Block out your calendars, get your eyedrops and start your countdown, baseball fans.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced Thursday that the 2017 season will open April 2-3 with ESPN carrying no fewer than seven games, highlighted by the World Series champion Cubs opening defense of their first title since 1908 by facing off in prime time Sunday against — wait for it — their arch-rivals, the Cardinals, in St. Louis.
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Manfred made the announcement Thursday at the end of MLB's quarterly owners meetings in Chicago.
The season's first game features the Yankees at the Rays at 1:10 p.m. ET. Sandwiched between that game and Cubs-Cardinals at 8:30 p.m. ET, the Giants take on the Diamondbacks at 4:10 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Monday's ESPN quadrupleheader (all times ET): Braves at Mets at 1:10, Padres at Dodgers at 4:10 and the defending AL-champion Indians at Rangers at 7:05 on ESPN, followed by Angels at A's at 10:05 on ESPN2.
Meantime, also of note, MLB said that for the third consecutive season, all games on the season's final day (Sunday, Oct. 1) will begin at 3 p.m. ET in an effort to maximize the excitement of postseason races.
