Thomas mum as White Sox visit
By wire services
Published March 14, 2006
PHOENIX - Frank Thomas didn't say much. Then again, there wasn't much left for him to say about his former team.
So with the White Sox in town Monday to play the Athletics, Thomas kept his mouth shut. Sort of.
"I'm gonna be honest," he said. "I've got nothing to say about the White Sox. Frank has left the building."
Thomas did say his left foot is coming along fine and he hopes to be ready by April 1, when the A's host San Francisco in an exhibition game in Oakland.
But about those White Sox? Thomas kept quiet.
He did not accompany the A's to Tucson on March 7, so Monday was the first time he and the White Sox were in the same building since parting ways in December.
Thomas had already made it clear he wasn't happy about the way his 16-year run ended, claiming the White Sox portrayed him as an injured player even though he's fine, before he sounded off in an interview with the Daily Southtown of suburban Tinley Park, Ill., last month.
He criticized owner Jerry Reinsdorf for not calling him before the White Sox decided to part with the two-time MVP, saying they treated him like a "passing-by player" and "I've got no respect for that."
SCHILLING RESPONDS: Curt Schilling said he understands why Pittsburgh's Chris Duffy is upset after being beaned by Boston's ace.
The beaning occurred Saturday in the Pirates' 10-7 win in Bradenton. Afterward, Schilling said Duffy has "got to be able to get out of the way of that pitch."
Duffy responded by saying the right-hander wasn't trying to bean him and, "I understand he is working on pitching inside more, but sometimes you've just got to take responsibility. You've got to go about it in a classy way."
Said Schilling: "I can understand how he can take that (comment) to be what I didn't intend it to be, so I can't fault him for reacting the way he did. I wanted to find out how he's doing."
BONDS TAKES IT EASY: Giants leftfielder Barry Bonds took several rounds of batting practice, joining his teammates who didn't have to make the trip to Tucson to play the Diamondbacks.
The seven-time NL MVP, who acknowledged his hands didn't feel quite right, used his several rounds of BP to focus on hitting low line drives to the gap. After that, he did some light running and agility exercises in rightfield with personal stretch man Harvey Shields, followed by a few all-out sprints.
ANGELS: All-Star leftfielder Garret Anderson remained out with a sore left heel. Anderson, 33, has missed a week of games.
DODGERS: All-Star shortstop Cesar Izturis is making such good progress from reconstructive surgery on his throwing elbow that he expects to play minor-league games in April, beating his projected return by at least three months.
METS: Right-handed reliever Juan Padilla will miss the season because of an injury to his pitching elbow.
RANGERS: Right-hander Kevin Millwood faced hitters for the first time, allowing one run in four innings in a B game against Seattle. Millwood signed a $60-million, five-year deal during the offseason. ... Right-hander Josh Rupe was sent back to Arlington after feeling soreness in his pitching elbow.
TV DEAL: Major League Baseball agreed to a five-year contract with the North American Sports Network to televise about 275 games each season in Europe.