2016 Opening Day Thread

[Quin]

Oh, it's far from ideal, wouldn't you say? The team that was dead last in offense in the league last year STILL features Melky Cabrera in the middle of the order, STILL will be giving regular at-bats to Avisail Garcia, and NOW is graced with the offensive juggernauts that are Austin Jackson, Alex Avila, and Jimmy Rollins. That's not very promising at all.

 

We will probably be better overall offensively than we were last year, but seriously, with this cast of characters, we could still be last in offense once again. We are going to need some big time career years and surprises to avoid that outcome.

 

But those are offensive improvements and you forgot Frazier.

[SCCWS]

Leave it to the King of the buzzkill to take the absolute worst out of an off season that saw a ton of improvement in this line up, especially at 2nd, 3rd, and C. We don't need a ton of career years to avoid being "last in offense". We need career average years from most of the team, which we didn't see from a lot of players last year.

 

I'll take a view in the middle. I love the addition of Frazier. I like the addition of Lawrie. The offense is better at 3B-SS-2B but the defense is worse. The 4-5 rotation spots are really questionable and I am not excited by the Turner and Latos additions. I think we may have 2- 1/2 catchers who will be better offensively and worse defensively. We are improved offensively and worse defensively except maybe w Jackson. But if he can't hit, then the outfield may be worse offensively when he plays. I love the bullpen.

So I think they are better than 10 below .500 but maybe they are .500 or slightly better. NOT A TON

 

[Thad Bosley]

Leave it to the King of the buzzkill to take the absolute worst out of an off season that saw a ton of improvement in this line up, especially at 2nd, 3rd, and C. We don't need a ton of career years to avoid being "last in offense". We need career average years from most of the team, which we didn't see from a lot of players last year.

Lol - well, I was just working off of your "while not ideal...doing the best we can with what we have" sentiment. I certainly wouldn't equate that to some sort of excitement buzz that I then came in and trampled all over. And I also wouldn't call replacing many of Tyler Flowers' at-bats with those from Avila as a "ton of improvement" at that position. But I did account for the improvements expected at 2nd and 3rd when I said the team would be better offensively than they were last year. But when you see all of the at-bats earmarked for the likes of Jackson, Avila, Rollins, Garcia, and Cabrera, well then, you tell me. Last in the league in offense again? There's as good a chance at that as there isn't, unfortunately.

Edited April 3, 2016 by Thad Bosley

[OmarComing25]

I'll take a view in the middle. I love the addition of Frazier. I like the addition of Lawrie. The offense is better at 3B-SS-2B but the defense is worse. The 4-5 rotation spots are really questionable and I am not excited by the Turner and Latos additions. I think we may have 2- 1/2 catchers who will be better offensively and worse defensively. We are improved offensively and worse defensively except maybe w Jackson. But if he can't hit, then the outfield may be worse offensively when he plays. I love the bullpen.

So I think they are better than 10 below .500 but maybe they are .500 or slightly better. NOT A TON

How are we worse defensively at catcher? I think we improved there. Soto and Flowers weren't exactly defensive stalwarts.

Edited April 3, 2016 by OmarComing25

[MDWhiteSoxFan]

How are we worse defensively at catcher? I think we improved there. Soto and Flowers weren't exactly defensive stalwarts.

 

But pitch framing bro

[Jose Abreu]

Navarro, offensively, is a huge offensive upgrade. Avila is really an offensive downgrade, but I'm sure Navarro will become the everyday catcher by June.

[Y2Jimmy0]

Navarro, offensively, is a huge offensive upgrade. Avila is really an offensive downgrade, but I'm sure Navarro will become the everyday catcher by June.

 

 

Avila is not a downgrade offensively. He has power and walks a ton.

[Jose Abreu]

Avila is not a downgrade offensively. He has power and walks a ton.

He does walk a ton, but, 2011 aside, he has less power than Flowers or Soto and strikes out more.

[Chicago White Sox]

He does walk a ton, but, 2011 aside, he has less power than Flowers or Soto and strikes out more.

Avila's worst season against RHP was last year when he put up a wRC+ of 94 and the rest have been well above 100. Flowers best season as a starter was a wRC+ of 95. There is no doubt in my mind that Avila/Navarro platoon is a significant upgrade over Flowers and largely due to Avila's ability against RHP.

[Dick Allen]

How are we worse defensively at catcher? I think we improved there. Soto and Flowers weren't exactly defensive stalwarts.

The White Sox must have done something right this offseason if the complainers are down to Ishikawa and Flowers not being on the team.

 

I really don't understand why a bad spring means players are now horrid, but all a good one does is means players are what they were. If you go by this spring meaning Latos will soon be released and Avial is horrible, wouldn't that also mean Avi may be a HOFer, and Saladino is on track to perhaps be the greatest White Sox SS of all time?

Edited April 3, 2016 by Dick Allen

[LDF]

The White Sox must have done something right this offseason if the complainers are down to Ishikawa and Flowers not being on the team.

 

I really don't understand why a bad spring means players are now horrid, but all a good one does is means players are what they were. If you go by this spring meaning Latos will soon be released and Avial is horrible, wouldn't that also mean Avi may be a HOFer, and Saladino is on track to perhaps be the greatest White Sox SS of all time?

 

nice post.

 

my take on this, this off season is the best i have seen, with ref to assembling a team of good potential. is it perfect, nope, but with what the sox have done in the past, it is near perfect as a fan can hope. i really like the potential of this team.

 

it is what it is, and now i am going to hope for a great yr.

[southsider2k5]

Lol - well, I was just working off of your "while not ideal...doing the best we can with what we have" sentiment. I certainly wouldn't equate that to some sort of excitement buzz that I then came in and trampled all over. And I also wouldn't call replacing many of Tyler Flowers' at-bats with those from Avila as a "ton of improvement" at that position. But I did account for the improvements expected at 2nd and 3rd when I said the team would be better offensively than they were last year. But when you see all of the at-bats earmarked for the likes of Jackson, Avila, Rollins, Garcia, and Cabrera, well then, you tell me. Last in the league in offense again? There's as good a chance at that as there isn't, unfortunately.

 

Not really, no there isn't. This team does not have a 50/50 chance at being the worst in baseball. This is about you taking a lot of key improvements and going instantly to needing things to go right to avoid being the "worst in baseball".

 

There is a minimal chance of that happening this year. If you look around baseball the White Sox line up is probably middle of the pack-ish. The other fun part is every single guy on your list is not going to be a full time starter. All of those guys are either sharing time, or have a platoon partner. It also again leaves out the huge improvements at 2nd and 3rd base, along with any minimal improvement for guys like Cabrera and Rollins make back towards even historical norms, without seeing any improvement out of a guy like Garcia. You are quite literally assuming worst season scenarios for most of the line up, again.

[oldsox]

Last year at this time Sox were getting trounced in the final ST games, and they got off to a horrible start; this year, much better.

[Bigsoxhurt35]

The White Sox must have done something right this offseason if the complainers are down to Ishikawa and Flowers not being on the team.

 

I really don't understand why a bad spring means players are now horrid, but all a good one does is means players are what they were. If you go by this spring meaning Latos will soon be released and Avial is horrible, wouldn't that also mean Avi may be a HOFer, and Saladino is on track to perhaps be the greatest White Sox SS of all time?

Bingo

[SCCWS]

that also mean Avi may be a HOFer, and Saladino is on track to perhaps be the greatest White Sox SS of all time?

 

 

Let the season begin before you put Avi in the Hall.

 

[Dick Allen]

Let the season begin before you put Avi in the Hall.

And do the same with the guys who didn't have a brilliant spring training.

[SCCWS]

And do the same with the guys who didn't have a brilliant spring training.

 

You never read the post but commented anyway. Saying the " new catcher combo is better offensively than last year's combo but worse defensively" had nothing to do w spring training.

 

[Dick Allen]

You never read the post but commented anyway. Saying the " new catcher combo is better offensively than last year's combo but worse defensively" had nothing to do w spring training.

If Avila had a big spring, you never would have mentioned the catchers, and the defense, while you may be correct from the end of the season, from opening day to opening day, the defense is vastly improved. The better defense the Sox threw in during last season didn't seem to do much for the win column. Getting guys who can hit and play decent defense could be huge.

[flavum]

Great weather for the whole series. Landing in Chicago Thursday night should be a brutal welcome home for the team.

 

40 on Friday? Skip Danks. Home opener on Saturday with Sale. Do it!

[flavum]

Won't be any worse than a 1 o'clock game on a work day.

 

Which makes me wonder why they couldn't move Opening Day to Sunday (today-for everyone). Then if some teams want the built-in off day on Monday, then that's fine.

 

There really is no good reason not to do it today, and then teams have a couple early off days in case the weather is bad.

[SCCWS]

If Avila had a big spring, you never would have mentioned the catchers, and the defense, while you may be correct from the end of the season, from opening day to opening day, the defense is vastly improved. The better defense the Sox threw in during last season didn't seem to do much for the win column. Getting guys who can hit and play decent defense could be huge.

 

 

I agree. I have no idea what Avila has done in spring training since I am in Florida following most of the competition and box scores only tell so much. My concern is he hit below .200 last year when it counted. Hopefully Navarro is healthy and is able to catch more than Avila.

 

Someone posted the Sox made little improvement over the winter and another said they made a ton of improvements. I posted that I fell in the middle. I posted that they hopefully have gone form a team 10 under to a .500 team or a few over.

 

 

 

 

[soxfan18]

Which makes me wonder why they couldn't move Opening Day to Sunday (today-for everyone). Then if some teams want the built-in off day on Monday, then that's fine.

 

There really is no good reason not to do it today, and then teams have a couple early off days in case the weather is bad.

Because this sport is stuck in the past and likes to keep up meaningless traditions.

 

Every team starting on a Sunday makes too much sense for it to ever happen.

Edited April 3, 2016 by soxfan18

[Balta1701]

Because this sport is stuck in the past and likes to keep up meaningless traditions.

 

Every team starting on a Sunday makes too much sense for it to ever happen.

I don't think that's it.

 

They're putting marquee games on for Sunday and then starting the rest of the teams on Monday because people like me will sit around with baseball on TV all day Sunday because it's opening day and then I'll put my team on Monday (or maybe I'll watch these 3 games Sunday and buy tickets for my team's game on Monday) and thus they stretch out the opening day viewership and revenue.

[chitownsportsfan]

I don't think that's it.

 

They're putting marquee games on for Sunday and then starting the rest of the teams on Monday because people like me will sit around with baseball on TV all day Sunday because it's opening day and then I'll put my team on Monday (or maybe I'll watch these 3 games Sunday and buy tickets for my team's game on Monday) and thus they stretch out the opening day viewership and revenue.

 

I'm watching the KC/Mets game right now, pretty compelling game. Opening day lines up perfect for me being on the west coast and then the sox are right back at it Tuesday. All good from my perspective.

[Bigsoxhurt35]

As every hour passes, the more excited I'm getting! Man tomorrow night will be a long wait between UNC title game and this game. I'll be channel surfing way too much lol