Frank Thomas’ idea of himself as a player has changed. That is fitting, because the team he has led for so long has changed as well.
Thomas and the White Sox, who open a potential season-altering three-game series Tuesday against the Royals in Kansas City, Mo., are not the same as they were when they opened the season at Kauffman Stadium with three straight losses. They are not even the same as they were when they were struggling for respectability two weeks ago.
Good thing.
The Royals own a four-game lead on the Sox–one fewer than they had four days into the season and one which could be down to a single game three days from now.
If the Sox who left Kansas City in tatters in April were still around, that possibility would be remote at best. That team departed with questions; this one comes in with at least some answers.
“We have some answers about our pitching and we probably have answered some questions about our bullpen,” manager Jerry Manuel said. “Obviously the way we’re swinging the bats will make a huge difference. Reflecting back, a hit here or there, we had some tremendous opportunities there where all we had to do was put the ball in play and we didn’t.”
The Sox took two of three from the Royals in April. But those games were at U.S. Cellular Field, where the Sox are 33-20.
In the six games against Kansas City this season, the Sox have scored six or more runs only twice. They have averaged more than six runs over the last two weeks.
“The [main] difference would be the bats,” Manuel said. “If our bats are right and you have some question marks the way they have in their bullpen, it’ll be a long time before that game is over. We still have the ability to put up a big number even late despite being behind.”
The difference is coming from the middle of the lineup, where Magglio Ordonez once again is playing like the All-Star outfielder he is. He made the last putout in the All-Star Game; the Sox would like him to make the final putout in another game against the National League come October.
Carlos Lee has forced opposing pitchers to deal with Ordonez. He has the same home run (19) and RBI (66) totals as Ordonez and has an 11-game hitting streak.
But the standard-bearer for the Sox is still Thomas. He remade himself from Walking Frank to Power Frank, from the careful swinger to the free swinger, when he sensed the Sox needed the long ball more. He also has viewed his overall place in the lineup differently.
“My role has changed,” Thomas said. “I’m more that middle-of-the-lineup buffer guy who’s going to make the guy in front of him better and the guy behind him better. I see guys every day getting pitches in the sweet spot that you need and they know what they can do with those pitches. And that’s a good thing.”
The addition of Roberto Alomar also has rejuvenated the club. The Sox are 14-9 since he was acquired from the New York Mets. Alomar has hit safely in 18 of the 21 games in which he has played.
But the numbers are not the difference Alomar has brought to the Sox.
“Performance is important, but going about it in a certain way tells everybody this is the right way,” Manuel said. “He might not have all the skills or tools [anymore], but he passes on little things to the rest of the guys by just doing them right.”
The March Sox had questions in the bullpen. They still have some, but nowhere near the level of earlier concerns. An area of seeming liability has become an asset.
In losing their first four meetings against Kansas City, Sox relievers Tom Gordon, Billy Koch and Rick White took three of the defeats.
Kelly Wunsch’s return takes some of the load off in the bullpen, which has seen Gordon and Damaso Marte called upon for heavy duty. While attention focuses on the starters and closers, the season will turn on other pitchers, the setup arms, according to Manuel.
That began to unfold Friday against Tampa Bay. Manuel’s goal for the weekend was to avoid using Gordon or Marte at all if possible, which put special pressure on White, Wunsch and Gary Glover, some of which was eased by Bartolo Colon’s outing Sunday.
Notably perhaps, Manuel did not include Koch in his pivotal-pitchers-for-now comment.
“I think the key is going to be our bullpen,” Manuel said. “Not just two guys, but everybody. If we are to be a good team, somebody else has to step up in the pen.”
