By: Will Farlow 

Baseball is a special game for both fans and athletes. Opening Day is a time for all to celebrate the beginning of a new Major League Baseball Season. The Chicago White Sox are beginning a new season with hopes for future success.  Earlier this afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field, the SouthSiders made a pitching choice most fans did not expect. Left handed pitcher Garrett Crochet became the first Chicago White Sox pitcher since 1901 to make his first career MLB start on Opening Day. 

Crochet showed great promise during the spring training in preparation to become a Major League starting pitcher. I was impressed by how well he did during the game early on in the first inning. Crochet did a great job striking out batters he faced as he finished the start with eight strikeouts. The Detroit Tigers offense put up a good fight against the White Sox starter. Javier Baez showed smart baseball intelligence when he got on base , and later following a stolen base scored the lone run in the game. I think Crochet showed the promise of a future ace for the Chicago White Sox. 

The question is how the next few starts will go for Crochet moving forward this season. Hitters may figure him out as they watch film. Crochet will need to adjust to be able to continue the strong performance he showed in his first start. Fans can be confident Crochet will continue to show consistency and hard work on the mound. I admire his confidence in his pitches , and the trust of his teammates. Crochet has good traits of control and command on the pitching mound as a starter. The White Sox after trading a former team ace may have found the next future ace of their team. Time will tell if that is the case, but Crochet’s first start is a historic moment White Sox fans will never forget. 

The Chicago Bears are historically well known for their running backs . Average Bears offensive schemes feature a good amount of running the football. The Bears are rumored to be considering taking a QB in Caleb Williams with the first pick. The team has needed more offensive improvement for future success. Sources reported for weeks that the Bears were looking at a significant upgrade at running back. Fans did not expect that would come today as the free agent negotiation period began. The Chicago Bears earlier this afternoon signed running back D'Andre Swift to a 3 year 24 million-dollar contract.

Swift is a good pass catching running back I think will fit in well in Chicago. The former Eagles RB brings his speed and smart play to a team that needed an upgrade at running back. I like his fit behind the improved Chicago Bears offensive line. Rookie quarterbacks need a good offensive line and weapons for success . Swift can assist a Caleb Williams led offense that gives Chicago excitement for years to come. 

Shane Waldron features the type of running backs like D'Andre Swift. I like his ability to run well in between the tackles with consistency. Swift needs to work on his pass protection , but that can be fixed during the offseason. The question now remains how the rest of the offense will look in Chicago next season. Many offensive free agents the Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles can sign. The upcoming draft brings the biggest draft in Bears history. 

Signing D'Andre Swift early today in free agency shows fans that the Bears are ready to be consistent contenders again beginning next season. I think the Bears are on the verge of becoming a contender for many years under this front office. Today’s signing of Swift is the start of many moves to come in the next few months. Welcome to Chicago D'Andre Swift , and the home of successful NFL RBs. Strap your seatbelts Bears fans as this will be an interesting off-season.