**2018 Opening Day Game Thread**

[chitownsportsfan]

Looking for tank wins and losses

 

I wanna see the team compete. Time for "finish bottom 5" is over. If guys like Moncada and Gio and Yolmer and TA and even Avi are producing this isn't going to be an awful squad. that said, let's hope most the losses come on james shields' watch.

[BigHurt3515]

I wanna see the team compete. Time for "finish bottom 5" is over. If guys like Moncada and Gio and Yolmer and TA and even Avi are producing this isn't going to be an awful squad. that said, let's hope most the losses come on james shields' watch.

 

In the beginning of the season I could care less about draft position. I want us to be better than expected and possibly fight for that 2nd wild card.

[The Ginger Kid]

Looking forward to getting an early look at Santiago. Too soon?

[kwolf68]

In the beginning of the season I could care less about draft position. I want us to be better than expected and possibly fight for that 2nd wild card.

 

No chance with this starting pitching.

 

Shields is not quite awful. Gonzalez is awful. Lopez could be awful. Fulmer may be awful. Gio is the one legit S-pitcher this team has.

 

Good thing is KC and Detroit are atrocious so that's 36 games against AAAA teams. And Minnesota isn't the 27 Yanks either though certainly better than the aforementioned creampuffs.

 

Sox will get serious when they get these scrubs out of the rotation and get Rodon back healty and Kopech from the farm (assuming control issues are resolved)...THEN and only then do they have any shot of even mediocrity.

Edited March 29, 2018 by kwolf68

[BlackSox13]

I'll guess ...

 

Moncada 2B

Avi RF

Abreu 1B

Davidson DH

Delmonico LF

Castillo C

Anderson SS

Sanchez 3B

Engel CF

 

I understand it but still think it kinda sucks there's no room for Cordell at the moment.

 

Glad the season is finally here and looking forward to seeing young players grow as the team gets better. I believe the bad years are behind now and the offense will be a surprise.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

I'm going to say Castillo hits the first HR of the season. And since this team is actually pretty well stocked with speed for once, I'll say Moncada gets the first SB of the year.

[TitoMB345]

GO SOX

[oldsox]

I know the Sox are probably looking at 75 wins this, but goodness I'm so excited for baseball again. Already working on my tickets to the May 15-17 series between the Sox and Pirates (as I live in Pittsburgh)....

Vegas Over/Under was 70 a few days ago.

[Baron]

Great....watching Shields give up 4 home runs will be amusing as always.

[BlackSox13]

Shields might have a chance of keeping the ball in the park with cool cloudy weather expected.

[Panerista]

I wanna see the team compete. Time for "finish bottom 5" is over. If guys like Moncada and Gio and Yolmer and TA and even Avi are producing this isn't going to be an awful squad. that said, let's hope most the losses come on james shields' watch.

Yeah when I say ?€œtank win or loss?€?, I mean I want the young guys to play well in a win or loss.

 

Counting on Moncada improving a lot this year.

Edited March 29, 2018 by Sox-35th

[Reddy]

I've never been less stoked for baseball than I am this year, and that makes me very, very sad.

[SoxAce]

Counting on Moncada improving a lot this year.

 

He better go 4-4 with HR, 2 RBI, 2B today or I'm calling him a bust.

[Brian]

I've never been less stoked for baseball than I am this year, and that makes me very, very sad.

 

That's a shame, because while they may only win 75 games, they will be fun to watch and at least put in effort.

[Chicago White Sox]

I've never been less stoked for baseball than I am this year, and that makes me very, very sad.

Wow, you were more stoked last year? This year’s team could actually be pretty fun.

 

The position player side is filled with interesting players across the board. Just following Moncada will be worth watching most games IMO. Seeing how Anderson rebounds after a rough sophomore season will be exiciting. If those two can take a big step forward this year that could accelerate the rebuild a bit. Then you got a stud in Abreu and a maybe stud in Avi (another guy who will be fun to follow). You got Castillo coming off a pretty nice and having a good catcher would be pretty sweet. I’m actually super excited to see what we have in Nicky & Yolmer. Even Engel will be somewhat interesting to follow given his elite CF defense and if the bat fails as expected we’ve got a very interesting prospect in Cordell. Honestly, DH is the only spot I’m really bummed about, but at some point Eloy will be up and it won’t really matter because the weakest hitter (likely Davidson) will move to the bench or get cut.

 

The pitching side is more worrisome but at least we open the season with three young talents in the rotation. I’m super pumped to see if Giolito is going to take that next step this year. Despite Lopez’s rough spring, I still have faith in his stuff and feel he’ll eventually prosper by working with Coop on a daily basis. And while I have zero faith Carson Fulmer will ever make it as a starter, I’ll take him over Derek Holland, Mike Pelfrey, Dylan Covey, & David Holmberg who combined for 66 starts last year. Plus I fully expect Rodon & Kopech to be in our second half rotation, which is when things should get really excited. The bullpen is what it is but there are a few guys who will be fun to follow in Jones, Soria, Bummer, & even Santiago.

 

Overall, I am pretty pumped for this season. Hopefully Shields doesn’t s*** on that optimism today.

[Reddy]

Wow, you were more stoked last year? This year’s team could actually be pretty fun.

 

The position player side is filled with interesting players across the board. Just following Moncada will be worth watching most games IMO. Seeing how Anderson rebounds after a rough sophomore season will be exiciting. If those two can take a big step forward this year that could accelerate the rebuild a bit. Then you got a stud in Abreu and a maybe stud in Avi (another guy who will be fun to follow). You got Castillo coming off a pretty nice and having a good catcher would be pretty sweet. I’m actually super excited to see what we have in Nicky & Yolmer. Even Engel will be somewhat interesting to follow given his elite CF defense and if the bat fails as expected we’ve got a very interesting prospect in Cordell. Honestly, DH is the only spot I’m really bummed about, but at some point Eloy will be up and it won’t really matter because the weakest hitter (likely Davidson) will move to the bench or get cut.

 

The pitching side is more worrisome but at least we open the season with three young talents in the rotation. I’m super pumped to see if Giolito is going to take that next step this year. Despite Lopez’s rough spring, I still have faith in his stuff and feel he’ll eventually prosper by working with Coop on a daily basis. And while I have zero faith Carson Fulmer will ever make it as a starter, I’ll take him over Derek Holland, Mike Pelfrey, Dylan Covey, & David Holmberg who combined for 66 starts last year. Plus I fully expect Rodon & Kopech to be in our second half rotation, which is when things should get really excited. The bullpen is what it is but there are a few guys who will be fun to follow in Jones, Soria, Bummer, & even Santiago.

 

Overall, I am pretty pumped for this season. Hopefully Shields doesn’t s*** on that optimism today.

I don't know that I was *much* more stoked last year. I stopped paying attention pretty quickly last year as well, but I at least drafted a couple fantasy teams and knew when Opening Day was prior to a couple days before, unlike this year where it completely took me by surprise. I don't know that this is an indictment of the team so much as an observation about myself. It's weird and I don't like it. But I also started grad school last year, on top of working a few jobs, so maybe that's the reason more than anything else.

 

BUT thanks for that write-up, because you're right. There are interesting pieces and things to keep an eye on all season, but lord that James Shields Opening Day nod does NOT inspire confidence

[Panerista]

I've never been less stoked for baseball than I am this year, and that makes me very, very sad.

Experts are suggesting there’s a decent chance the best Sox hitting prospect since Frank Thomas could be called up this season.

 

Now is the time to get excited.

[bmags]

I'm pretty stoked. That offseason was probably as brutal as I'd expect, but still terrible to go through.

 

What did we get to talk about?

Machado trade we didn't want to happen and didn't

Moustakas signing we didn't want to happen and didn't

Ohtani signing we wanted to happen and didn't

The exciting Luis Avilan and Soria trade that lasted about 3 hours and then I often forget about

Signing wellington castillo

A rule 5 draft where we didn't end up with anyone.

 

Brutal. Last year we had the prospect of trading to make winter fun even into april.

 

Now we have baseball. A draft. Prospects knocking on the door. Some incredibly fun teams have been assembled.

 

This is gonna be awesome.

[BigHurt3515]

I don't know that I was *much* more stoked last year. I stopped paying attention pretty quickly last year as well, but I at least drafted a couple fantasy teams and knew when Opening Day was prior to a couple days before, unlike this year where it completely took me by surprise. I don't know that this is an indictment of the team so much as an observation about myself. It's weird and I don't like it. But I also started grad school last year, on top of working a few jobs, so maybe that's the reason more than anything else.

 

BUT thanks for that write-up, because you're right. There are interesting pieces and things to keep an eye on all season, but lord that James Shields Opening Day nod does NOT inspire confidence

 

You can blame it on Soxtalk being down. There was no hype starting the season or a countdown thread so it kind of snuck up on me as well. But I am still excited to see this young team compete. They all seem to like playing together and have a ton of heart and there is some talent on the roster too

[brett05]

I get it that Duffy is a better pitcher, but I gotta think our lineup is way better. Royals are somehow favored today (-132)

[BamaDoc]

I get it that Duffy is a better pitcher, but I gotta think our lineup is way better. Royals are somehow favored today (-132)

 

 

The power of Shields! Seriously, I want him in this role of taking on other teams #1 and if necessary taking some lumps rather than our youngster pitching well but not having as good of success(W) due to matchups. Everyone states he is a good teammate and professional. I would love for Shields to pitch well as it makes it easier for him to mentor and may establish trade value if we add most of his money. Without him we are forcing innings on worse pitchers/unready youngsters and likely destroying our bullpen.

[Chicago White Sox]

I’m shocked they haven’t released the lineups yet.

[chitownsportsfan]

Wow, you were more stoked last year? This year’s team could actually be pretty fun.

 

The position player side is filled with interesting players across the board. Just following Moncada will be worth watching most games IMO. Seeing how Anderson rebounds after a rough sophomore season will be exiciting. If those two can take a big step forward this year that could accelerate the rebuild a bit. Then you got a stud in Abreu and a maybe stud in Avi (another guy who will be fun to follow). You got Castillo coming off a pretty nice and having a good catcher would be pretty sweet. I’m actually super excited to see what we have in Nicky & Yolmer. Even Engel will be somewhat interesting to follow given his elite CF defense and if the bat fails as expected we’ve got a very interesting prospect in Cordell. Honestly, DH is the only spot I’m really bummed about, but at some point Eloy will be up and it won’t really matter because the weakest hitter (likely Davidson) will move to the bench or get cut.

 

The pitching side is more worrisome but at least we open the season with three young talents in the rotation. I’m super pumped to see if Giolito is going to take that next step this year. Despite Lopez’s rough spring, I still have faith in his stuff and feel he’ll eventually prosper by working with Coop on a daily basis. And while I have zero faith Carson Fulmer will ever make it as a starter, I’ll take him over Derek Holland, Mike Pelfrey, Dylan Covey, & David Holmberg who combined for 66 starts last year. Plus I fully expect Rodon & Kopech to be in our second half rotation, which is when things should get really excited. The bullpen is what it is but there are a few guys who will be fun to follow in Jones, Soria, Bummer, & even Santiago.

 

 

Overall, I am pretty pumped for this season. Hopefully Shields doesn’t s*** on that optimism today.

 

[iWiN4PreP]

Shields f***ing sucks, but everything else is cool! Let's do this!

[SAVVY18]

I read that Salvador Perez is out 4-6 weeks with an MCL injury because he was carrying his own bags and landed awkwardly. Ooops.