When the Dodgers first announced that they would be kicking off their 2014 regular season with a two-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Sydney, Australia on Saturday and Sunday, March 22 and 23, there wasn’t anybody who didn’t say “cool” – especially the Dodgers and Diamondbacks players. But as things began to unfold and schedules began to be set, more and more people began to say “maybe not so cool” – especially the Dodgers and Diamondbacks players.

The Australia trip has not only forced the two teams to cut their respective spring training camps short (the Dodgers end theirs on Sunday, March 16), but it was learned on Monday that Dodger pitchers and catchers will report to camp on Wednesday, February 5, 2014 instead of the Wednesday immediately before or after Valentine’s Day, as they normally do and have done for years. This suggests that position players will begin arriving at Camelback Ranch on Thursday or Friday (February 6 & 7) and that the first full-squad workout could come as early as Monday, February 10 – or perhaps even sooner.

Because of the Australia trip, Dodger pitchers will begin their PFP (Pitchers Fielding Practice) drills a week earlier than normal. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love our southern hemisphere allies and always have, but being that Australia is in… well… the southern hemisphere and a 15-hour flight away, it completely disrupts a sense of normality in trying to prepare a team for a grueling 162-game regular season by forcing them to begin and end their spring training camps sooner than the 28 other MLB teams.

Additionally, “The Rumble Down Under” (as Dodger manager Don Mattingly jokingly calls it) creates a very awkward situation for the Dodgers. The NL West Champs conclude their spring training in Glendale, AZ on Sunday, March 16, fly to Sydney at some point a day or two later, play the two games on March 22 and 23, fly back to Los Angeles, and then play their annual three-game exhibition Freeway Series with the Angels on March 27, 28 and 29. They then return to regular season play against the Padres on April 1 and 2 in San Diego.

The awkwardness comes with the Dodgers setting their 25-man roster for the two games in Australia and then unsetting it (so to speak) for the three non-league exhibition games against the Angels. Mattingly would be a fool to allow any of his active roster players to participate in the three meaningless games against the Angels – it simply isn’t worth the risk of injury.

And try setting a starting rotation around this:

• Sunday, March 16 – final spring training game at Camelback Ranch
• Monday, March 17 – off day
• Tuesday, March 18 – off day
• Wednesday, March 19 – off day
• Thursday, March 20 – off day
• Friday, March 21 – exhibition game vs. local Australian team*
• Saturday, March 22 – Opening Day 2014 in Australia (Kershaw)
• Sunday, March 23 – second game of 2014 season in Australia (Greinke)
• Monday, March 24 – off day
• Tuesday, March 25 – off day
• Wednesday, March 26 – off day
• Thursday, March 27 – exhibition game vs. Angels at Dodger Stadium
• Friday, March 28 – exhibition game vs. Angels at Dodger Stadium
• Saturday, March 29 – exhibition game vs. Angels at Angel Stadium
• Sunday, March 30 – off day
• Monday, March 31 – off day
• Tuesday, April 1 – third game of 2014 season vs. Padres in San Diego (Kershaw?)
• Wednesday, April 2 – fourth game of 2014 season vs. Padres in San Diego (Greinke?)
• Thursday, April 3 – off day
• Friday, April 4 – 2014 Home Opener at Dodger Stadium vs. Giants (Ryu?)

In addition to this, the Dodgers also have Monday, April 7 and Thursday April 10 off. If this doesn’t screw up a starting rotation, nothing will.

The truth of the matter is that this entire Australia thing is nothing more than a money-making scheme by MLB, and make no mistake about it, it will be a HUGE money-maker with crowds likely to exceed 100,000 at each of the two games; but to say that this thing doesn’t put the Dodgers at a distinct disadvantage to begin the 2014 season would, in my opinion, be an unfair assessment.

* Amended November 14, 2013 at 2:45 pm PT