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What we learned from Opening Day


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1 hour ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Literally nothing.

I would say next to nothing, but not "literally nothing."

1 hour ago, Jerksticks said:

Leury batting 6th,

WTF is Eaton doing hitting 2nd.

F this TLR didn’t teach them any defensive discipline in ST

One wonders how this board, and ALL of White Sox Nation would have reacted if Ricky made those lineup choices, and if HIS players made the same kind of mistakes.

I HATED the TLR hire with the fire of 1000 suns. But I was lead to believe that the (snicker) "Hall of Fame Baseball Person" would have made the right lineup choices, and that his players would have been prepared.

Here's hoping that they get this sorted. I have scant patience for this particular manager to have time to figure it out. Hes supposed to be a Golden God at this, so he should prove it.

1 hour ago, Tony said:

But a team with World Series aspirations needs to win those games on most nights. Especailly when the rotation has question marks at #4 and #5, you need to win the starts Gio leaves with a lead. 

Exactly this.

This team needs to curbstomp opponents when they're in this position, because they decided to hope and wish and pray that 2-4 talented but unproven pitchers can find the strike zone with road map, instead of fortifying the prime weakness in the roster.

It will be difficult to win on a regular basis when the #s 4/5 are on the mound. So, this team HAS TO make hay on the other 3 days, IMO.

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13 minutes ago, Rowand44 said:

I'm the opposite end of the coin here.  I stayed out until after the game was over and now I'm just dying at work today.  Not fun.

I usually am up to about midnight (start work around 8am but working from home takes away the commute which is nice), but last night I couldn't fall asleep until like 130 after the game because I was so hyped to have baseball back. Feeling good today looking forward to this Boston game coming up.

During baseball season I watch a lot less TV, play a lot fewer video games, and generally watch games all day. God bless my wife during baseball season.

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6 minutes ago, Two-Gun Pete said:

It will be difficult to win on a regular basis when the #s 4/5 are on the mound. So, this team HAS TO make hay on the other 3 days, IMO.

What team in the AL has a better 4/5 than Cease/Rodon with Kopech in the cue? Seriously asking. Yankees are 1-2 injuries to pitchers with recent injuries to a disaster and there just are not many teams in the AL that are really good. Tampa took a hit with their rotation but always seem to find depth, but I just can't really think of anyone else. YES, the Dodgers and Padres have an embarrassing wealth of riches, but different league. 

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6 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

I usually am up to about midnight (start work around 8am but working from home takes away the commute which is nice), but last night I couldn't fall asleep until like 130 after the game because I was so hyped to have baseball back.

Well that's my issue with sporting events I care about...it's not that I'm up until midnight watching the game but I'm always amped up after and can't fall asleep for a few hours as well.  Just makes for a long night.

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3 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

I usually am up to about midnight (start work around 8am but working from home takes away the commute which is nice), but last night I couldn't fall asleep until like 130 after the game because I was so hyped to have baseball back. Feeling good today looking forward to this Boston game coming up.

During baseball season I watch a lot less TV, play a lot fewer video games, and generally watch games all day. God bless my wife during baseball season.

Baseball season is great for Mrs SonofaRoache. She makes me a snack and gives me a few drinks in my man cave. She then wanders off to her own world inside her purple lady room. I set it up like a spa with a very nice massage chair and big TV so she can watch the 30 BET channels, lifetime, and HGTV. I feel bad for the dogs lol as they are the odd ones out. 

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3 minutes ago, EloyJenkins said:

What team in the AL has a better 4/5 than Cease/Rodon with Kopech in the cue? Seriously asking. Yankees are 1-2 injuries to pitchers with recent injuries to a disaster and there just are not many teams in the AL that are really good. Tampa took a hit with their rotation but always seem to find depth, but I just can't really think of anyone else. YES, the Dodgers and Padres have an embarrassing wealth of riches, but different league. 

Cleveland. Potentially Oakland. 

The Blue Jays don't have a Giolito at the top (no, Ryu isn't), and they're down a couple guys due to injury already (Ray), but they have a very deep rotation.

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59 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

Can't really blame them.  The internet wannabe scouts said what everyone wanted to hear.  

I think that yourself, fathom and myself were the main brake pumpers last year.  I bought into the hype until I saw his in game athleticism last year against MLB talent.  It is average at best and his arm is also borderline.  It makes me wonder about the draft scouts (paid and otherwise) who kept telling us he was only playing 2B because of an elite SS next to him at OSU.  

Nah he was at 2B because he's not a SS, at all.  At least the Sox realized this when he got in the system.

There was an interesting moment on a popup last night with TA where Madrigal fought the lights and called off Tim.  It looked like Madrigal called Tim off, correctly, then almost dropped it and he laughed it off.  it was a prelude to a couple innings later when he almost threw it into LF on a routine fielders choice.

He seems like a borderline starter unless he's hitting 300.  Good luck.

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12 minutes ago, EloyJenkins said:

What team in the AL has a better 4/5 than Cease/Rodon with Kopech in the cue? Seriously asking. Yankees are 1-2 injuries to pitchers with recent injuries to a disaster and there just are not many teams in the AL that are really good. Tampa took a hit with their rotation but always seem to find depth, but I just can't really think of anyone else. YES, the Dodgers and Padres have an embarrassing wealth of riches, but different league. 

Maybe nobody, maybe everybody.  I know everyone is excited about those 2(especially Dylan) after the spring but none of us have any idea what either of them are bringing to the table this year.

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1 minute ago, Rowand44 said:

Maybe nobody, maybe everybody.  I know everyone is excited about those 2(especially Dylan) after the spring but none of us have any idea what either of them are bringing to the table this year.

I like this answer. I feel like 4/5 types are as volatile as year to year bullpens. 

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We already knew the Eloy was a big loss. Other than that, I don't think we learned too much. However, the eighth inning was frustrating. The first two batters fail to hit the ball out of the infield and it is first and second and no outs. A team is asking for it when that happens.

The one thing that I learned is that with all the high expectations, any loss is going to cause some manic depression. That's the nature of Sox fans.

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2 hours ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Literally nothing.

Only thing we learned last night was that many at Soxtalk are back in regular season form and drawing vast conclusions from a singular baseball game that means next to nothing in regards to how good or bad any player or team are.

It's great to have baseball back!

 

What is an acceptable sample size for fan(atics) to be qualified to start discussing the team on a discussion forum? 

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9 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

Cleveland. Potentially Oakland. 

The Blue Jays don't have a Giolito at the top (no, Ryu isn't), and they're down a couple guys due to injury already (Ray), but they have a very deep rotation.

If Luzardo and Manaea get on a roll together, watch out.   Bassitt is what he is, Montas has had some really dominant stretches but certainly his ups and downs

https://www.athleticsnation.com/2021/3/31/22361241/oakland-as-opening-day-roster-daulton-jefferies-aj-puk-cole-irvin

With Fiers, Daulton Jefferies (relation to the former Met phenom?), AJ Puk and Cole Irvin, they definitely have more depth, overall.

 

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1 hour ago, caulfield12 said:

Anyone surprised that Leury and Collins were both allowed to hit against Iglesias...besides the obvious RHP/LHB stuff?

 

Who was supposed to hit for either one ? Jake Lamb ? Maybe for Leury but if Leury gets on that's a lot of speed and you only need one run.

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14 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

I think that yourself, fathom and myself were the main brake pumpers last year.  I bought into the hype until I saw his in game athleticism last year against MLB talent.  It is average at best and his arm is also borderline.  It makes me wonder about the draft scouts (paid and otherwise) who kept telling us he was only playing 2B because of an elite SS next to him at OSU.  

Nah he was at 2B because he's not a SS, at all.  At least the Sox realized this when he got in the system.

There was an interesting moment on a popup last night with TA where Madrigal fought the lights and called off Tim.  It looked like Madrigal called Tim off, correctly, then almost dropped it and he laughed it off.  it was a prelude to a couple innings later when he almost threw it into LF on a routine fielders choice.

He seems like a borderline starter unless he's hitting 300.  Good luck.

Here's a good rule of thumb: Big league shortstops are not the second best shortstop on their college team. 

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4 minutes ago, wegner said:

What I learned is that it is still risky staying up late to watch a close game from the West Coast.  For too many years, those games have consistently sent me to bed crabby.

Ahh the early 2000's Oakland games.  Memories...

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8 minutes ago, GREEDY said:

What is an acceptable sample size for fan(atics) to be qualified to start discussing the team on a discussion forum? 

54-60 games into a season, lol.  Post count is irrelevant.

That Opening Game always gets so much attention and everything feels magnified like a post-season game, but if the same thing played out on a random Saturday afternoon in April or May, the game thread might just be 4-5 pages. This year, with increased expectations, 8-10 pages.


Seems we also might have caught a break with the Donaldson hammy injury, because Buxton looks like he’s approaching the next two years before FA like he expects a $200 million contract, having added 10-15 pounds of muscle in the offseason.

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Just now, Harold's Leg Lift said:

Here's a good rule of thumb: Big league shortstops are not the second best shortstop on their college team. 

I think Madrigal was probably the last of the "black swan" fad. I'm not writing off that he can be a useful player yet, but his pick stings a lot because as you said, a lot of the internet scouts were writing very intriguing write-ups about him - that they then started backtracking on almost immediately after selected.

But I think early 10s, late 00s there were quite a few great players that were unlikely successes. And I think there was short time where teams started trying to convince themselves they figured out what made some of those rare cases succeed and ignored warning signs and started taking them in first rounds instead of third or later. I think that has stopped. But whatever this is probably more of an mlb draft discussion, I didn't watch last night, and am not really that concerned about having a meh 2nd baseman

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