Well, since I’m a man of my word, I’m here to give you a recap of the Sox’s first spring training game against last year’s National League champions, Colorado Rockies. Now, while today’s game wasn’t televised (though it was available on MLB.tv, for a fee), it was broadcast on 670 The Score. So, here we go:
1. The game was played at the Electric Park in Tucson, AZ under weather conditions that were 50 degrees warmer than they were in Chicago. And, I’m pretty sure that they don’t have snow expected on Thursday night.
2. Today’s starting lineup was without Joe Crede (my fav) or Sox newcomer, slugger Nick Swisher.
3. Crede vs. Fields. Youngster Josh Fields got the starter over Joe Crede at third base. This was hardly a shocker since Crede is more than likely going to be traded before the start of the season. I really hate to see Crede leave but many Sox fans see Fields as the future of the team. While Fields might not be as good of a defensive player as Crede (in fact, Fields made an error during the first inning), Fields commands more power at the plate. While Crede was injured during much of the `07 season, Fields came up from the minors to hit 23 home runs in only 100 games. Since the Sox can’t afford both players, it’s ultimately going to be up to manager Ozzie Guillen to decide who’s going to be sporting a Sox uniform at the start of season. Most Sox fans believe Ozzie has already made up his mind to trade Crede while Crede is now healthy and has some value. Got to love the business side of America’s past time.
4. John Danks was the Sox’s starting pitcher. While he struck out the first batter, he gave up a home run to the very next batter Troy Tulowitzki followed by a walk to University of Tennessee alumni, Todd Helton. Which was then followed by an error from Fields that allowed Helton to score another run. Still, the Sox press seemed to be happy with Danks performance, striking out three batters in the two innings he pitched. During the third and fourth inning, Danks joined radio announcers Ed Farmer and Chris Singleton (both former South Siders) in the booth for an interview. You won’t get that during the regular season.
5. Poor BA. Brian Anderson that is. For some reason, Ozzie doesn’t seem to like the kid, and he’s seen as a bit of a disappointment for the Sox organization. After starting out with the team last year, he was sent down mid season to the minors in Charlotte. Sox fans seem to be split on whether to like Anderson or not. Frankly, I think he has to put with way more crap than he deserves. I see Anderson as an unappreciated player who’s just waiting for the chance to become a hero. Well, he had a good start today with a double, a walk, and a RBI. And he made a nice catch out there in right field. Though, I’m sure what everyone will remember with his performance today is that when the Sox had the chance to take the lead with bases loaded, Anderson struck out. Oh well. One more thing about Anderson. On the Sox message boards, everyone refers to him as BA. I thought it was a lazy, short cut around his name. However, when Danks was in the radio booth during the third inning, he also referred to Anderson as simply, BA.
6. For whatever reason, MLB.com stopped refreshing its online Game Day coverage during the 5th inning. So, it was bit tougher to keep up with all the substitutions. Non-roster invitees that got to play today include Mike Rouse, Brad Eldred, Miguel Negron, and Royce Huffman. I’ve never heard of them either.
7. During the game, radio announcers Farmer and Singleton spent some time talking with the baseball coach from Northern Illinois University. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you of the shooting tragedy that occurred on their campus a few weeks ago. Paying their respects, the Sox all wore NIU baseball caps.
8. The Sox’s 7 – 3 loss was the 11th straight loss to the Rockies. Ouch!
9. While we loss (even a ST loss is a bummer), it was still exciting to hear Sox baseball on the radio. I can’t hardly wait for the regular season to start up. In order to get really in the mood, I picked up a hot dog (extra char) at Hot Dougs. Ah, hot dogs and baseball. Is there anything more perfect?
– Tomorrow, the Sox get another chance for a win against the Rockies. However, I don’t believe the game is going to be broadcast on radio or television. Bummer.