White Sox fans optimistic at home opener despite season's rocky start: 'Hope never dies'

Despite years of ineptitude and a rough start this year, many White Sox fans who showed up for Friday's home opener arrived with a mix of nostalgia for the past and hope for the future.

Brothers Michael and Steve Malczewski began attending Opening Day as young boys, when their father would pull them out of school — a tradition they later passed down to their own children.

On Friday, the brothers carried on that legacy, standing outside Rate Field grilling with family and friends, sharing a sense of optimism about the season ahead.

“We’ve got to get it right this year,” said Michael Malczewski, 53, of Homer Glen.

The season's first home game against the Toronto Blue Jays, originally scheduled Thursday, was pushed back a day due to heavy rain. The Sox were already off to a rocky start to the season with a 1-5 losing record, but Michael Malczewski, like many other fans, were excited to see what the team’s new slugger, Munetaka Murakami, could bring to the team.

“He was a steal for the [franchise],” Michael Malczewski said of the 26-year-old first baseman from Japan. “There will be some adjustments for the team but he’s our bright spot.”

Earlier in the week, White Sox TV announcer John Schriffen ruffled feathers within the organization after bestowing Murakami with the nickname 'South Side Samurai.' When asked about the controversy on Friday, most fans weren't aware of it.

Dan Kozlowski, of Crown Point, Indiana, said he was just excited to see Murakami in person, calling this season his first “true test” in Major League Baseball. He said he has been impressed with what he’s seen so far, but added that only time will tell.

“Hopefully Sox fans are welcoming to him,” said Kozlowski, who was attending his 20th home opener. “He’s already given us three home runs which is what we want to see.”

Otherwise, the team's brutal road trip to start the season has looked a lot like the past few years. In their first six games, the Sox have been outscored 52-21, with a team batting average of .192 sitting fifth-worst in baseball and an MLB-high .319 batting average against their pitchers. They’ve also been charged with six fielding errors.

But on Friday, the home team gave the 33,171 in attendance something to cheer about by rallying in the tenth inning to defeat the Blue Jays.

Win or lose, Kozlowski said Sox fans would continue to show up for their team.

“Hope never dies,” he said while wearing a white Papal hat and a jersey with Pope Leo on the back. “We’re still here. We’re going to be here every year.”

For Christina Ashley of Oak Park, being a Sox fan means sticking together through the good times and the bad times.

“I’m hoping for a better season but we’re still the best team,” said Ashley, 46, a nurse who called out of work to attend the opener. “This is home.”

However, many fans agreed it was time for owner Jerry Reinsdorf to sell the team.

Reinsdorf, 89, reached an agreement with minority owner Justin Ishbia last year that would establish a framework for Ishbia to obtain a future controlling interest in the franchise. Reinsdorf will have the option to sell that interest to Ishbia starting in 2029 until 2033.

Kozlowski said the team may be blessed by Pope Leo XIV, a South Sider and Sox fan, but it was time for a new owner to take over.

“Pope Leo says sell the team, sooner rather than later,” Kozlowski jokingly added.

“We just want to see progress, but until we change ownership, that's when we really are going to start seeing change,” said David Gutierrez of Naperville.

“We need an owner who cares about winning,” he said.

Gutierrez, 39, has attended every home opener since 2010, a tradition he’s maintained since his sons, Cameron and Jacob, were born. Friday’s game was made a little more special for the family who were celebrating Cameron’s 6th birthday.

Cameron and Jacob, 4, are learning to be White Sox fans, and Gutierrez said he wants his two boys to grow up watching a winning team.

“I’m hoping when they're a little older this team will finally be doing better,” he said. “I know there’s better days ahead.”