Even when he was the White Sox’s regular first baseman, Frank Thomas was no advocate of interleague play.
“It’s good for the fans,” he said. “But it changes the schedule and you play National League rules, which we’re not accustomed to.”
The Sox’s already punchless lineup will lose its designated hitter during their six games this week at Arizona and Los Angeles.
And it’s not like their pitchers will help make up the difference with their bats.
Asked whom he views as his team’s best-hitting pitcher, Sox manager Jerry Manuel picked Jon Garland, who’s 0-for-4 in his career.
“Garland is the best hitter, but that ain’t speaking highly,” Manuel said. “It’s not like we’ll be bringing him off the bench to pinch-hit. No, he’s not [Mark] Prior.”
Both Thomas and Manuel believe the Sox lose an edge when they travel to National League parks for interleague play. The Sox went 3-6 in such games last year, but are 56-47 all-time in interleague play.
“I’ve always said we are built for the American League, which is what we should be built for,” Manuel said. “On a National League team you wouldn’t have three first basemen. You have the extra catcher or an extra middle infielder. With us, we are built to pound it out in the AL.”
Thomas will start at first during at least the first two interleague games. He’s 6-for-19 with four walks and five RBIs since playing the field Wednesday.
He’s a lifetime .336 hitter at first base, compared with .284 as a designated hitter.
“You get back out there and it’s adrenaline,” Thomas said. “It’s like being a kid playing again. I don’t have to sit there and stress about every at-bat and analyze my every swing. It has been good lately to feel more a part of the game.”
Six years into his stint with the Sox, Manuel still favors National League-style ball.
“I prefer not to have a DH,” he said. “It gives the manager a chance to play everyone and [make them feel] part of the team.”
Sox at Diamondbacks
Series: First meeting.
Tuesday: 8:35 p.m.; WGN-Ch. 9, WMVP-AM 1000
Esteban Loaiza (8-2, 1.96 ERA) vs. Miguel Batista (3-3, 3.24)
Wednesday: 8:35 p.m.; Fox Sports Net Plus, CLTV, WMVP-AM 1000.
Jon Garland (3-4, 4.88) vs. Chris Capuano (0-2, 10.13)
Thursday: 8:35 p.m.; WCIU-Ch. 26, WMVP-AM 1000
Dan Wright (0-3, 6.57) vs. Elmer Dessens (4-4, 5.45)
Who’s hot: D’Angelo Jimenez has hit safely in eight of his last nine games, going 12-for-33 (.364) with eight runs scored. Loaiza has a league-low 1.50 road earned-run average. Arizona’s Luis Gonzalez has driven in eight runs in his last two games.
Who’s not: Paul Konerko has five RBIs in his last 26 games. Joe Crede is 0-for-13 with seven strikeouts in his last four games. Magglio Ordonez went hitless in 14 at-bats against Cleveland.
— Teddy Greenstein
