greasywheels121 Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...hitesox-utility Thomas helps Sox continue the party Mike Downey In the wake of the news CLEVELAND -- Frank Thomas set a trap. Willie Harris was in on it. Most of the other White Sox were not. Thomas was watching on TV at his home in Chicago as his teammates had a wild party Thursday in Detroit without him. So he got on a plane ... to Cleveland. As they toasted their success, Thomas prepared his ambush. Champagne was gushing everywhere in the Sox's clubhouse. Everywhere but over Willie Harris, that is. Alcohol makes the young infielder's skin break into a rash. "You didn't catch me in there," Harris said of the clubhouse spraying spree. "I get any of that stuff on me, I can't stand it." He had spoken with Thomas on the phone. He knew what the Big Hurt had in mind. Harris was coy, however, before Thursday's game, saying only, "Oh, he'll pop up sooner or later." Meantime, the other Sox thought the only Big Hurt they were in for was a hangover. By the time their bus got to Cleveland, it is safe to say that some Sox were swacked. Thomas was at their hotel, lying in wait. "I tried to hide behind a pillar," Thomas said. Must not have been a big one. One of the Sox spotted him. Didn't matter. Whoosh—Thomas aimed a champagne bottle at them like a fireman with a hose. And Party No. 2 of the day was on. A nightcap after a day game, if you will. Thomas even served as bartender. For those who frown on drinking, please forgive the Sox their sins for a night. Doesn't even the Bible acknowledge a little wine from time to time? Asked why he went to so much trouble, Thomas—his left foot still in a cast—smiled Friday night at Jacobs Field, where the Sox were about to play the Indians. "I've got nothing better to do," he joked. Teammates know better. Most are aware that Thomas would give his foot to be a part of this. Besides, misery isn't the only thing that loves company. Victory loves it. "You want to be around your team if they do something great," outfielder Jermaine Dye said. Thomas' sneak attack was a big hit. "It was great to see him," third baseman Joe Crede said. "He gave us a reminder that he's still supporting us, just like he has all year long." A.J. Pierzynski said: "It's a shame he couldn't be there in Detroit. He's fun and he's good-natured. It's always good to see Frank. He deserves to enjoy the celebration like anyone else on this team." Thomas is a holdover from the 2000 Sox playoff team. He cares about this organization—unlike, say, Magglio Ordonez of the Tigers, who said after Thursday's game that he was happy for a few ex-teammates but as for the White Sox on the whole: "Not really." How did it feel for Thomas not being part of the Detroit party? "Very painful," he said, tapping his belt. "Right here, in the gut." Champagne took a toll on his team. Ken Williams, the general manager, couldn't even get his cell phone to work, convinced that too much fluid had seeped into it. When manager Ozzie Guillen came up Friday with a starting lineup made up mainly of non-regulars, Williams smiled and said that "judging by the faces I saw" after the Sox's celebration, maybe that was a wise idea. A pretty mellow team showed up for a game that meant more to Cleveland than it did to the Sox. Oh, not everything was hunky-dory. One player in the lineup resented a Chicago radio-TV reporter reportedly saying the Sox's "scrubs" were going to play. There also is an issue—"a disagreement among the ranks," Williams put it—as to which pitcher to keep on the 25-man roster for the playoffs, rookie Brandon McCarthy or veteran Orlando Hernandez. Williams defers to Guillen when it comes to the lineup. He would like to do likewise with the pitching staff, saying the manager needs to be satisfied with it because: "When that man goes out to the mound, it's [the manager's butt] on the line." Yet such concerns are minor for a team that is feeling so good about itself right now. Hangovers aside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowand44 Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 :notworthy :notworthy Also, don't want to bring this article down but for anyone who didn't think Magglio was a jag--there ya go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodAsGould Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Oct 1, 2005 -> 04:40 AM) :notworthy :notworthy Also, don't want to bring this article down but for anyone who didn't think Magglio was a jag--there ya go. Well Maggz isnt as tied to the organization as Frank is and now he is on a rival team so whats wrong with that. He did say he was happy for some people which says he had friends here he cared about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowand44 Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Sep 30, 2005 -> 10:56 PM) Well Maggz isnt as tied to the organization as Frank is and now he is on a rival team so whats wrong with that. He did say he was happy for some people which says he had friends here he cared about. You're correct, I misread the quote a bit, I apologize. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tannerfan Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Oct 1, 2005 -> 12:00 AM) You're correct, I misread the quote a bit, I apologize. No need for you to apologize, Ordonez is a jerk for what he said because he didn't acknowlege Sox fans. He should be happy for us after all the support he got while on the White Sox. He is truely a jerk, and I hope he enjoys his future hitting long flyouts in Comerco and never finishing better than 3rd place for the rest of his career. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sox-r-us Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 I wish Big Frank was healthy though for the playoffs.....that bat would have been huge in the playoffs We miss you, Big Frank. Come back healthy next year and we will win another AL Central title.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wsox08 Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 I think we bring McCarthy and El Duque and leave off someone like Blum.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishsox1 Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 I think this just proves that Maggs only cared about himself. Myabe it took a spanish speaking manager to figure out that he's a loser, but I'm gald he's not on the Sox anymore. Maggs has his money, the Sox have the hardware! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YASNY Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 Let Magglio wallow in his own stew. He Gone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin57 Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 QUOTE(Irishsox1 @ Oct 1, 2005 -> 01:44 AM) I think this just proves that Maggs only cared about himself. Myabe it took a spanish speaking manager to figure out that he's a loser, but I'm gald he's not on the Sox anymore. Maggs has his money, the Sox have the hardware! Magglio had in his hand what few White Sox players are granted: our adoration. Unlike Cub fans, we are "stingy" with our loyalty. Very few players are put on the Robin Ventura pedastal. Mags had that...and he threw it all away. Too bad for him, but I'm not about to cry him a river. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Critic Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 Two things that I thought after reading this: How f***ing cool was it for the guys to walk into a Big Hurt Champagne Shower??? and Too f***ing bad for Magglio. I'd feel bad for Carlos Lee before Magglio, since Carlos didn't CHOOSE to leave the White Sox. Not surprised at all about Ordonez's reaction, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHarris1 Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 I am pretty sure most ex players say they are happy for their old teammates when they win. If nothing else to be PC. Maggs... Anyway. That's f***ing cool as hell for Frank to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JUGGERNAUT Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 (edited) Dump Vizcaino. What has he done more than El Duque? WAY TO GO FRANK!!! I HOPE YOU GET YOUR RING !!! Edited October 1, 2005 by JUGGERNAUT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash Tizzle Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 (edited) QUOTE(JUGGERNAUT @ Oct 1, 2005 -> 02:57 PM) Dump Vizcaino. What has he done more than El Duque? WAY TO GO FRANK!!! I HOPE YOU GET YOUR RING !!! There's no need to hold a pitcher such as Vizcaino on the postseason roster. If we're ahead or behind 5+ runs, and need innings eaten, we can count on Hernandez. Vizcaino may also serve this role; however, Hernandez is more useful if the worst case scenario unfolds and of our starting pitchers are removed early in a game. Edited October 1, 2005 by Flash Tizzle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 God this article was so much better than the crappy "Why wasn't Frank in Detroit too" version the Sun Times ran with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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