Jump to content

Q&A with Matt Thornton

Steve9347

By Steve9347
in Pale Hose Talk

 Share

Recommended Posts

Steve9347 Grand Master

Steve9347

Posted
Posted
Q&A with Matt Thornton

posted: Sunday, March 11, 2007 | Feedback | Print Entry

 

Matt Thornton was traded to the White Sox near the end of spring training last year, after posting a 5.21 ERA for Seattle in 2005 -- and he had a strong season for Chicago, accumulating a 3.33 ERA in 54 innings, with 49 strikeouts. We e-mailed questions to the 6-foot-6 power lefty reliever, and he e-mailed answers:

 

1. Do the White Sox players always sit in the same seats on the team plane?

MT: Our plane was pretty much set once we headed to Atlanta after spring last year. I just stood up until all the returning guys had their seats and tried not to make anyone mad. The veterans are pretty much in the back, some occasional older guys sit in the middle or towards the front of our players section. Most of the guys get up and move around and talk and joke, it is really a pretty loose plane. There aren't certain guidelines you have to follow on our plane but if some veterans think you are pushing the limits, well let's just say they make sure that everyone knows you are doing so.

 

2. You've got a day to kill on the road; how do you do it?

MT: My time-passer on the road is video games. I will hit up the occasional movie in the hotel room but I don't ever go on a road trip without my PSP, PS3 or XBOX 360. I am a Madden junkie. I am good too. I think playing in the clubhouse I have lost once -- the other guy got lucky. There is a group of us that like to link up the PSPs and play Texas Hold 'Em for a small entry fee. That gets some people pretty fired up and it is easier than setting up card tables and chips every flight.

 

The toughest player was Chris Widger. There would be two or three guys in on a hand and he would just say, "I have a full house, you better get out." Well, he did it quite a bit, so you would think he would be bluffing one of those times, but I swear he never was. I tried to call it numerous times and sure enough I would be sitting there listening to my iPod until another game started up. The PSP hold em' was pretty even. I really couldn't say who had the advantage -- maybe Jon Garland by a little bit. He seemed to get pretty lucky.

 

3. You say you play Madden; do you have a favorite team or player you always take?

MT: My Madden guy is the one and only LaDainian Tomlinson. I don't pass a lot so I always use a good running back. Once you try to stop the run I just throw a screen to L.T. or hit Antonio Gates or run a little play action. I also enjoy using L.T. because he carried me to the White Sox Fantasy Football Championship this year. Some others in the clubhouse are still a little upset about that, especially since it was my first year doing Fantasy Football. It is funny how bitter some people get when they don't win ... No. 56! (editor's note: No. 56 on the White Sox is Mark Buehrle.)

 

4. What it's like playing for Ozzie Guillen?

MT: For me playing for Ozzie has been a great experience. He does an amazing job of toeing that line of being a good friend to his players but still demanding the respect that a manager needs to run a team. We get our work in and play hard and he never has a problem. I think my best Ozzie comments would be related to his honesty. When we didn't make the playoffs last year he congratulated the other teams in our division. When a player is killing us he will say things like, "hit him, walk him, do something! Just don't let him get another hit!" I am out in the bullpen all game so I am sure I miss quite a few good ones.

 

5. What is your favorite baseball movie?

MT: I find almost any of them interesting, no matter how far-fetched it may be. The Natural is great. Bull Durham is hilarious and not too far off of what minor league life is like. Eight Men Out touches the history of the game. For Love of the Game is great because every pitcher dreams of throwing a perfect game, and it shows how you have to focus every pitch. Major League makes me laugh every time, even the second and third ones. Summer Catch has to be the worst baseball movie; it was entirely too much of a chick flick for me. I didn't even make it through the whole movie.

 

6. Which pitcher do you enjoy watching the most?

MT: One is Randy Johnson. He has dominated the game for so many years. Even into his 40s he can dominate the biggest games at any given time. I have had a few opportunities to talk to Randy and ask him some questions that have helped me along over the last couple of years. The second guy is Johan Santana. His stuff is amazing. People joke about Bugs Bunny-type pitches, but when he is on it really seems like he is in a different league.

 

7. Who is the toughest left-handed hitter for you to face?

MT: Jason Giambi has a pretty good track record against me, two or three bombs and a couple other near misses. He is always a threat against me. Ortiz, Hafner, Sizemore, Teahan, Morneau, Mauer, G. Anderson, Ibanez, Blaylock, E. Chavez, Hideki, the list is unreal really. I think the harder these guys swing the harder I try to throw. I love these situations, though. I have come to live for these situations. I have always wanted to get back to starting some day, but that feeling of coming in for one or two guys and your day is built around that -- now that is a great feeling. The situations I am facing these guys in is usually late in close games, and it is either me or them. Not a bad day of work if you can get it.

 

8. Going into last season, there were a lot of question marks about the White Sox bullpen. How would you assess it now?

MT: Last year was an inconsistent year for our bullpen. I think one thing that helps teams win is a bullpen that can get the ball to a shut down closer. Bobby Jenks is amazing to watch. He can just play with a pitch during batting practice and sure enough he is cutting it loose two days later in a one or two run game. Mike MacDougal would be a closer on many teams but is a set-up man for us. People have question marks about some of the other guys that Kenny has brought in and rightfully so. People want proven big leaguers on the mound when the game is on the line, not some young guy trying to figure things out. That is why this atmosphere is perfect for these type of inexperienced pitchers. The staff and front office have a confidence in them to get the job done and from what they have shown I am sure this year is going to be exciting. There are some great arms in camp right now and if things come together for us I am sure Ozzie won't have a problem giving anyone the ball at any given situation during the game.

 

9. You grew up in Michigan, learning to play baseball in the frigid spring temperatures. How do you deal with that?

MT: Oh, the joys of spring baseball in Michigan. From taking comebackers on the gym floor to shoveling snow off the field to get that first workout in. I remember when I was at Grand Valley we had to drag a garden hose across the infield to try to finish up a game. We had a snow delay and our head coach wanted to get five innings in so we could get the win. The players were the grounds crew. We would drag the infield, do the scoreboard and take care of the mound after games. There is really no good way to stay warm unless you are pitching. You can try to bundle up next to the heaters but in the minors or in college they aren't exactly the best in technology or the teams didn't even have them.

 

I try to move around and keep the blood flowing but when it is Chicago cold there is nothing you can do. The position players have a nice heated bench so it is a little luxury to get into a game and get to sit on the bench before you go back out. I am a little worried about Chicago right now. They give us the spring training game time temp and it has been in the 20's and 30's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SoxAce Grand Master

SoxAce

Posted
Posted
QUOTE(jphat007 @ Mar 13, 2007 -> 09:34 AM)
Always a good laugh to go back and read some of the posts from when Thornton was acquired.

 

http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=47754

 

Alot of posters were wrong and some were right (Tizz you were right on) and I am god.

 

http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?ac...mp;qpid=1072202

 

QUOTE(SoxAce @ Mar 20, 2006 -> 11:26 PM)
I'm just laughing on some of the posters here who are already saying this trade is horrible, and that our bullpen is s***ty. I think some tend to forget its March 20th. I want to see how things go down with Hermy, and if Coop can change this "kid" (Ozzie word :)) with his mechanics like he knows he could. Kenny wanted this pitcher for two years and just like Cintron, Vazquez, etc., he got his guy. Can we please see how this trade shakes up this season and say if its a bad trade down the road just like we did with the Garcia/Olivo&Reed deal? We'll see Thornton on Comcast and we'll see if Coop has him in the right direction mechanic wise before we all think it's a bad trade. (not to say if Borch even makes the roster for Seattle)

 

I love me. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
witesoxfan Grand Master

witesoxfan

Posted
Posted
QUOTE(Kalapse @ Mar 13, 2007 -> 01:53 PM)
Yeah speak for yourself.

 

there was no way they were going to be nearly that good again, but I didn't expect them to put up a combined ERA of like 38.72. That was mildly surprising for me.

 

Did you expect them to completely bomb like they did? Just honestly curious of course

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Kalapse Grand Master

Kalapse

Posted
Posted
QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Mar 13, 2007 -> 04:04 PM)
there was no way they were going to be nearly that good again, but I didn't expect them to put up a combined ERA of like 38.72. That was mildly surprising for me.

 

Did you expect them to completely bomb like they did? Just honestly curious of course

Cotts? No. Politte? Yes. I predicted after the '05 season that Politte would not be a on the big club come August either throw injury or ineptitude. Cotts I had my doubts with but I never imagined he would be that bad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jordan4life_2007 Grand Master

Jordan4life_2007

Posted
Posted (edited)
QUOTE(jphat007 @ Mar 13, 2007 -> 09:34 AM)
Always a good laugh to go back and read some of the posts from when Thornton was acquired.

 

http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=47754

 

Man, what happened to Jabroni? He was on his way to surpassing Jason and SS2K5 for total posts.

 

I was listening to the Score on the radio while driving to work when I hear "The Sox have major breaking news!" I hear George Offman mention Borchard and I think to myself "Oh, yes, Kenny strikes again!", then he blurts out the name Matt Thorton and I felt like Chris Tucker when he found out the girl that he thought looked like Janet Jackson didn't look like Janet Jackson.

 

I guess I now know why I'm not a GM.

Edited by Jordan4life_2007
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Kalapse Grand Master

Kalapse

Posted
Posted
QUOTE(Jordan4life_2007 @ Mar 13, 2007 -> 09:38 PM)
Man, what happened to Jabroni? He was on his way to surpassing Jason and SS2K5 for total posts.

I always thought he was a damn good poster, even when he came back the second time under an assumed name. He just go in way too many petty quarrels which led to his demise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jordan4life_2007 Grand Master

Jordan4life_2007

Posted
Posted
QUOTE(Kalapse @ Mar 13, 2007 -> 09:43 PM)
I always thought he was a damn good poster, even when he came back the second time under an assumed name. He just go in way too many petty quarrels which led to his demise.

 

Agreed. I liked him.

 

QUOTE(SoxAce @ Mar 13, 2007 -> 09:45 PM)
He aint touchin qwerty I'll say that.

 

Are you serious? Q doesn't post anywhere near as much as Jabroni did. Not even close. lol. Jabroni would've passed up Gage months ago if he hadn't stopped posting or gotten banned last year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Kalapse Grand Master

Kalapse

Posted
Posted
QUOTE(Jordan4life_2007 @ Mar 13, 2007 -> 09:52 PM)
Agreed. I liked him.

Are you serious? Q doesn't post anywhere near as much as Jabroni did. Not even close. lol. Jabroni would've passed up Gage months ago if he hadn't stopped posting or gotten banned last year.

At one time Qwerty had by far the highest posts per day rate in board history, even higher than Jabroni. Qwerty just stopped posting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SoxAce Grand Master

SoxAce

Posted
Posted (edited)
QUOTE(Jordan4life_2007 @ Mar 13, 2007 -> 09:55 PM)
Really? This must've been back in 2004 or early 2005. Because I swear J took over after that.

 

Naw man qwerty was the man for quite some time. He had a ridiculous 35+ post per day at one time. When he first started it was like 50+.

Edited by SoxAce
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...