Through four days of Ozzie Guillen’s first spring training as manager of the White Sox, it has been nothing but sunshine and smiles, except for a brief shower Monday morning.
But a storm might be forming on the radar screen for midweek. If it hits, it could put a damper on what Guillen has tried to accomplish. But it also could break up and blow over without causing much of a ripple.
The storm has nothing to do with the weather, however, and everything to do with the impending arrival of slugger Frank Thomas.
Thomas, along with the rest of the position players, is expected to arrive Wednesday, and nothing indicates he won’t be here. Technically, position players are not required to report until March 1, though few wait until that date.
“I hope everybody will be here Wednesday,” catcher Sandy Alomar said. “There is no excuse for everybody to not be here Wednesday, unless there are family problems.”
After relatively smooth opening days, no one knows what it will be like when Thomas arrives.
Will he be peeved at the comments Guillen made when he was hired in which he basically challenged Thomas? If so, will he air his complaints publicly? Will he even report Wednesday, or will he show his displeasure by coming in a day or two later?
Or will Thomas report as if nothing were wrong and wonder what all the fuss is about?
No one knows, because no one has talked to Thomas since the end of last season.
“I think everything is going to be OK,” Alomar said. “Sometimes you try to push Frank, and Frank doesn’t want to move. I’m sure he’ll be fine and there will be no problems.”
With a spot in the clubhouse about 5 feet from Thomas’ locker, Alomar will have a good view of what is expected to be a large media contingent waiting for Thomas to report and then speak.
“It might be a zoo at first,” pitcher Mark Buehrle said. “I think it’s only going to be a day or two, and he’ll get everything settled out and he’s going to be fine.”
Since Guillen’s initial comments, which many took as a direct challenge to Thomas to be more of a team player, the rookie manager has had only kind words for Thomas. Guillen repeated them Monday and said he was looking forward to Thomas’ arrival–if only so he’ll stop being asked about Thomas’ arrival.
“I can’t wait for Frank to get here because he’ll see all the guys in here and the way we are right now and all the fun we’re having,” Guillen said. “Hopefully he likes the way we’re going to treat him. We’ll treat him the way he deserves.”
Many players say Thomas’ mood doesn’t have nearly the influence in the clubhouse that people may think.
“I think people kind of blow up the influence or automatically think Frank is a bad influence in the clubhouse, and I don’t think that is right at all,” reliever Kelly Wunsch said. “Frank is just an individual like the rest of us, and he doesn’t affect the whole team as much as I think the media would like to think.”
Still, Buehrle said, if a problem exists between Thomas and Guillen, it needs to be settled right away.
“Hopefully Frank gets in early and sits down with Ozzie and gets everything taken care of and we can get down to business,” Buehrle said. “We don’t need a distraction all year. If there is a problem, we need to get it taken care of within the first couple days. That way all the attention is not on them but on the team winning.”
Guillen didn’t say whether he would bring Thomas into his office immediately.
“I might go to a bar and talk with him,” Guillen said. “When Frank comes here, I will tell him he’s my man.”
No matter what kind of mood Thomas is in when he arrives, Wunsch said he’ll be treated like he has always been treated by his teammates.
“If Frank is having a bad day, we give him a hard time, just like we do everyone else,” Wunsch said. “If he’s having a good day, we give him a hard time about that too. Frank is one of the guys, and we’re going to [kid] with him like we do anyone else. If he comes in here pouting and moping around, we’re going to tease him about that.”
Whatever mood he’s in, the Sox hope to see him Wednesday.
