Opening Day is special for a variety of reasons, none of which are lost on White Sox manager Rick Renteria. The 2018 season will serve as the White Sox second phase of rebuilding the franchise into a winning contender and a for several players, Mar. 29, 2018 will be an unforgettable day.
#WhiteSox pitchers experiencing their first ever @MLB #OpeningDay tomorrow — @infantes_gregor, Juan Minaya, @LGio27, Reynaldo López, @Carson_Fulmer and @aaronbummer! pic.twitter.com/ucJh7L7UoQ
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 28, 2018
Six of the South Siders’ 13 pitchers will witness their first Opening Day in the major leagues on Thursday while three other position players are set to absorb the wonder of day-one of the Major League Baseball Season – even the White Sox training staff has a rookie in their midst.
.@ymoncada19, @ManofSteal_15, @Nicky_Delmonico and conditioning coach Ibrahim Rivera are all experiencing their first @MLB #OpeningDay tomorrow! 👏 pic.twitter.com/ECSBuuiVVp
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 28, 2018
White Sox second-year manager Rick Renteria offered an in-his-own-words account that captures what the young players will experience and what made his first Opening Day so special.
“It’s one of those things,” Renteria said, “where from day one of Spring Training, everyone tries to get themselves ready for the season, to be able to put your best foot forward every day. You’re hoping you can do everything necessary to become a true family as a baseball team.”
If Spring Training is the unofficial start to spring, complete with warm sunshine beaming through screens across the country hoping to melt winter away, then Opening Day is the official declaration of a new season. For the next six months, there will be a baseball game on every night and the White Sox’s young roster is set for a treat.
“We have nine players who will be experiencing Opening Day for the first time Thursday,” Renteria explained. “It is going to be a special day for them.”
The skipper ruefully remembered his first Opening Day in 1987 as a “blur,” but explained how special his second Day-1 was with the Marlins.
“I had to wait until 1993 for my second Opening Day in the big leagues. I had been bouncing around for a few years when I finally got back with the Florida Marlins. I was more elated because you’re older and you realize that being up here for Opening Day doesn’t happen every day. You appreciate it more. It’s always surreal. Major League Baseball is a surreal life.”
The players sure get a kick out of the experience, but coaches are never too old to experience this special moment as well. “It isn’t just the players. Last year, two of our coaches, Nick Capra and Curt Hasler, got to experience Opening Day for the first time. … It takes a lot of good coaching to develop these players. It’s somewhat of a thankless job for the coaches. I wanted to acknowledge all the hard work Nick and Curt put in. They’ve been through all the battles for a long time. Being part of Opening Day for the first time was just as exciting for them as it was for the players.”
.@TimAnderson7 took over our Instagram Stories today during practice. The result will get you very excited about this team! 🔥
Go watch the full video on IG — username: whitesox pic.twitter.com/tlSG1KdcM4
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 28, 2018
Indeed, this season has a different feel for many around the White Sox organization. Tim Anderson has broken out of his shell taking the reigns as Commander and Chief of White Sox social media. His morning rituals with Yolmer Sanchez have added a playful flavor and anticipation to each new morning. Even though this is Anderson’s third season in the big leagues, he finds himself in a unique position of veteran leader on roster replete with green players.
There is something special happening with this team. pic.twitter.com/56FAAG1z3J
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 29, 2018
Nicky Delmonico and others have piled on for the social-media excitement and it appears the White Sox have endorsed the constant digital presence; an intelligent marketing move to showcase the playful youth regenerating the Guaranteed-Rate crowd.
The 2018 season will endure a narrative arc of its own, something we will all watch with bated breath – at least for the first month or so. But there is no denying the close-knit feeling one gets from the barrage of Instagram stories and tweets fired out from the locker room, and Renteria is right in the middle of the fun.
“As a manager, it always is a thrill to line up with my team for the introductions. I look at my players just like I look at my kids. We’re living through our players. The game is about them. We have pride in them, we have joy with them, we suffer with them, and everything in between.”
