chitownsportsfan

This new RBI baseball game looks awful.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Apr 3, 2018 -> 05:58 PM) I like Ricky R. I don't want him fired, even when we get good. However ... Avi batting second is ridiculous. It makes no sense. I'd prefer Sally or Anderson second even if Anderson doesn't walk ever. Do u all agree this is beyond absurd to have Avi hit second? Move him down where he belongs before he turns back into the old lousy version of Avi. It actually makes perfect sense. Get him more PAs. Let him hit in front of Jose.

QUOTE (hi8is @ Apr 2, 2018 -> 05:56 PM) I’m obviously the minority here but that article wasn’t insightful one bit unless you’re a casual fan who’s been living under a rock since 2016. It was written for a non-Sox audience but I do agree it was mostly "old news" for Sox fans.

Moncada leading MLB in barrels/PA early: https://twitter.com/darenw/status/981225460284690432

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 3, 2018 -> 01:26 PM) The line crossed is when you go from your own celebration, to actually going after the other team. Not only did he mimic the celebration, but he made sure he directed it into the White Sox dugout. That is petty AF. I mean the line is crossed when your 60 year old bench coach is using a whistle as the guy comes to bat...the Sox instigated this here and from all parties involved it seems no harm no foul.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 3, 2018 -> 01:22 PM) Donaldson is just petty as hell. Act like you have been there before, and not hitting a meaningless wall scraper in the third game of the season. Eh, the inning before that TA and Moncada made a great turn and pimped it hard on the way off, with ReyLo giving TA a huge high five. I like the emotion on both sides and don't really have too much of a problem with it -- if any -- given what we learned about Boston's whistle and what Donaldson was responding to. Donaldson is a jerk but in this case I don't mind it.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Apr 3, 2018 -> 01:01 PM) I thought I heard a whistle a few times during the game and thought the same thing. Boston seems like a good guy to keep around for morale but WTF, that is some bush league s***. I'd be annoyed as well.

I guess the Sox were laughing about it according to Fegan's postgamer. Watching live I thought it was a pretty redass move from Donaldson considering it was a 340 ft flyball hit into the right spot. I had no idea Boston was whistling for nice defense. I'd be a bit annoyed as well.

Guys had some really poor swings yesterday. Especially Avi and Davidson. Let's hope for a little better today. I didn't quite know what a bandbox Rogers Centre is, might be a high scoring game tonight.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 2, 2018 -> 02:01 PM) That has really started to change. A good chunk of our starting line up is guys who we both drafted and developed. Yolmer Sanchez would be a huge success story for the Sox if he can keep it up.

QUOTE (ChiSoxJon @ Apr 2, 2018 -> 01:18 PM) Lot to be excited about here... When I saw him take his ABs during spring I couldn't believe how skinny he was. I know he's still young but he looked like a 16-18 year old HS player. One with a good frame sure, but very thin. He needs to hit the weight room.

I think it's good ReyLo is getting the dome start. He's going to battle command, might as well battle it at 72 degrees with no distractions weather wise.

Getting Moncada and Kopech and Basabe for Sale was an absolute coup and really kicked things off the right way. The Eaton trade looked fairly good then and still fairly good now but man that Sale trade was an absolute rocket up the rebuild's ass. Good solid article. It wasn't too long imo. The beginning was a bit over the top but he got into the meat of it pretty quickly.

Players and fans can't be too happy it's a pretty nice afternoon in KC, temps near 60, and by gametime it will probably be down near the 40s and by the middle of the game it will def be in the 40s, possibly even low 40s. They are not going to play tmr it looks like. Brutal cold coming. High of 32 tmr.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Mar 30, 2018 -> 03:53 PM) Excuse you. Loyola-Chicago will be on the big screen! I tried to get on your bandwagon but was told there was no more room!

Pretty good article on Fangraphs from Carson, who I usually don't like. His swing appears much tighter this year (as evidenced by the exit velocity on his three HRs, each of which surpassed his highest from last year) which should allow him to get to more balls up in the zone but the real improvement is going to have to come through better strike zone control. If Davidson can take his walks he'll be a useful DH. He's got this year to prove it. Let's hope he can keep it going. I'd be thrilled with 260/310/510. That would make him about a 2 WAR DH, which is an asset.

Going to be sports overload tmr. Michigan game will be on the big TV, Sox on the computer screen.

QUOTE (wrathofhahn @ Mar 30, 2018 -> 12:11 PM) If he can do that he's your everyday 3B and you go out and find a DH. he's not a 3B. He was -13 runs in part time duty of their last year. With the young pitching coming through this is the last thing the Sox need at 3B. Let him focus on hitting and potentially taking over for Abreu at 1B in a couple years. For now he's the DH.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Mar 30, 2018 -> 12:07 PM) Wow so the fangraphs article says he’s already accumulated .5 WAR from yesterday. When was the last 80 WAR season? The over under on WAR the rest of the way is probably .5. That said, great start.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 29, 2018 -> 11:41 PM) Seriously, I hope he's coming into his own. The middle infield could be f***ing ridiculous for a long time. That contract f***ed him up last season Yolmer is still only 25 himself they got some kids that can play, and Jose ain't no bum either. Exciting infield this year.

Tim Anderson has tremendous top hand. so uh, when can I embed a tweet! SS2K, come on, you're a bit excited, right?

What great prose from Fegan tonight: Much more at the link. Get. The. Subscription.

I'm rewatching the game and I know some will hate this but man Jason is bad at actually calling the game. On that first Davidson HR, Jason had absolutely zero idea it was crushed. He was a good 2-3 seconds behind the camera. Now, 80+ year old Hawk isn't calling that off the bat, but 60 year old Hawk certainly is -- and more broadly -- so are most play by play guys. That ball was f***ing smoked. If you are at the game that's a no doubter -- call it as such, get the excitement. anyways, I hope he learns more about baseball as he gets more experience. I will say on a positive note he wasn't in constant "ask stone a question with an obvious answer" mode.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 29, 2018 -> 09:51 PM) He saw the ball and smoked it every time. Thats a huge step for him. It was extremely positive IMO. He's a pretty perfect DH that can also sub in the field. If he cuts down the walks his power will offset the K's. Heres to hoping the light came on I mean if the dude wants to go ahead and hit 260/310/530 more power to him. I'm in complete wait and see mode but those were some very pretty swings this afternoon and seeing the walk was just as nice. I've been a doubter because he really only has one tool that plays and that's power. He has to massively improve his overall offensive impact to be a roster-able player and that includes making the very rare jump in strike zone command. He can't have a f***ign .260 OBP and be a MLB player. So far so good.

QUOTE (CWSpalehoseCWS @ Mar 29, 2018 -> 09:19 PM) Probably the most fun opening day game in a while. Great to see the offense explode with Anderson and Davidson getting it done. Also, really impressed by Engle. He had some good AB's. This team definitely has a different attitude than years past. Two years ago, this team would have rolled over and died after the 1st inning Shields meltdown. I agree that it starts with attitude but thankfully this team also has the talent (at least offensively) to make it matter. I'm highly encouraged by the mechanical changes that Davidson and Engel have made and I'm encouraged that TA took a walk today. Obviously it's great to see Avi and Jose and Delmonico and Sanchez pickup where they left off last year. Feels like the Sox have only 1-2 or two holes in the lineup on any given night and that's a change. Some nights, if Davidson and Engel are producing like this, maybe they won't have any easy outs. Makes it tough on a pitcher. Can the Sox score 800 runs this year? They are off to a promising start. Of course they might give up 800 as well. Was not impressed one bit by Shields. His stuff was flat (that's putting it nicely) and I don't believe he hit over 90 mph on his fastball. He had little command on his off speed offerings and entirely too many of them floated right over the heart of the plate.