I can't wait any longer... Here is your opening day thread. Post, be happy.

 

 

 

Can we push Sunday's weather into Monday?

 

Sun Mar 30

Partly Cloudy

61°

49°

Partly Cloudy

Chance of rain:

0%

Wind:

SW at 11 mph

 

Mon Mar 31

56°

33°

Showers

Chance of rain:

40%

Wind:

SSW at 13 mph

I really hope it doesn't rain. I plan on getting down there at 9ish and dont know that I want to sit out in the rain all day.

The Twins will be starting Ricky Nolasco on opening day, Does everyone think that the Sox will go with the "everyday" lineup consisting of Flowers and Viciedo, or may they go with Nieto and De Aza with the RH on the mound?

Eaton 8, Garcia 9, Gillaspie 5, Abreu 3, Dunn DH, Viciedo 7, Ramirez 6, Flowers 2, Semien 4. Sale 1.

 

Interesting lineup today considering it's all of the regulars if Beckham starts on the DL.

 

Maybe this is what Robin is going with for OD. I'd rather see Semien in the 2-hole, and Gillaspie at 7 or 8.

Edited March 25, 201412 yr by flavum

The Twins will be starting Ricky Nolasco on opening day, Does everyone think that the Sox will go with the "everyday" lineup consisting of Flowers and Viciedo, or may they go with Nieto and De Aza with the RH on the mound?

 

My guess would be that they play De Aza over Viciedo, but who really knows.

 

The MLB network has a commercial with the PA's saying names of a few players. Hearing Gene Honda say "Now at the plate, number 79, Jose Abreu" gave me chills.

The Twins will be starting Ricky Nolasco on opening day, Does everyone think that the Sox will go with the "everyday" lineup consisting of Flowers and Viciedo, or may they go with Nieto and De Aza with the RH on the mound?

We see a RHP 60% of the time. With that logic, Nieto and De Aza are our regulars.

Wow, this thread sure is official.

We see a RHP 60% of the time. With that logic, Nieto and De Aza are our regulars.

 

As far as starting pitching, the Sox faced righties 76.5% of the time last year. Smyly, Vargas, and Chen are the only lefties in the division starting out.

As far as starting pitching, the Sox faced righties 76.5% of the time last year. Smyly, Vargas, and Chen are the only lefties in the division starting out.

Right. So his logic is even more flawed

It really does need to be a National Holiday because we need to be off work.

Flowers is here because of his all-around ok-ness in the various catching categories. And he'll catch a ton because of that. Despite Nieto's switch hitting, i'd expect him to ride the pine a ton.

 

Flowers' catching actually earned him this place in the organization(as well as the total lack of other catchers of course). Flowers' catching was impressive enough to make Phegley a (sort of) early cut. It now appears that the only guy Phegley was earnestly competing against, if at all, was Flowers. Judging from the Baseball Prospectus piece (in the comments section) with Joshua Kusnick, where he reveals how early-in-the-works it was to put Nieto on the team. And also based on how important it (apparently) was to the white sox to have a left-hitting catcher on the team.

Edited March 25, 201412 yr by Jose Paniagua

I can't wait any longer... Here is your opening day thread. Post, be happy.

 

 

 

 

I am with you on this. I am excited for Opening Day Baseball 2014.

We see a RHP 60% of the time. With that logic, Nieto and De Aza are our regulars.

Closer to 80% or more in our division. Which means it will likely be 70-75% overall. Cleveland starting zero lefties, Detroit only Smyley, who's never pitched 100 MLB innings, and only 76 last year, Minnie only has Diamond who is only their 6th, and completely blew last year, and KC with 2, Vargas and Chen, who may or may not be good enough to hang all year, and possibly Duffy, eventually. Sox may wind up facing the highest % of righty starters in all of baseball.

 

And this is why it would be really dumb, imo, to split ADA and Tank's time based on pitchers handedness. Unless your goal is to put his value in the Andruw Jones/Vernon Wells neighborhood. Just get ADA his AB's as a 4th OF for all positions, and in LF when/if Tank DH's. I'll be ticked if ADA is in OD lineup.

 

This is also the reason, prior to the Eaton trade, that I thought Choo would be a great fit.

Edited March 25, 201412 yr by Stan Bahnsen

Closer to 80% or more in our division. Which means it will likely be 70-75% overall. Cleveland starting zero lefties, Detroit only Smyley, who's never pitched 100 MLB innings, and only 76 last year, Minnie only has Diamond who is only their 6th, and completely blew last year, and KC with 2, Vargas and Chen, who may or may not be good enough to hang all year, and possibly Duffy, eventually. Sox may wind up facing the highest % of righty starters in all of baseball.

 

And this is why it would be really dumb, imo, to split ADA and Tank's time based on pitchers handedness. Unless your goal is to put his value in the Andruw Jones/Vernon Wells neighborhood. Just get ADA his AB's as a 4th OF for all positions, and in LF when/if Tank DH's.

 

Also why it was silly not to bring in a legit lefty hitting catcher.

Right. So his logic is even more flawed

 

 

Maybe I am just an idiot.

We see a RHP 60% of the time. With that logic, Nieto and De Aza are our regulars.

 

The logic isn't about Nieto being a regular. It is about keeping a potential starting catcher in the system. They aren't nearly as worried about lefty/righty when it comes to catcher right now.

Right. So his logic is even more flawed

Has Ventura said there will be a platoon in LF or are you assuming?

Dan Hayes ‏@DanHayesCSN 5m

 

New beers at U.S. Cellular Field this season: Revolution Anti-Hero IPA, Lagunitas IPA, Lagunitas Day Time Pale Ale, MillerCoors Smith (1/2)

New beers (2/2): MillerCoors Smith and Forge Hard Cider, Miller Fortune, Veteran Beer Company Blonde Bomber Ale and Bell’s Two Hearted Ale.

I personally can't wait for the Bacon on a stick....

Dan Hayes ‏@DanHayesCSN 6m

 

Among new food items: bacon mac and cheeseburger, chicken and waffle sandwich, bacon on a stick, pork chop sandwich, mango chicken sausage.

http://www.thecatbirdseatblog.com/ New Sox blog with a number of writers who have done Sox blogs in the past. Should be a lot of content for those who love reading Sox related stuff .

I guess I'm just an old geezer, but the only food items I have an interest in while at a baseball game are hot dogs, nachos, peanuts, cracker jack, and helmet sundaes. Not really interested in getting a gourmet meal at a baseball game.

Closer to 80% or more in our division. Which means it will likely be 70-75% overall. Cleveland starting zero lefties, Detroit only Smyley, who's never pitched 100 MLB innings, and only 76 last year, Minnie only has Diamond who is only their 6th, and completely blew last year, and KC with 2, Vargas and Chen, who may or may not be good enough to hang all year, and possibly Duffy, eventually. Sox may wind up facing the highest % of righty starters in all of baseball.

 

And this is why it would be really dumb, imo, to split ADA and Tank's time based on pitchers handedness. Unless your goal is to put his value in the Andruw Jones/Vernon Wells neighborhood. Just get ADA his AB's as a 4th OF for all positions, and in LF when/if Tank DH's. I'll be ticked if ADA is in OD lineup.

 

This is also the reason, prior to the Eaton trade, that I thought Choo would be a great fit.

And why I was pushing for Elsbury but Eaton might turn out to be a mini version of those guys at a very good price so it's OK.

I am really rooting hard for Gillaspie to rake against righties. I know many view him as the placeholder for Davidson but imagine the position the Sox would be in if he hit. 280 with 20 bombs and 75 RBI's . I don't think it's that farfetched.

 

Also if Viciedo hits we'd be in a far better position to trade him and his iron glove for another LH bat though for what position I have no idea. But the fact remains we still need more LH hitters since most of our lefties everyone wants gone.

Also if Viciedo hits we'd be in a far better position to trade him and his iron glove for another LH bat though for what position I have no idea. But the fact remains we still need more LH hitters since most of our lefties everyone wants gone.

 

Assuming Davidson supplants Conor, it comes down to this for me:

 

There are three positions heading into '15 where we can put some lefty power, LF/CF if moving AE to LF, C, and DH. Two of those three will ideally be occupied by a LHH or SH with some pop.