MLB Post #2

The Cardinals and Miami Marlins will begin the season with the opening of Florida's new ballpark on Wednesday, April 4, followed by six openers the next day.

The regular season will conclude on Wednesday, Oct. 3.

Below is  a list of important baseball dates in baseball this year.

Please note this list was sent to all members on e-mail


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March 28-29, 2012
Japan Opening Series 2012, Tokyo
Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics
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April 4, 2012
Opening Night, St. Louis Cardinals at Miami Marlins
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Opening Day
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Complete list
March 2, 2012
First Spring Training game, Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics, Phoenix
Mandatory report date for all players on remaining clubs
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March 11, 2012
Last date to renew Major League contracts
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March 19, 2012
Last day to place a player on unconditional release waivers and pay 30 days termination pay instead of 45 days
Last date to assign an injured player to a Minor League club, if applicable
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March 26, 2012
Earliest date that a club may backdate a placement on the Major League 15-day disabled list
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March 28-29, 2012
Japan Opening Series 2012, Tokyo
Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics
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April 4, 2012
Opening Night, St. Louis Cardinals at Miami Marlins
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April 5, 2012
Opening Day
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April 10, 2012
The first date that a player placed on the 15-day disabled list during Spring Training may be reinstated (if placed on or backdated to March 26)
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April 14, 2012
First date that a player optioned during Spring Training may be recalled
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May 15, 2012
 Earliest date that clubs may re-sign players that they unconditionally released between August 31, 2011, and March 31, 2012
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May 18, 2012
Inter league Play begins
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May 28, 2012
Memorial Day
Start of Closed Period for the 2012 First-Year Player Draft  
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June 4-6, 2012
First-Year Player Draft
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June 16, 2012
First date that Clubs may trade an eligible free agent player who was signed after electing free agency
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July 2, 2012
First date to sign international players for the following season
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July 4, 2012
Independence Day
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July 8, 2012
Taco Bell All-Star Sunday, Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City
Futures Game, Legends & Celebrity Softball
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July 9, 2012
Home Run Derby, Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City
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July 10, 2012
83rd All-Star Game, Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City
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July 13, 2012
5 p.m. ET, signing deadline for players selected in the First-Year Player Draft
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July 16, 2012
Competitive Balance and Forfeited Pick Lottery
First date that assignable draft selections may be traded (through October 3, 2012)
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July 22, 2012
Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Cooperstown, N.Y.
July 31, 2012
Non-waiver trade deadline, 4 p.m. ET 
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August 31, 2012
Waiver trade deadline. Postseason eligibility lists established at midnight ET  

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September 1, 2012
Active rosters increased from 25 to 40 players
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September 11, 2012
September 11 Remembrance 
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October 3, 2012

End of 2012 MLB regular season
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October 4, 2012
Any division or wild-card tiebreaker games would take place.
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October 5, 2012
The wild-card games would be on Friday;
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October 6, 2012
The two Division Series featuring the 2-3 seeds will start on Saturday, Oct. 6
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October 7, 2012
The two involving the wild cards will start on Sunday, Oct. 7.
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A problem could ensue if the ALDS involving the wild card goes a full five games, ending on Friday, Oct. 12. The ALCS will begin the following day, as mandated by baseball’s contract with TBS. Thus, there would be no travel day in between, and the teams would not know where the ALCS would begin until after the ALDS is over.
The problem in ’12 is that the regular season ends on Wednesday, Oct. 3 and the World Series begins on FOX on Wednesday, Oct. 24. Squeezing in additional wild-card games never was part of the plan.

So I am guessing at this point the playoff and world series schedule could possibly be changed with the new wild card format, seeing the players seem ready to start it this year. 

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MLB World Series begins Wednesday, October 24, 2012, and ends Thursday, November 1, 2012.
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Immediately after the World Series
Eligible players become free agents
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Sixth day after completion of World Series
First day that Major League and Minor League free agents may sign contracts with teams other than their former clubs
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12th day after completion of World Series
Midnight ET, last date for a player to accept arbitration from former club 
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November 30, 2012


Midnight ET, last date to tender contracts  

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December 3-6, 2012
Baseball Winter Meetings, Nashville, Tenn.
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December 6, 2012
Rule 5 Draft, Nashville, Tenn.  

Remember nothing is written in stone as we anticipate possible changes due to a new wild card format but at least this gives everyone a heads up of the possible changes.