Hometown Heroes

Monday night at US Cellular Field marked the return of the greatest hitter in Chicago White Sox history. For the first time since being let go after last season's World Series Championship, Frank Thomas came back to the South Side with an unfamiliar green and gold jersey but a very familiar swing.

I was pretty confident that Sox fans would give Frank the standing ovation he deserved for a couple reasons:

1. We're not idiots. We know what Frank meant to this team for 16 years. He had a bad image in this city thanks to the media, not the fans. The media didn't like Frank Thomas but the fans always did.
2. Ozzie told us to. And when Ozzie tells Sox fans to do something, they generally do it. At this point, he is a God to them, so much so that when Guillen was ejected in the 2nd inning the crowd chanted, "Ozzie!! Ozzie!!" as he argued with Doug Eddings. Oh, and yes, Doug Eddings is the same umpire from the infamous AJ stealing first base play. (Judging from the first 7 innings of play, I don't think Eddings forgot either.)

Any doubt about the reception Thomas would receive was due to a possible residual effect from Jim Thome's return to Cleveland a few weeks ago. Thome was booed heavily by the same fans who had supported him for so many years, for what reason no one's entirely sure - Thome never blasted Cleveland management or the city when he left and if it's due to him playing for the White Sox now, it's not like he chose Chicago. He was traded there.

Instead, it appeared Cleveland fans developed selective amnesia about Thome, who left after 2003 when the Phillies offered him a $90 million deal and the Indians responded with a significantly smaller offer. Apparently, Indian fans blame Thome for their managements' refusal to spend money on him. I guess they also forget that at one time they had Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle, Roberto Alomar and Bartolo Colon. All left for larger contracts when Cleveland lowballed them.

But unlike Thome, Frank didn't leave Chicago of his own volition.

"I thought I would retire here," said Thomas.

Ken Williams and the Sox had other plans. They felt the team would be better off taking a chance on Jim Thome, and looking at the numbers so far, they were right. (Thomas came into the game batting .178 with 7 HR and 20RBI. Thome was at .295 with 17HR and 41RBI.)

Monday night, however, Thomas would outshine Thome.

Before the game the White Sox played a video tribute to Frank, who appeared visibly touched as he watched from the Oakland dugout.

Then in the top of the 2nd, as he stepped into the on deck circle, the crowd got to its feet. Frank walked to home plate greeted by a standing ovation and Gene Honda on the PA system doing his classic,

"Now batting, number thirty-five, Fraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaank Thomas!"

Frank tipped his helmet to the crowd and looked around before stepping into the batter's box.

Apparently Jon Garland was happy to see Frank return too. He quickly got behind Frank 3-1 and then put a juicy fastball over the inner half of the plate which Frank quickly swatted into the right field bullpen.

Then, like Frank always does, he just put his head down and ran to first base. It's a home run trot that these days is abnormal. No preening. No admiring. Just hit it, put your head down and run. Not even in this big game for Thomas did he try to show up Ken Williams or the team that let him go. It's something a lot of players need to take notice of.

The crowd stood and cheered the entire time, until Frank returned to the Oakland dugout. I don't think I need to mention how rare it is for an opposing player to receive a standing ovation for hitting a home run.

Frank's home run was followed by a Bobby Crosby solo shot to give Oakland a 2-0 lead.

In Frank's second at bat he laced a shot down the third base line that ordinarily would have been a double, but due to Frank's lingering foot problems he was held to a long single.

When Frank came up to the plate for the third time, behind a 3-0 Oakland lead, the tone of the crowd finally changed.

They were booing him now, like they should.

Frank's response was a second home run, this one a blast into the left field seats. Once again Frank just put his head down and trotted to first base.

4-0 Oakland.

On the other side of the ball the White Sox were being absolutely stymied by A's lefthander Barry Zito. Zito kept the Sox hitters off balance by mixing up his 88MPH fastball with a 72MPH changeup. He would then drop the hammer on them with his large looping Noon-to-Six curveball that Doug Eddings was only too happy to call for strikes.

Eddings apparently now has a grudge against the White Sox after what AJ Pierzynski did in Game 2 of the ALCS. Zito had a very large strike zone to work with, while White Sox starter Jon Garland had hardly anything. Time after time Zito would put fastballs below the knees, and an inch or 2 off the plate and get strikes called. Garland would put them belt high on the black, and get a ball.

It's that strike zone that got Ozzie Guillen ejected in the 2nd inning.

Luckily for the White Sox, Zito was walking a lot of hitters. Though the Sox weren't able to get those guys home, the high pitch count eventually got Zito out of the game. When the A's went to their bullpen the Sox bats came alive.

Trailing 4-1 in the 8th inning, former Oakland Athletic Jermaine Dye sent a belt-high fastball flying over the right field fence to make it 4-2.

Later in the same inning AJ Pierzynski pinch hit for Chris Widger and just missed a home run, flying out to the wall for the second out. AJ was followed by Juan Uribe who laced a double into the right-center field gap for a 2 out double.

A's manager then went to his closer and 2005 Rookie of the Year, Huston Street. The White Sox countered by sending Rob Mackowiak to the plate for the struggling(but promising boxer) Brian Anderson.

Mackowiak, like Frank Thomas, is making his own homecoming this year. The south side native(Oak Lawn) came to his beloved White Sox in a trade with the Pirates this offseason.

Mackowiak turned on the first pitch he saw and smoked it. The ball was hit just high enough to get over the right field fence into the Bullpen Sports Bar to tie the game at 4-4.

Then with the game still tied in the bottom of the tenth inning the White Sox had their chance to finish the comeback. With runners on first and third and two outs Pablo Ozuna came to the plate.

In the top of the 10th Ozuna nearly cost the Sox the game when he lost a flyball in the lights. The Athletics had runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out before Sox closer Bobby Jenks got Frank Thomas to foul out, and struck out Bobby Crosby on three pitches.

Ozuna laid down a bunt to the first base side on the first pitch and sprinted to first. Nick Swisher tried to make the play in time, but he had no chance.

"It was the perfect bunt. I mean...it was perfect,"said Swisher after the game.

With that AJ Pierzynski crossed homeplate for the winning run in what was a crazy night at US Cellular Field.

I got exactly what I wanted from this game. It was perfect. Frank went 3-5 with 2 home runs, but we got him out when we had to, and we came back and won the game.

After the game Frank admitted it was kind of bittersweet.

"It was a great homecoming, I can't lie about that, but it was weird. I've been looking for this for a long time, to show everybody I'm not dead. It's been a rough six months for me. Everybody thought I was done. I've had a slow start, and I hope I can get it going sooner than later.''

"I keep telling you guys, this place made me who I am. I know how dedicated I was to this organization. It just felt weird being on another team. In my heart, in my soul, I thought I was going to retire here. But I'm not done.''

Things aren't going well for Frank in Oakland right now. Fans there have quickly begun to turn on him due to his low batting average. Teammate Eric Chavez has even begun fantasizing publicly about the possibility of Barry Bonds crossing the Bay and DH'ing for the Athletics next season.

It's nice the for one night at least, Frank found out that you can go home again, and we were more than happy to see him.

Random Thoughts

• One thought I couldn't help having as I watched the crowd give Frank a standing ovation. See, after this weekend series with the Cubs there's still some residual "Cubs suck!" attitude in me, along with a whole fresh helping of "Sox fans are fairweather fans!" from certain Cub fans. So I had to wonder, would Sammy Sosa get a standing ovation from the fans at Wrigley Field if he returned right now? Hell, they booed him there before he even left. So please, explain to me who the fairweather fans are again?
• With all the excitement of Franks' return, and the late inning heroics of the Sox, it's surprising the highlight of last nights game had nothing to do with either. In the top of the 2nd after Frank's first home run the game was delayed for about 5 minutes. Why? Cuz there was a squirrel in the outfield. Watching members of the ground crew chase it around and even some fans trying to reach over the rail and glove the little guy, was absolutely hilarious. The squirrel eventually reached safe haven behind the tarp on the third base line, before eventually seeking freedom in the stands themselves.
• What an amazing Game 7 between the Mavs and Spurs last night. If you're a Spurs fan you have to be so ticked off right now. After being blown out of the water in the first half, the Mavs shot 70%(70%!!!) and had a 20 point lead early. The Spurs hung around all night though, and then finally capped the comeback off with 30 seconds left. Manu Ginobili hit a three pointer to give the Spurs a 104-101 lead. A quick shot of Mavs' owner Mark Cuban showed him practically on the verge of tears. Then the Spurs foul Dirk as he goes to the basket and makes it. How the hell do you foul him there!?!? Give him the 2 points, you still have a 1 point lead with 21 seconds left!!!! Instead Nowitzki ties the game up at 104, and the Mavericks would finish the defending champs in overtime 119-111.
• In the other Game 7, Phoenix shot lights out from 3 point land and took care of the Clippers in a blowout. The Eastern Conference finals begin tonight in Detroit. For my picks I'm going to go with Pistons over Heat in 6, and Mavs over Suns in 5. That means go to your bookie and put it all on the Heat and Suns. I think I've gotten like 4 series right this year.
• The Detroit Tigers shut out the Kansas City Royals 9-0 last night. That's now 9 shutouts in only 44 games, and 2 in a row. Rookie Justin Verlander pitched the entire game for his first career complete game and shutout. What's even more impressive? Verlander started the first inning throwing 99 MPH, and his last fastball in the 9th inning was also 99 MPH. I have never seen a starting pitcher do that. Not even Randy Johnson.
• The NBA draft lottery is tonight before Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Bulls fans are very interested in the outcome as they are guaranteed a top 5 pick, but could end up with #1 overall. Cross your fingers.
• I mentioned Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro being 50/50 yesterday. Well, thankfully, 24 hours later he's said to be doing "very well."
• Saturday the Cubs brawl with the Sox and Sunday they make a late inning comeback to avoid a sweep. Two signs of a team finally uniting and coming together. So what do they do? They go to Miami to play the AAA Florida Marlins, whose two best pitchers they won't have to face, and lose 9-1. Maybe Derrek Lee can play with one arm? I mean Jim Abbott could pitch that way, why can't DLee swing that way?