Breaking Down the 2012 Dodger Schedule

I remember as a kid, a few weeks before the start of spring training, every year our Uncle Mark would mail us Dodger schedules for the upcoming season. They were small printed out schedules about the size of a Baseball card, and they would fold out to reveal TV times, giveaway dates, and the entire regular season schedule. Stacie and I would rip open those schedules like we were opening presents on Christmas day. Our eyes would light up, as we read through the Annual Unocal 76 Dodger pocket schedules.

Now in present day, we are about a month away from the start of spring training, so let’s take a look at the 2012 Dodger regular season schedule.

The 162 game regular season consists of each team playing 81 home games, 72 division games, 75 games against league non-division opponents, 32 against the NL East, 43 against the NL Central and 15 inter-league games. When looking at the Dodger’s schedule, the first two months are very home heavy. Another thing that pops out at me is the Dodger’s easy inter-league schedule. I will get to that in a second.

The Dodgers start the season with four games at San Diego. Opening day in San Diego is April 5th. The Dodgers come home for the first home-stand on April 10th. The first home-stand against Pittsburgh and San Diego features a giveaway of a replica Clayton Kershaw Cy Young Award plaque on April 11th against the Pirates.

The first two months of the schedule are very home heavy for the Dodgers. They play 30 of their first 51 games at home in April and May. June however consists of a lot of road games. There are only 9 home games and 19 road games in June. The rest of the schedule is pretty balanced. The Dodgers end the season with a six game home-stand (Sept.28-Oct. 3), three against Colorado, and the last three games against the Giants. The Dodgers play 18 games against each team in their division, for a total of 72 divisional games. Three home series and three road series is the format for division opponents. The Dodgers play 6 games against the Marlins, Nationals, Braves, Reds, Chicago, Houston, and the Angels. The Dodgers play 7 games against Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and the Mets. The Dodgers play 11 games against the defending World Series champion Cardinals for some weird reason. Normally there is one team from the NL Central that the Dodgers play nine games. (for example last year it was Houston) For some reason it’s 11 games this year.

The Inter-league schedule for the Dodgers in 2012 is pretty easy. They play 15 inter-league games, including the annual six games against the Angels. Three games against the Chicago White Sox, three games at Seattle, and a three game set at Oakland. All of the inter-league games take place from June 8th-June 24. The Dodgers don’t pay the Yankees, Red Sox, or Rangers, nor do they play the Tigers at all in 2012, unlike the last couple of seasons. (this means we won’t see Prince Fielder at all! Yeah!!!).

This year is the 50th anniversary of Dodger Stadium, and the Dodgers will be celebrating all throughout the season with giveaways and special events. Other significant giveaway dates this year include Clayton Kershaw replica Jersey night on April 28th against the Nationals. Saturday May 19, against the Cardinals, is the Dodger Stadium Fanfest. Monday May 28 is 1$ Dodger Dog Night against the Brewers. Photo Day is June 30th against the Mets. Dodger Stadium 50th anniversary cap night is on July 3rd against the Reds. September 4th against the Padres is Matt Kemp replica Jersey night. Thursday night August 30th against the Dbacks may be the most important giveaway all year. That is the night of the Vin Scully Bobblehead night, honoring the greatest broadcaster in sports history with his very first bobblehead.

For more information about the Dodgers 2012 Schedule and giveaways, you can check out the Dodgers home page, or you can also check at the top of our home page here. We have the Dodgers 2012 Spring Training schedule and their 2012 regular season schedule listed above in links above our home page included with links to where you can purchase tickets.

I’m not sure if Unocal still prints those pocket schedules out, but man were those schedules cool or what? Being able to take the Dodger Schedule with you anywhere was an awesome thing, before the Internet and smart phones made them obsolete.