 23-25: Get a glimpse of players’ personal lives on Players’ Weekend, when nicknames replace last names on the backs of jerseys. Unless you’re Zack Greinke, who uses “Greinke.”
Friendly face returns
Sept. 23-25: It won’t be as jarring because it’ll be happening in September, but Diamondbacks fans will get their first upclose look at Paul Goldschmidt in a St. Louis jersey when the Cardinals visit Chase Field.
Final weekend at Globe Life Park
Sept. 29: The Texas Rangers will host the Yankees in what — barring a surprise postseason appearance — will be the final game at Globe Life Park as the regular season concludes. The Rangers will open a new stadium, Globe Life Field, next year.
Piecoro covers the Diamondbacks for the Arizona Republic and the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter @nickpiecoro and read him daily on azcentral.com/sports/ diamondbacks.