With $32 million worth of “we believe in this arm” at his back, Chris Sale maxed out at 95 mph and slid back from there, but it was hardly calamitous considering that it didn’t keep him from spinning 7 2/3 shutout innings (~92 was the average fastball velocity). Sale even dialed back to 93 when needed, and certainly didn’t witness any diminishing returns on his changeup as a result.

Jeff Francouer certainly has the timing on Sale’s offerings, singling twice, but every Francouer conquest of Sale serves to make Robin Ventura‘s intentional walk binge from last August seem just a bit more grounded. Everyone wins. Except the Royals, who keep playing Francouer.

Of course, Sale started out last season throw high-90′s from the first day, so who’s to say whether he’s pacing himself or already working through some fatigue. As time stretches on and his elite track record piles up, my interest in the variance in his method will wane.

Though Twitter anecdotes about his frosty nature in spring training have fan attitudes toward Tyler Flowers as sour as ever, Opening Day fans got a healthy dose of the good things the 27 year-old does at the plate. His day started ignominiously when he struck out in the second inning with runners on 1st and 2nd, but there were some moments of light even in that.

Flowers was understandably overeager and hacked his way into an 0-2 hole, but followed it up by playing some pretty decent protect for someone with one of the worst swinging strike rates in baseball. He was rung up looking on a close take on 0-2, which can at least be said to be a different method of K’ing than the rest of this swing-happy lineup. Flowers’ next at-bat showed off his other tool–raw power–as he golfed out a high James Shields changeup 417 feet to left without even looking like he got all of it. He even kept his backside upright through the swing, to string along hope that he’ll be able to stave off slumps a bit more in the future.

Small delights continued from there.

Jeff Keppinger–signed to hit singles–hit a single and started a crucial seventh inning double play to usher Chris Sale into the eighth inning. Addison Reed didn’t do something absurd like get a 1-2-3 inning, but looked more or less like an entrenched closer, even if a slider to make us forget what Sergio Santos used to snap off has yet to arrive. U.S. Cellular Field even waived in over 39,000 through their gates for the first time since 2010.

Even the Royals looked smart for a day by putting James Shields at the top of the rotation, since he was able to get someone to chase at a diving changeup whenever he needed and only lost because Tyler Flowers didn’t ignore it when he floated one in belt-high. Last year Bruce Chen was their Opening Day starter. It’s easy to see how they might have been talked into overpaying for an upgrade

But the Mariners can look like a powerhouse on Opening Day, and the White Sox have put on a good show for their home opener six years running now. Opening Day’s spectacle provides easy satisfaction, which is why it draws so much attention and is appropriately placed as far away from meaningful baseball games as possible.

Still, so far, so good. And this team has no business getting ahead of itself.

Follow James Fegan on Twitter @JRFegan 

1. Alejandro De Aza – CF
2. Jeff Keppinger – 3B
3. Alex Rios – RF
4. Adam Dunn – DH
5. Paul Konerko – 1B
6. Dayan Viciedo – LF
7. Alexei Ramirez – SS
8. Tyler Flowers – C
9. Gordon Beckham – 2B

Chris Sale makes his first Opening Day start and without the distraction of his alma mater still competing in the NCAA tournament. The White Sox are expecting big things out of Sale, as evidenced by his new contract, but the goal here should be to avoid the same fate as the last Sox starter to pull a nice contract extension. A win on day 1 would be an excellent start.

According to a great many baseball talking heads on the television machine, the Royals are on the brink of greatness now that they’ve added James Shields to the rotation. Shields has pitched decently in his career, pitching half of his games in a park that ranks among the best at suppressing runs. He now moves to Kansas City, which sits at about league average. His 108 ERA+ from 2012 puts him at just around league average as well, certainly not in ace territory. Of the White Sox many worries for the 2013 season, James Shields should not be one of them. Not today, not on any other day.

The rest of the Royals could mount some issues, perhaps. Here they are:

1. Alex Gordon - LF
2. Alcides Escobar – SS
3. Billy Butler- DH
4. Mike Moustakas - 3B
5. Salvador Perez – C
6. Eric Hosmer – 1B
7. Lorenzo Cain – CF
8. Jeff Francouer – RF
9. Chris Getz – 2B

White Sox baseball has arrived. If you’re heading to the ballpark, wear your winter coat. If you’re watching from the comfort of your home, wear your coat in a show of solidarity.

Where to Watch
Game available on Comcast Sports in Chicago, Fox Sports KC in the Kansas City Market. 3:05 central start time.

But how to get everyone excited about the White Sox? The most I can promise you is they should be around, doing things, being competent, not getting swept most of the time. What I can do today, is conclusively show that whatever your doubts about every Opening Day starter, the White Sox have done worse…and recently!

Starting Pitcher

Current: Chris Sale

It’s easy to feel good about this one. Sale, 24, is an uber-talented young ace signed on to lead the starting rotation for the foreseeable future. It’s also a step up from last year, when John Danks was the pretty talented young de-facto ace signed on to lead the starting rotation for the foreseeable future.

Much, much worse:All the guys who started during the first Bush Presidency

Jaime Navarro’s back-to-back tours of duty on Opening Day ’97 & ’98 are the obvious and horrifying choice. K/BB ratios aren’t supposed to be under 1.00, Jaime, otherwise they’d be BB/K ratios! Duh!

But at least he offered stability. The White Sox ended the 1980′s cycling through Ricky Horton, Jerry Reuss and Melido Perez for Opening Day starters before Jack McDowell came along. Neither Horton or Reuss even finished out the year with the club, and Perez got the nod after finishing the previous year with an ERA+ of 76. Later he was part of trade package that brought in Steve Sax.

Catcher

Current: Tyler Flowers

He is not A.J. Pierzynski, and will probably never be a plus-hitter do his countless strikeouts. What’s not to hate, amiright, 89% of White Sox fans?

Much, much worse:Charlie O’Brien

Maybe the reason the White Sox didn’t want to re-up with an aging catcher this offseason because they remember how the idea of following up the Ron Karkovice era with a mixture of Chad Kreuter and 38 year-old Charlie O’Brien (who grabbed the Opening Day start) went. Maybe O’Brien’s .262/.303/.390 line seems alright, but remember again the nature of MLB offense in 1998.

1st Base

Current: Paul Konerko

He’s old, but lovable. Konerko’s making his 12th-straight Opening Day start at the position, and his wrist is all in one piece again.

Much, much worse: Greg Norton

The 1998 White Sox started Norton–he of the 64 career MLB plate appearances at the time–at 1st base on Opening Day. Over the season, he would split time with recently convicted spousal abuser Wil Cordero. How can anyone be cynical about this current team, when the 1998 White Sox managed to win 80 games somehow?

2nd Base

Current: Gordon Beckham

Going into his fourth-straight year as the full-time starting second basemen, Beckham is continuing to demonstrate how low the standards are for offense at up-the-middle defensive positions are, especially if that defense is relatively commendable. If nothing else, he’s useful as a point of reference.

Much, much worse: Steve Sax

Chris Getz is a competitor for sure, and Willie Harris wasn’t much good, but in each case the White Sox were simply giving the most qualified keystone in the organization a shot. At this moment, when everyone is lamenting another summer with Gordon and the low expectations he brings, it’s a good time to remember how much hope there was for Steve Sax in 1992. They traded second round draft pick Bob Wickman for him! Sax hit .236/.290/.317 in ’92 and fielded like time had caught up with him and was yanking on his jersey.

3rd Base

Current: Jeff Keppinger

Keppinger might be alright? He’s never played…well any position on a full-time basis and might not do well facing all the right-handed pitching life is going to throw at him, but he’s not….

Much, much worse: Everybody

…Chris Snopek or Craig Wilson or Josh Fields or Mark Teahen or Brent Morel. This position is a graveyard and there’s no need for reminders. Robin Ventura was fantastic at the hot corner for this team and all he got was a mangled leg and a high-anxiety job that he may or may not enjoy.

Shortstop

Current: Alexei Ramirez

Alexei Ramirez is a defensive whiz, but is coming off of his worst offensive season. Since offense is the only thing anyone can really measure effectively and his approach comes off as undisciplined, attitudes toward Alexei are not as positive as they probably should be.

Much, much worse:When Jimmy Carter talked about malaise he was just talking about White Sox shortstops

The end of Ozzie Guillen era was rough, Mike Caruso: Year 2 was definitely a trying time for everyone, but let’s go back to 1977. This is a time period where the White Sox begin a stretch of five different Opening Day shortstops in five years, and seven in nine. This is a period of time where the organization couldn’t find a half-decent answer to “How do we replace Bucky Dent?” When Bill Almon slap-hit .301/.341/.375 in 1981 to actually earn a second-go-round, the Sox showed a lot of restraint by not erecting a 60-foot statue in his honor and signing his first-born son to a 10-year contract.

Left Field

Current: Dayan Viciedo

Dayan needs to learn to hit right-handers and take a walk in order to stave off intense offensive lean years for a franchise currently dependent on senior citizens. Also, he sure as hell isn’t standing out in left field because the team just loves his arm that much. But at least there’s potential here.

Much, much worse: Carlton Fisk. Yes, Carlton Fisk

Juan Pierre was an easy target for criticism  (and I think I got it all out of my system), and injuries made Opening Day left fielders out of Pablo Ozuna (2007) and Cory Snyder (1991). But all of these selections were received more warmly than Tony La Russa’s experiment to put 38 year-old Carlton Fisk out there. From the Chicago Tribune archives, back when Ed Sherman was on staff, here’s Fisk’s feelings on the switch:

“Ain’t much to do out there,” Fisk said. “I was out there for six innings and touched the ball twice.”

What`s the toughest part of playing left field?

“Staying awake,” Fisk said.

Does he feel comfortable in left yet?

“I don`t know if I`ll ever feel comfortable out there,” Fisk replied.

Young Joel Skinner not being able to hit a barn door if he was leaning against it didn’t help make the change stick.

Center Field

Current: Alejandro De Aza

Shame on the person who raises a voice to criticize Alejandro De Aza

Much, much worse: Googly Woo

The full-blown acceptance of De Aza is born out of the White Sox’ historical struggles at the position. There’s a litany of forgettable names, but nothing puts it in starker relief than this:

On Opening Day 1999, Darrin Jackson was in center field for the White Sox

On Opening Day 2000, Darrin Jackson was in the announcer booth for the White Sox.

Right Field

Current: Alex Rios

Rios competed hard for the honor of “Worst offensive season ever” in 2011, then nabbed up MVP votes (From Mark Gonzales) in 2012. Variety is the spice of life.

Much, much worse: Mike Huff

Between Quentin, Dye, Ordonez, Calderon and Baines, the Sox have had success stocking this position. But after an overly raw Sammy Sosa flopped in the early ’90s, the Sox turned to Mike Huff in 1992. He hit .209/.273/.252, but certainly did his part in convincing the franchise they needed to sign Ellis Burks in free agency.

Designated Hitter

Current: Adam Dunn

Dunn still has booming power and is trying to rejigger his plate approach at 32 to stave off the mounting strikeout totals that threaten to eat his career. No concerns to be had at all, really.

Much, much worse: Chris Sabo

Sabo’s rec specs can be charming, but not when they’re squeezed onto a cheap replacement for Julio Franco, who only bolted to Japan due to the labor strike that Jerry Reinsdorf exacerbated. Sabo only appeared in 20 games, had his role usurped by John Kruk (signed in May), and was released in June. At least Dunn’s acquisition was sound in theory, and not a cheaped-out Mark Kotsay-like half-solution. Nothing signalled The Bad Part of the ’90′s for the White Sox like Sabo.

In conclusion, remember two things this season:

1. The White Sox could always do worse, because their recent history is vibrant and rich enough that they have already done far worse at every position.
2. If the franchise ever constructs another runaway preseason favorite for the division title, please help me campaign for “White Sox Baseball: Sound, in theory” to be their official slogan