Opening Day Grades: Filler until Wednesday

[flavum]

My concern with the team isn't about one game. It's about how they looked late in spring training-- which wasn't good. Now does that mean anything either? No, but with every team in baseball playing 8 of their first 10 series in the division, nobody can afford to suck the first 30-35 games. Hopefully they win a game in KC, and come home and slaughter the Twins. And then when Sale takes the mound on Sunday, this season will get off and running.

[bmags]

My concern with the team isn't about one game. It's about how they looked late in spring training-- which wasn't good. Now does that mean anything either? No, but with every team in baseball playing 8 of their first 10 series in the division, nobody can afford to suck the first 30-35 games. Hopefully they win a game in KC, and come home and slaughter the Twins. And then when Sale takes the mound on Sunday, this season will get off and running.

 

I do agree with this. They certainly seemed to tail off the last 2 weeks of spring training. Our pitching continues to leave ST with no control.

[chitownsportsfan]

Being a mod is supposed to neuter me from having an opinion? I am not sure that's how it works. This a forum site. The whole motor for a forum site is people of similar interests having an opinion and having difference in opinions. If having an opinion makes me an antagonist than yes, I am an antagonist. That seems like a cop out. I'd prefer to talk about whatever topic at hand rather than getting personal.

 

For whatever reason you deleted the post, but if it were still here we could down the road. So you make the argument I have bolded above, but your initial post was very different. The first half of your post was about the Sox game and what you saw from Samardzija and it turned into a validation of your opinion that he shouldn't be signed longterm. Now if you made the argument bolded on Sunday, I would have never responded.

 

I really love this conspiracy theory that I deleted the post. I spent like 10 minutes on the original post because I was bored and wanted something to talk about with our last night posters. Anyone that was on last night around 9pm PST can tell you it was laggy as all hell. I would go to edit and have to come back 2 minutes later for the changes to stick. The server was timing out.

 

The original post was meant to just spark conversation on the off day. We have one day of baseball we might as well react.

 

Anyone that thinks I was shipping Shark out of town based on one game doesn't know my posting history well at all.

 

This place is generally pretty drama free the idea that I deleted my post based on criticism is laughable. I already ditched SSS because of all the stupid posters that hang on every word and refuse to use context, please don't turn Soxtalk into one of those places.

Edited April 7, 2015 by chitownsportsfan

[kitekrazy]

I take it this team looked like they had no Spring training. Some still can't run the bases.

[hi8is]

Whatever guy. I am not all that concerned with the edited post but to act as if I can't disagree with you because I am a moderator is kind of soft. The one and only reason I had any trepidation of becoming a mod was because of the potential for that type of cop out and treatment from posters. Fortunately your gripe is the first one of this nature. The posters and management of this forum have always been above that (in my short time here) and that's just another reason this a great forum.

I nominate myself as a mod on the grounds that it would make for hysterically good times. Instantly, the funniest mod in Soxtalk history.

 

[Dick Allen]

I take it this team looked like they had no Spring training. Some still can't run the bases.

 

But Vince Coleman...

They clearly worked very hard on baserunning in spring training.

 

It is just one game, if it lingers, then worry about it. I was hoping they would go 162-0, but I figured it was a bit of a longshot.

Edited April 7, 2015 by Dick Allen

[flavum]

I don't usually root for a rain out, but I hope Wednesday's game gets moved to August.

[JoshPR]

2007. Grady Sizemore hit Contreras' first pitch into the stands. The White Sox never recovered all season long.

 

Hmmmm. I recall a buehrle game. Against CC. Im gonna have to look it up. Maybe it was 05 buehrle's hfirst start. Ill see if i can research it.

[shysocks]

Hmmmm. I recall a buehrle game. Against CC. Im gonna have to look it up. Maybe it was 05 buehrle's hfirst start. Ill see if i can research it.

March 31, 2008. Buehrle 1.2 IP, 7 ER. Sabathia 5.1 IP, 5 ER.

[flavum]

Home opener--

 

Jose Contreras will throw out the first pitch to Joe Crede.

 

Might need him for a few innings later in the game.

[Dick Allen]

March 31, 2008. Buehrle 1.2 IP, 7 ER. Sabathia 5.1 IP, 5 ER.

Dotel blew that game in the 9th.

[NorthSideSox72]

One of the knocks on Micah the past couple years is he sometimes tries to do too much, both on defense and on the basepaths. Needs to slow it down. I think we just saw those nerves rear their head. Not overly concerned.

 

[JoshPR]

March 31, 2008. Buehrle 1.2 IP, 7 ER. Sabathia 5.1 IP, 5 ER.

Thank you! I remember The sizemore homer

[NorthSideSox72]

March 31, 2008. Buehrle 1.2 IP, 7 ER. Sabathia 5.1 IP, 5 ER.

And that team went to the playoffs.

 

[fathom]

Thank you! I remember The sizemore homer

 

Erstad homered early in that game against CC and Hawk acted like the Sox won the WS

[NorthSideSox72]

By the way if you're all that bored, head on over to the FS forum, we're starting the affiliate previews.

 

[caulfield12]

Cody Ross is available.

 

Tries to scrub away memories of 2012, mid-summer...and Hawk Harrelson implosions.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/04/05...mc=rss&_r=0

And looks like that Y.Tomas signing isn't going according to form. Maybe the Cuban whose value got over-inflated the most by Abreu's 2014 season.

Edited April 7, 2015 by caulfield12

[bmags]

Other than getting picked off, I thought he handled himself pretty well in the way of composure. He got taken out at 2B by Gordon and didn't try to make what would have almost assuredly been an errant throw and when he botched a 4-6-3 double play ball to his glove side he didn't try to beat Cain running to 2B, he took the sure out at 1B. What we did see was a lack of familiarity between him and Alexei and as advertised, Micah doesn't have the softest hands. It's still just one game.

 

What was everyone's take on that ball that got through Micah and Alexei. I wasn't really sure who to blame there.

 

I think even if Micah caught it, he wouldn't have gotten out. That inning featured many extraordinary hits, placed and paced to make it difficult. That said, even if Alexei should have communicated more, Micah has to catch that.

[Vance Law]

What was everyone's take on that ball that got through Micah and Alexei. I wasn't really sure who to blame there.

 

Alexei's fault. He screened him. If Micah had known in advance that Alexei was going to screen him and miss the ball, perhaps he would have changed into hockey goalie mode just to keep it in the infield, but in the split second he's positioning himself to try to make the out.

[Jake]

Alexei's fault. He screened him. If Micah had known in advance that Alexei was going to screen him and miss the ball, perhaps he would have changed into hockey goalie mode just to keep it in the infield, but in the split second he's positioning himself to try to make the out.

 

I don't understand how Alexei can screen him when he's coming from a different direction--that is, unless Micah was out of position, which he did seem to be--and it looks like Alexei was verbally called off the ball, which it didn't seem clear he could get to in the first place.

[kitekrazy]

But Vince Coleman...

They clearly worked very hard on baserunning in spring training.

It is just one game, if it lingers, then worry about it. I was hoping they would go 162-0, but I figured it was a bit of a longshot.

 

This is something they need to address in the minors. It's a trademark of the organization.

 

[greg775]

Don't get me wrong. I worship Abreu. He's one of the best hitters in baseball. My question, though, is ... is there a problem with him playing first base? Is he so bad defensively, that coupled with Gillaspie being average defensively at best; Micah average at best and Lexi excellent but known to bounce in a throw or two, that it is going to be a huge problem? Should the Sox turn Abreu into a full time DH because of defensive concerns?

Edited April 8, 2015 by greg775

[Eminor3rd]

Don't get me wrong. I worship Abreu. He's one of the best hitters in baseball. My question, though, is ... is there a problem with him playing first base? Is he so bad defensively, that coupled with Gillaspie being average defensively at best; Micah average at best and Lexi excellent but known to bounce in a throw or two, that it is going to be a huge problem? Should the Sox turn Abreu into a full time DH because of defensive concerns?

 

It's possible, but they're going to give him every chance to be a defender first, and they should.

[caulfield12]

They went through this with Frank Thomas.

 

The belief that a player in the prime of his career is more engaged if he's out on the field and involved in the entire game...plus, there's the theory that Abreu can become average or above-average as he gets more big league instruction/coaching.

 

We wouldn't want to have LaRoche play 1B for two seasons (primarily), then turn around and stick Abreu out there again two years from now.

 

As long as he's not as bad as in the first month or so last season, it won't kill the Sox.

Edited April 8, 2015 by caulfield12

[shysocks]

I don't understand how Alexei can screen him when he's coming from a different direction--that is, unless Micah was out of position, which he did seem to be--and it looks like Alexei was verbally called off the ball, which it didn't seem clear he could get to in the first place.

Just visually, it looked like Alexei's fault because he shouldn't be wandering so far to the other side of the bag if the second baseman has a good shot at the ball, which Micah did. But I think we also have to assume there was some kind of miscommunication as you said, because Alexei had the play until he sort of pulled off it.