Weather at U.S. Cellular Field feels like 'punch in the face'

On the weather front, it has been a lousy opening homestand for the Chicago White Sox.

Friday's opener at U.S. Cellular Field featured off and on snow showers with frigid temperatures.

There was bright sun for Saturday's game against Cleveland, but the temperature was 32 degrees with a brisk north wind.

Before the gates opened, the parking lots and plaza areas outside of U.S. Cellular Field were sheets of ice.

So were the ramps in the upper deck.

The Sox did plenty of salting, but the ice would melt and freeze up again. Less than an hour before the game, the White Sox closed the upper deck and relocated ticketholders to seats in the outfield.

For all fans in attendance Saturday, the White Sox offered gift certificates redeemable for one free upper-level seat or $5 outfield reserve seat for any future April or May home game this season.

"Fan safety is always our first priority," said Brooks Boyer, the Sox' senior vice president of marketing and broadcasting. "Today's weather forced a delay in opening the gates and some inconveniences for fans attending today's game. We appreciate our fans coming out despite the cold, snow and ice, and we wanted to thank them for their always amazing support by offering them a ticket to a future Sox game this spring."

The weather for Sunday's game against the Indians called for warmer temperatures but possibly heavy rain.

"Everybody that plays in northern cities, you start in April, you're going to get it," Sox manager Robin Ventura said of poor weather conditions. "You get used to it, prepare for it, put on enough gear and go get 'em."

Chris Sale was the only Sox player to take the field without long sleeves Saturday, but the ace starter admitted it was cold.

"Pitching in the cold is like getting punched in the face," Sale said. "You never really get used to it. I don't think it's fun for anybody, by any means, when it's literally freezing outside. What an unbelievable job that the grounds crew did. You saw the field this morning. It was trashed, really."

Eaton absent:

Adam Eaton, off to a sizzling start at the plate with 9 hits in 20 at-bats (.450), missed Saturday's game to be with his wife, Katie, who is close to giving birth to the couple's first child.

Manager Robin Ventura wasn't sure if Eaton would be back for Sunday's game against Cleveland.

"Just talking to him now, I let him know that he can stay and see this through, and Robin is a good name," Ventura joked. "It works either way, boy or girl. It's pretty universal."

Message sent:

Robin Ventura said he already has talked to Avisail Garcia about being smarter on the bases.

Down big to Cleveland in Friday's home opener, Garcia took a huge lead and was picked off first base.

"Talking about down 5 runs, your run doesn't mean that much," Ventura said. "You can't break up a double play like you used to. So you're playing a little more cautious, base to base, and we need more hits than anything, we need baserunners.

"He understands that. Hopefully he doesn't do that anymore."