Start of baseball season is now 72 days away: Astros vs. Rangers will get it started

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/ FROM KEITH GROLLER About now, only the skiiers could love winter. It hasn't been bad in terms of snow (knock wood), but the dreary, dim skies, cold temps and spreading flu bug have many of us thinking spring. And with spring comes baseball. The start of the Major League Baseball season (no ,not Spring Training or the World Baseball Classsic, but real baseball) is now 72 days away. It starts on March 31, which happens to be Easter Sunday. The Astros make their American League debut against the Rangers in the season opener and former Phillie John Kruk makes his debut as a Sunday Night Baseball analyst. He is replacing Terry Francona who left the pressbox for the Indians dugout. This was released earlier this week, but here's the list of games that ESPN plans to televise, and note that only four of the 11 scheduled games so far are National League games, although one additional game includes the Braves against the Tigers: Date Game March 31 Texas Rangers at Houston Astros April 7 Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers * April 14 Baltimore Orioles at New York Yankees April 21 St. Louis Cardinals at Philadelphia Phillies April 28 Atlanta Braves at Detroit Tigers May 5 Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants May 12 Los Angeles Angels at Chicago White Sox May 19 Detroit Tigers at Texas Rangers May 26 Atlanta Braves at New York Mets July 14 St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs July 21 New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox