Above are some assorted highlights of the White Sox's first spring training game, and below are some assorted thoughts:
HITTING*Orlando Cabrera used the entire outfield in his three at-bats, hitting a semi-hard liner to right, a near-homer to left-center, and then a bloop double just inside the left field line.
*Brian Anderson had a decent day at the plate, but he couldn't quite come through when he could really make an impact. He struck out twice to end innings, once with the bases loaded when John Koronka threw him three out of the strike zone to begin the at-bat, and the other with two on to end the game.
*Josh Fields looks good at the plate, but I'm still wondering what's up with his speed. He didn't score from first on Anderson's second-inning double when it seemed like he had enough time, especially with two outs.
*Brad Eldred is a huge guy, but he showed some nice bat control with a short, opposite-field single to right. Paul Konerko did the same thing earlier.
PITCHING*John Danks threw his cutter to an opposing team for the first time, and you can see the write-up here.
*Bobby Jenks looked good, throwing strikes -- except for one pitch that Matt Holliday embedded into the batter's eye, at about two-thirds of its height. It was a good 450-foot double.
*Ehren Wassermann struck out Todd Helton, the only lefty he faced all day.
*Dewon Day looked terrible -- and he needed a nice basket catch down the right field line from Juan Uribe to get one of those outs.
*Andy Sisco threw a 1-2-3 inning his first time up, and then was beat around the park in his second inning of work.
*Lucas Harrell didn't allow any real solid contact for the four Double-A and Triple-A batters he faced.
DEFENSE*Fields handled everything he could get to, although he was charged with an error when Paul Konerko couldn't make a dig he usually makes.
*Konerko also had a behind-the-back flip that didn't work out in Danks' first inning.
*Cabrera got a glove on a ball to his right, but he couldn't snag it. That's one of those plays Juan Uribe makes with a strong throw off his back foot. Cabrera did make up for it with a 6-4 double play to erase his runner.
*Uribe did everything right in his return to second, including the basket catch.
*Jason Bourgeois looks quite able in center field, reading balls off the wall well, calling others off and making good throws.
*Brian Anderson battled the sun for a couple difficult catches in left.
It wasn't a bad way to start the season, but it's a little disheartening to watch the Sox outhit the Rockies 13-9, but only get three runs out of it. They left 15 on base, and an inability to cash in opportunities killed them last year.
By the way, I'm now 0-9 at spring training games.