Chicago native Adduci tallies hit in first '18 game

CHICAGO -- It's perhaps fitting that Jim Adduci made his season debut in Tuesday afternoon's series opener, a 5-3 loss to the Cubs, during the Tigers' brief two-game trip to Wrigley Field.
"I've always wanted to play here," said Adduci, who played first base and batted fifth for the Tigers. "It's all I thought about, and today I get to do it."
Adduci singled in the fourth inning and scored on James McCann's single, which put the Tigers ahead, 3-0. The Cubs would rally for three runs in the fifth, however, and go ahead in the seventh on Anthony Rizzo's fielder's choice.

Adduci, 33, grew up on the South Side, in Evergreen Park, which is about a 30-minute drive to Wrigley. He played six seasons in the Cubs' farm system, from 2007-12, but he didn't reach the Majors until a year later, playing with the Rangers.
As a kid, Adduci said, he attended both White Sox and Cubs games, but he most enjoyed the luxury that the team' different start times provided him: all-day baseball.
"The Cubs played so many day games," Adduci said. "So in the summer, you'd watch the day game. You'd go play your game. Then you'd come back and watch the White Sox play at night. For me, it was baseball all day. It was cool."
Adduci, a left-handed hitter, will be part of a platoon at first base with first baseman/catcher John Hicks. Manager Ron Gardenhire said the move allows Hicks to see more time behind the plate while also getting another lefty on the roster. Adduci batted .309 at Triple-A Toledo with 22 doubles, seven home runs and 44 RBIs.
"We've got [Adduci], who's swinging really well and playing really well in Triple-A," Gardenhire said. "It gives us a chance to get Hicksy behind the plate to do some catching."
Adduci had some success early last season with the Tigers before injuries kept him off the field. For the most part, though, he's been a veteran Minor Leaguer, biding his time for whenever his moment would come along.
"I think as long as you're with a team, you have a chance," Adduci said. "That's the most important thing as a player. You have a chance. You may not know when it is, or if it is, or anything like that.
"I was fortunate enough today to be given an opportunity. It's always fun, and I'm going to enjoy the moment."