Maggs Article

[DBAHO]

From da Trib,

 

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Until late Tuesday afternoon, the biggest news out of White Sox camp was the arrival of Magglio Ordonez.

 

But, as has been the case for most of his career, Ordonez was overshadowed by Frank Thomas.

 

While many wonder whether Thomas, who arrived a day early, will be a distraction this spring or this season, it may be Ordonez's situation that turns into the bigger soap opera.

 

Ordonez will be a free agent after this season, for which he will make $14 million. Ordonez's unsettled situation—he could be traded by the July deadline—will be a season-long subject, one he doesn't look forward to discussing.

 

"We're here to play baseball," he said. "When it's time to talk about contracts it's kind of different. People get mad. I just want to play baseball and that's it."

 

It's not that easy though.

 

"Every time something is going on [the media] is going to ask Magglio about his contract," Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Obviously whatever happens, the contract is going to come up all year long."

 

Ordonez was also one of the players involved in the Alex Rodriguez-Boston Red Sox trade fiasco. If the deal had been completed, Ordonez would have gone to Boston for Nomar Garciaparra. Ordonez followed that story from his native Venezuela.

 

"I was relaxing and waiting for something, but nothing happened," he said.

 

Ordonez said he would like to remain in Chicago, where he has spent his entire career. The situation has Sox general manager Ken Williams between a rock and a hard place.

 

If Ordonez wants to stay, he may be willing to accept a "home team" discount. But he seems intent to look at his options in the winter. So do the Sox keep Ordonez all season and risk not being able to sign him, or move him during the season? A lot may depend on where the Sox are in the standings come July.

 

"There is a desire on his part, obviously in his statements, to want to stay," Williams said. "There is always a desire on our part to keep our best players. So we'll see how it goes."

 

Ordonez doesn't want to get bogged down in contract talks, preferring to leave that to his agent, Tom Reich.

 

"People are going to think you are here for the money and I don't want to talk about money," Ordonez said. "I just want to play baseball."

[DBAHO]

And a Frank Article,

 

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Frank Thomas arrived at White Sox training camp late Tuesday and basically wondered what all the fuss is about.

 

"I don't know where all this stuff is coming from about me being disgruntled and upset," the Sox slugger said. "I don't understand it."

 

Amid speculation Thomas was upset over critical comments new manager Ozzie Guillen made when his hiring was announced in November and that perhaps he would not report Wednesday with the rest of the position players, Thomas arrived a day early.

 

Thomas said he told his former teammate there wasn't any problem between them.

 

"He knows that," Thomas said. "I played with Ozzie for eight years. I know what to expect from Ozzie. There is already a different rapport with Ozzie and me than with Jerry Manuel because I didn't know where Jerry Manuel was coming from at times. We just didn't know each other. It's different now."

 

Rumors of discord were fueled when Thomas didn't talk to the media or Sox management during the off-season. But Thomas said he felt he earned the right to disappear during the winter.

 

"I dealt with the media all year long, more than anyone in the clubhouse," he said. "When I get away, I like to get away."

 

Thomas said it was inaccurate to report he didn't have any contact with general manager Ken Williams. He didn't, directly, but he said his agent, Arn Tellem, kept in touch with the team.

 

Thomas said early in the off-season, he and Williams had a "long, deep conversation and some of it wasn't pleasant, I'll be honest" regarding Thomas' free-agent opportunities. After that, Tellem decided to do the talking for Thomas.

 

"The speculation was that I was going to leave for free agency after coming off a big year," Thomas said of his 42-home run, 105-RBI campaign. "There were offers out there, but why make a change if it wasn't something I needed or wanted? I'm happy here, we have a good nucleus of guys that we can win with, and that's important."

 

Thomas said things are fine between him and Williams, although he said Williams was a little upset when the two spoke Tuesday about the lack of direct communication over the winter.

 

"Kenny and I had a long talk," Thomas said. "I've never really spoken to the front office in the off-season and I don't know why all of a sudden it's a big thing."

 

Thomas also brushed aside the trade rumors that have him going to Los Angeles.

 

"Anything can happen," he said. "I wasn't fazed by it. If it happened, it happened."

 

Williams said he was surprised when he saw Thomas on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, he said he wasn't sure what kind of mood Thomas would be in when he arrived, but he didn't seem overly concerned by it.

 

"Once you have been through something it makes it easier to go through it again and again and again," Williams said.

 

At least for now, there doesn't seem to be any issues to deal with as far as Thomas is concerned. Thomas said Guillen's comments about him in November didn't bother him.

 

"What he was trying to do was let people know this is his team now and he's coming in to take over and on the first day to let everyone know, 'I don't care who you are on this team, I'm the manager now,' and that's fine," he said. "I have no problem with that. He wasn't trying to get under my skin."

 

Thomas said it is kind of strange Guillen is his manager.

 

"I just got through playing with him," he said. "I was happy he won a World Series ring with the Marlins. I didn't know how prepared he would be as a manager, but he has his stuff together."

 

Thomas speculated people are so concerned about his moods because "I'm easily needled at times, but I've changed over the years."

 

Thomas has had to deal with issues on and off the field the past couple of seasons and now, at 35, he appears to be taking the life's-too-short-to-worry approach.

 

"I had so much adversity going on in my life that if you don't change and enjoy what you're doing, why be here?" he said. "It's a situation now where I want to be here and I'm enjoying myself and I'm happy to come to spring training and help this team win."

 

Thomas also sees the beginning of the end of a career that could land him in the Hall of Fame.

 

"I realized that I turned that corner," he said. "I'm looking at the downside now, maybe five years left and I'm going to give everything I have for those last five years. I'm still capable of playing at a high level."

 

During SoxFest in January, Thomas received the support of fans who think Guillen and Williams should just let Thomas alone.

 

"They've been with me through my ups and downs," he said of Sox fans. "I've had a lot of ups and a lot of downs. They've been hard on me at times and that's fine. I've weathered those storms and came back and shown them what I'm all about."

 

Thomas said the Sox's off-season personnel losses, especially starting pitcher Bartolo Colon, hurt. But after 14 seasons, he is used to roster changes from year to year.

 

"We have to move on," he said. "I've been dealing with patchwork situations with this organization for 12 of the 14 years I've been here. We've always made changes and we have to make the best of it."

 

The biggest change may be in the one player who has been the lone constant.

[YASNY]

Maybe all this Frank vs Ozzie crap will finally be flushed away.

[SoxFanForever]

Nice to see Frank with a very mature approach and reply to the reporters. He has his s*** together and it looks like he is ready to go. This is a good sign and hopefully these guys can pull together this year and do something special

[Soxbadger]

I knew it, when I read the thread that Frank was reporting early, I was going to bet that you would see another article stirring up s*** with the White Sox.

 

Lets face it, the Chicago media is less than reliable when it comes to reporting the White Sox, seeing as it is in the best interest of one of our 2 newspapers if our team does not do well it is kind of a conflict of interest.

 

Oh well, maybe even the players are starting to get the point, that the media is out to try and stir s*** up because it could care less if the Sox finished last, as long as their beloved Cubs were doing well.

 

I got a good feeling about this year, because for some reason there is always an uncanny justice in sports.

 

SB

[slick03]

Maybe all this Frank vs Ozzie crap will finally be flushed away.

god i hope so, im so sick of it......by the way that was a great article on frank, im glad he came to camp early, and it seems like he's ready to play..... heres hoping to a good year

[FlaSoxxJim]

Kudos to Frank. I hope he has an MVO-caliber year and retires a Sox. And I hope Magglio has a big year and were leading the pack come July so JR is forced to do what it takes to keep him through 2004 and beyond.

 

I know that's easier said than done, but a Sox team in contentions - hopefully well out in front - will = put up or shut up for both the fans and JR. If attendance is up and the team is doing well, trading Magglio would turn fans into one angry mob. I would have understood a trade this off-season, but now it's time to get into gear for 2004 and not find ourselves in a positio where we have to deal Magglio come July just so we get something in return.