Reinsdorf: DH, manager will be fine

 

Reinsdorf: DH, manager will be fine

Expects Thomas, Guillen to get along

By Scott Merkin / MLB.com 

 

CHICAGO -- The overhanging sign outside the entrance to Wadsworth Elementary welcomed Jerry Reinsdorf to the school on the Chicago’s South Side on Wednesday morning.

 

Reinsdorf was in attendance to recognize Meredith Jones’ 5th-grade class, the winners in MLB.com’s “Create Your Favorite MLB Team Web site” contest. Jones’ students created a White Sox site, earning the school $1,000 and tickets to a game at U.S. Cellular Field during the 2004 season.

 

But where Reinsdorf goes in public, the television cameras and media usually follow close behind. Wednesday was no exception.

 

Despite his request to talk about the event at hand and not baseball, a few pressing issues coming out of the 12th annual SoxFest were thrown in the chairman’s direction. Reinsdorf spoke of the overall good feeling generated by the three-day event, playing down the rather wild question-and-answer session between the fans, White Sox general manager Ken Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen on the opening evening.

 

“There were a few people out Friday night who were a little negative, but it was played up a little too much by the tabloid newspaper,” Reinsdorf said. “It was a very, very positive weekend. People were upbeat wherever I went, wherever I walked around.

 

“I read in one of the newspapers I wasn’t there,” added Reinsdorf with a laugh. “If I wasn’t, then it was someone posing as me. The fans know we are trying to win, and I think it should be an exciting year.”

 

Reinsdorf also was questioned about Frank Thomas, whose offseason phone habits have been focused on almost as much as his .310 career average and more than 400 home runs. Much like general manager Ken Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen, Reinsdorf has not spoken with Thomas recently.

 

But much like the attitude held by the other two baseball leaders, Reinsdorf didn’t seem worried.

 

“It will all be fine with Frank,” Reinsdorf said of Thomas and his relationship with Guillen. “Frank and Ozzie have always had a love-hate relationship, but they get along.

 

“One thing Frank wants to do is be in the Hall of Fame, and he’s a competitor and will come out and play as hard as he can.

 

“That’s a non-issue,” Reinsdorf added. “But let’s talk about today and let’s not talk about baseball.”

 

The White Sox chairman was more than impressed with the high quality of the Web site designed by Jones’ class, so much so that he said it looked as if adults had put it together. He was thrilled to have it associated with his organization.

 

“To think kids at this age created this Web site is mind boggling,” Reinsdorf said with a smile. “I didn’t expect much, but I was overwhelmed. I couldn’t have done it, and I’m a little older than they are.

 

“A major thrust of our civic activities is with Chicago Public Schools, and there is nothing more important than education. You can’t succeed if you don’t read and write and know computers.”

 

Following the event, Reinsdorf was headed back to Arizona for an early start on Spring Training. He picked up about a week’s worth of Chicago’s winter and a weekend’s worth of wisdom from White Sox fans.

 

“I’ve been here five or six days,” Reinsdorf said. “I have to go where the sun is shining.”

Jerry was there, unless their is a really good JR imitator there, I saw him too.

Ha yeah...they have a picture of him w/ Ozzie in the Soxfest pictures on the White Sox website.

Lol, I wonder why he would lie about that.

Lol, I wonder why he would lie about that.

Its called not doing your research. Its not Kotex-Boy writing this so I doubt they would lie on purpose. This guy was probably just lazy.