The Chicago White Sox home opener yesterday afternoon against the San Francisco Giants at Guaranteed Rate Field went very well. For the first half inning. Then it all started to go downhill. The White Sox gave up 7 home runs, and it got so bad they put in a position player to pitch the 9th inning, baseball's equivalent of waving the white flag. And, to be fair, he pitched just as well as the regular pitchers, which for yesterday, at least, is not saying very much. The final score was 12-3, and the crowd of 37,000 was not happy.
As usual, Jason Benetti (in the photo on the left) and Steve Stone (on the right) were broadcasting the game, and before play began, were very optimistic about the team after a 2-2 record in a series against last year's World Series champions, the Houston Astros. After the White Sox fell behind 7-0, Jason and Steve were cheered when the Sox scored 3 runs and looked like they might be making a comeback. Then the roof fell in, boos began to be heard from the crowd, and they advised the fans and the team to put the game behind them and come back fresh on Wednesday, when they play their next game against the Giants. There are, after all, still 157 games left to play.
On the bright side, Liam Hendricks, their all-star closer, who is being treated for cancer, spoke to the crowd before the game via a televised message on the scoreboard, announced that he is about to undergo his final round of chemotherapy treatments, and expects to be back soon. And happily, based on their performance yesterday, they don't need a closer until he gets back. In any case, I have not given up hope. It is very early in the season, and the Sox could very well still win it all this year. And if it is a subway series against their North Side rivals, the Chicago Cubs, I promise to be back in Chicago to watch that historic World Series. If you dream, dream big. Words to live by.
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