This week I attended my 21st consecutive (except for the pandemic year of 2020 that had no fans) Opening Day at Comiskey Park II/US Cellular Field/Guaranteed Rate Field, and my 38th overall. From my first, at old Comiskey Park in 1985, to my first as a Cubs season ticket holder at Wrigley Field in 2002, to road trips to Shea Stadium, in 2003, and Great American Ballpark, in 2004 and 2006, Opening Day remains a spring holiday proclaiming the theoretical beginning of summer. This seemed like a good time to see who the best performers were on both sides of the ball from those 38 contests.
Home Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Corey Patterson | 3 |
| Paul Konerko | 3 |
| Alejandro de Aza | 2 |
| Ray Durham | 2 |
| Jose Valentin | 2 |
| Joe Crede | 2 |
| Jim Thome | 2 |
Hits
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 15 |
| Jermaine Dye | 9 |
| Aramis Ramirez | 8 |
| Victor Martinez | 8 |
| Mark Grudzielanek | 8 |
Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 7 |
| Derrek Lee | 7 |
| Alex Gonzalez | 6 |
| Joe Crede | 6 |
RBI
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 10 |
| Corey Patterson | 8 |
| Moises Alou | 8 |
Doubles
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Michael Barrett | 4 |
| Paul Konerko | 3 |
| Moises Alou | 3 |
| Jose Valentin | 3 |
| Victor Marinez | 3 |
| Alex Rios | 3 |
| Jose Abreu | 3 |
| Miguel Olivo | 3 |
| Jeromy Burnitz | 3 |
| Carlos Lee | 3 |
Triples
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Ray Durham | 2 |
| Yolmer Sanchez | 2 |
| 14 tied with | 1 |
Batting Average (> 8 AB)
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Jermaine Dye | 0.500 |
| Mark Grudzielanek | 0.500 |
| Miguel Olivo | 0.455 |
Stolen Bases
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Mark McLemore | 3 |
| Sam Fuld | 3 |
| Chris Singleton | 3 |
Games
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 13 |
| A.J. Pierzynski | 8 |
| Jose Abreu | 8 |
And, on the defensive side of the ball:
Wins
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Mark Buehrle | 3 |
| Kerry Wood | 2 |
| Chris Sale | 2 |
| Esteban Loaiza | 2 |
Losses
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Jake Westbrook | 2 |
| 36 tied with | 1 |
ERA (> 6 IP)
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Lance Lynn | 0.00 |
| Tommy Milone | 0.00 |
| Britt Burns | 1.00 |
Strikeouts
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Jon Lester | 22 |
| Kerry Wood | 18 |
| Chris Sale | 15 |
Appearances
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Joe Borowski | 6 |
| Mark Buehrle | 5 |
| Jon Lester | 4 |
| Matt Thornton | 4 |
| Michael Wuertz | 4 |
Saves
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Bobby Jenks | 2 |
| 21 tied with | 1 |