Lip Man 1

Good move, no sense risking getting a pitcher hurt in miserable weather trying to throw breaking balls et al

Pitching was shaky, James Shields is done but the offense looked terrific. I said last year that I thought Matt Davidson may be a keeper and could help when this team is good again in 2020. Great start by him obviously. Let's hope this season turns out better than the last one where the Sox scored in double figures on opening day! April 1, 2011 – The White Sox started the season with a torrent of runs in blistering the Indians 15-10. It was the second highest total of runs scored on opening day in franchise history. The Sox led 14-0 after the first five innings. Carlos Quentin drove in five runs and newcomer Adam Dunn knocked in four.

To all Sox fans HAPPY OPENING DAY! Enjoy the game and the season and let's hope better days are ahead!

Awful Announcing has the story: http://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/ozzie-guill...in-chicago.html

Why Pinto? "Why not?" (Burp)

Wish the team continued improvement across the board in 2018 as the franchise points towards 2020.

QUOTE (ChiliIrishHammock24 @ Feb 26, 2018 -> 03:47 PM) If I am not mistaken, the Sox have had one of the healthiest teams for a while now, in terms of days on the DL. Probably especially with their starting pitchers. But I've heard the same stuff (no disrespect towards you) the past few years. My answer is the same...it doesn't matter how healthy the Yankees are or the Brewers or the Blue Jays. That doesn't directly impact the White Sox. They have lost a ton of players the past two years, especially relief guys. Compared to their track record that is not normal for them. Something is going on in my opinion beyond the "luck" factor. Other teams have had the ability to replace guys because of a good farm system, other teams have had the ability to replace guys because they have the money and the farm system to do it. Neither of those conditions have applied to the Sox. For this rebuild to work, guys must stay healthy, especially the high draft picks and the guys the organization is counting on to produce.

They are dropping like ****ing flies again. Third straight year. I ask again...bad luck or is something else going on in the off season conditioning plan / training staff. Sure "luck" plays a part in it...but three straight years? The Bears decided to do something about it to try to change that "luck"...maybe the Sox need to consider the same.

And Ynoa gives up another run today. Why he is even on the team let alone getting spring innings is beyond me (when there are actual kids who may contribute in the future who can actually use the work.)

Assuming the Sox keep Jose or Garcia (or both) and assuming the outfield kids develop Nicky could be part of a trade deal, assuming he does well in 2018/19.

The season is already a success. The Sox canned that stiff Covey.

From what I understand former Sox announcer and long time WGN TV sportscaster Rich King is going to be involved in the Sox spring web casts. He's retired now and living in Arizona. Great to hear that Rich is back in the game!

Anibal Sanchez signs with the Twins. One year, 2.5 million.

QUOTE (WBWSF @ Feb 13, 2018 -> 07:58 PM) What will be your opinion come Opening Day 2019 and the White Sox payroll is next to nothing? Personally I can give a tinker's cuss (ya like that phrase?) what the team payroll is in 2019. Honestly I could care less. My personal opinion is they still won't be ready to really compete anyway in 2019. They'll be better, maybe a game or three over .500, but still not ready. THAT takes place in 2020. So again to answer your question, I DON'T CARE... talk to me in 2020 and if they have turned the corner and are starting to "win" I don't care what the payroll is, how big or little the profit margin is or even who owns the damn team. I only care about one thing and one thing only....WINNING GAMES!

QUOTE (WBWSF @ Feb 13, 2018 -> 05:00 PM) In case some people don't understand what I think about the future of this team, this is how I see this playing out. JR is not going to spend any money on this team the next 2 seasons. The White Sox will have one of the lowest if not the lowest payrolls in MLB. He will put the team up for sale sometime in 2019 and the new owner will takeover in 2020. The new owner will be buying a White Sox team with a low payroll and no big long term contracts on the books. The value of the team increases with no big money on the books. JR bought the White Sox in 1981 with those same circumstances. In the meantime the next 2 seasons the team is going to be "Mired In Mediocrity" again. This is total and complete nonsense. That's the polite way of putting it. JR WILL NOT SELL, he's said that repeatedly, publicly. He is keeping this team until he is dead then his family will put it up for sale, period. End of discussion. Tax purposes basically prohibit him from selling the club while he is alive. JR is a tax expert, he knows the rules and the loopholes. Why is that so hard for you to understand, honest question...not trying to be snarky. I don't care much for JR myself, but he's bought in on the rebuild and the money WILL BE THERE starting next year. No guarantees they get anybody to sign with them but the offers will be out on the table and they will be aggressive.

Wish him the best so the Sox can trade him in July but I fully expect, given his history, that he'll be back on the DL around Memorial Day.

QUOTE (WBWSF @ Feb 13, 2018 -> 12:35 PM) Problem is, I don't expect the White Sox to spend any money this 2018 season nor in 2019. You were also saying ad naseum that JR was going to be selling the team. How's that worked out for you? We'll see how your latest "prediction" turns out. My guess...you come out wrong again.

QUOTE (WBWSF @ Feb 2, 2018 -> 03:03 PM) Hate to bust everybodys bubble but I talked to Scott Merkin at Soxfest. He claims as long as Machado wants to play shortstop the White Sox as of now have no interest in him. The White Sox like Tim Anderson at shortstop. So unless Machado wants to play 3rd base the White Sox have no interest in signing him to play shortstop.. Oh well. PLENTY of other top free agents out there who are going to be available and the Sox will have PLENTY of money to interest them with. Sorry to burst your bubble.

Terrific hiring.

QUOTE (WBWSF @ Feb 7, 2018 -> 01:54 PM) Another year "Mired In Mediocrity". Wait Til Next Year!!!! Actually another year building "closer to being very competitive for the foreseeable future..." Which sure as hell beats the "mired in mediocrity" we've seen for the last decade. Yet again (for the 1,234,323 rd time with you) ownership is NOT changing, the front office is NOT changing this was the best that could be done under those circumstances.

QUOTE (Dam8610 @ Feb 3, 2018 -> 09:46 AM) Of course the current deal expires after 2021. 2022 will almost certainly be in this team's competitive window. Let's hope there's not another strike then. Shades of 81 and 94, both times the Sox were rolling, there was a lot of fan excitement and things were looking very promising....then... It couldn't happen three times when the Sox were good could it?

With all this speculation now coming out, given the anger being felt by the MLBPA and players, about what happens when the labor agreement expires after the 2021 season, if JR is still with us, it'll be interesting to see if his views have changes any since the early 90's (which changed considerably from when he bought the team in 1981.)

From my interview with Bart Johnson. I asked him if there were any indications in spring training that the Sox were going to have the type of season they did in 1977: “Not that I can remember but I do think Oscar (Gamble) was a big part of the reason we did so well. He was a professional hitter who had tremendous confidence in himself. I remember a spring game where Oscar came up and got a single. When the inning was over he’s back in the dugout talking, ‘lousy single...I’m a home run hitter!’ “I also remember a time that spring when we were just hammering a pitcher; we were just beating him around. Oscar’s in the dugout telling everyone, ‘easy, easy we want this guy to make the team remember!’ (laughing) Oscar couldn’t wait to face this guy when the season started.”

Believe I just saw where Matt Albers signed a two year deal with Milwaukee.

Supposedly a good teammate as well from the guys I've talked with. RIP.