BOSTON -- Ninety-nine days.
That’s how long it will be before that first harbinger of another baseball season, the southbound departure of the Red Sox equipment truck from Fenway Park, is scheduled to take place.
Truck Day, for better or worse in these parts, shares equal billing with that traditional signpost of spring, the day pitchers and catchers report. The truck is scheduled to leave Feb. 12, headed for the team’s training complex in Fort Myers, Florida. Pitchers and catchers are due to report on Feb. 20, with the first workout scheduled for the next day.
Position players join the pitchers and catchers for the first full-squad workout on Feb. 25, according to the Sox, who on Wednesday released the team’s spring training schedule.
The traditional college doubleheader with Northeastern and Boston College is scheduled for March 3 (single admission). Two days later, on March 5, the Sox are scheduled to take a short bus ride down Daniels Parkway to Hammond Stadium to open the Grapefruit League schedule against the Minnesota Twins and their new manager, Hall of Famer Paul Molitor.
The spring-training home opener will be March 6 against the Miami Marlins. (Will Giancarlo Stanton make the trip, and will he still be wearing a Marlins uniform?) That will be the first of 16 Grapefruit League games scheduled to be played at JetBlue Park by the Sox, who will break camp April 4 after playing the Twins at Hammond Stadium.
The Sox are scheduled to open the regular season April 6 in Philadelphia against the National League Phillies. Dress rehearsals against the Phils are scheduled March 15 in Clearwater (split-squad) and March 22 (The Jet).
The Sox are scheduled to play New York teams four times in the span of nine days: a visit to Port St. Lucie to play the Mets on March 8, a trip to Tampa to play the Yankees on March 11, the Yankees at the Jet on March 13, and the Mets at the Jet on March 16. The next day, the Braves will be in for the team’s traditional St. Patrick’s Day game.
Fans can purchase tickets starting at 10 a.m. Dec. 6 at JetBlue Park, or by phone at 888-REDSOX6, or at redsox.com. Fans needing ADA accessible seating may call 877-REDSOX9. Hearing impaired fans may call the Red Sox TTY line at (617) 226-6644. Befitting their last-place finish in 2014, the Sox are holding the line on ticket prices.