NORTH PORT, Fla. — In 2013, Chris Sale, then with the White Sox, started on opening day for the first time in his career. The location: Chicago. The opponent: Kansas City. The date: April 1, April Fools’ Day.
On the morning of the game, Sale and his wife, Brianne, played an April Fools’ joke on Sale’s family. They said he had gotten really sick that morning. In reality, he was fine and toed the rubber hours later on the baseball holiday.
“I just appreciate being able to have the opportunity, and I just know what opening day is,” Sale said. “It’s just a lot of fun.”
The Braves on Monday announced Sale as their starting pitcher for their March 27 opening-day game against the Padres at Petco Park in San Diego. It’ll be Sale’s sixth opening-day start.
He pitched opening day in 2013, 2014 and 2016 for the White Sox, then 2018 and 2019 for the Red Sox. Now he’ll do it for the Braves.
“Obviously once the year gets started, it’s just playing games,” Sale said. “But being out there for the first one is special. It’s like the first day of school. It’s like Christmas Day for baseball. Opening day is always exciting, and I’m appreciative of the moment.”
Sale is the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner. He also earned a pitching triple crown last season. Traditionally, teams tab the best starter from the previous year to be their opening-day starter.
The Braves didn’t announce Sale as their starter until Monday, but you could’ve written this story when he reported to camp Feb. 10. No debate here.
“I told him, actually the other day,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s earned it. He’s earned it. He’s kind of the no-brainer pick, really. All his hard work and everything he’s done over the last few years and what he accomplished last year, there’s nobody else we’d want out there for opening day.”
“I’m just appreciative of the opportunity, being able to do it here in Atlanta with a new organization,” Sale said. “It’s been a while since I’ve had one, and my last one wasn’t very good, so I need some redemption.”
In 2019, Sale allowed seven earned runs over three innings in Seattle. Overall, he has a 3.73 ERA on opening day. He has two scoreless starts — one of 7⅔ innings, the other of six innings.
The Padres on Monday announced Michael King will start opening day for them. In Game 1 of the Wild Card Series at Petco Park last year, King struck out 12 Braves, and walked none, over seven scoreless innings.
The Braves had veteran catchers Curt Casali and Sandy León in big-league camp, but neither is there now. Sale will likely throw to top prospect Drake Baldwin on opening day. Baldwin has impressed Sale, Snitker and others this spring.
When Sale takes the mound in San Diego, it will come six years after his last opening-day start. In between them, he experienced injuries and rough times, then a trade to Atlanta. In his first season with the Braves, he sent a resounding message: He’s still one of the best starters in the game.
And this season, he’ll set the tone for the Braves when he pitches that first game.
“I think the appreciation comes (for) the people I’m surrounded by, really,” Sale said. “I can’t stress enough how much I lean on the people in my corner and how many people have helped me get to this point in my career. So I’m very thankful for them, to be able to have them in my corner to help me get to this opportunity.”
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