White Sox In Tucson
Thomas likely won't be ready for Opening Day
Saturday, February 19, 2005
By Phil Arvia
Sports columnistTUCSON, Ariz. ? Frank Thomas isn't coming to White Sox training camp until he goes to the doctor one more time.
Two days after general manager Ken Williams said he expected Thomas in camp Monday, the Sox revised their projection to early March ? increasing the likelihood the two-time MVP will not be ready by Opening Day.
"I spoke to Dr. (Richard) Ferkel, who is the doctor that operated on Frank," Sox trainer Herm Schneider said Friday. "He saw him in early February, said Frank could start doing some weight-bearing things ... but he said he didn't want Frank to entertain coming to spring training until after he saw him in early March."
Schneider wouldn't hazard a guess as to when Thomas would be ready to play, saying only that the club has "no timetable" on his return to the lineup.
Williams went a bit further, saying, "We prepared this club and built it with the mind-set that he may not be ready.
"If he's ready, it's a bonus. Whenever that is, it'll be a shot in the arm and we'll gladly accept it, but up until that day our focus is going to be on what we have here in camp and what will be ready for us Opening Day."
In October, Thomas underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in the navicular bone in his left ankle. Thomas suffered the injury on June 17 while playing first base in an interleague game against the Florida Marlins in Miami. He went on the disabled list July 10 and missed the rest of the season after attempts to let the injury heal naturally proved unsuccessful.
Thomas hasn't been cleared for baseball-related activities yet, and the Sox were unwilling to guess when he might be. Nor has he begun jogging, though Schneider said Thomas has been working out in swimming pools and walking on a treadmill.
Asked how long it might take Thomas to get in playing shape once he is cleared to participate in baseball activities, Schneider said "a month," but only on the assumption that Thomas suffered no setbacks.
Williams painted an equally bleak picture, saying, "If he were here and ready to go full speed mid-March, then conceivably you could have dreamed about Opening Day."
What does he dream about now?
"I dream about these guys right here going out and playing every day as hard as they can ... playing the way we drew it up," Williams said.
Yet, there is no arguing the picture is incomplete without Thomas.
The Sox were 39-30 (.565) with Thomas in the lineup last season and 44-49 (.473) without him. His .434 on-base percentage would have led the American League, his .563 slugging percentage would have ranked fifth, and he was on pace for 39 homers and a career-high 140 walks. His 64 walks ranked second on the team, though he played in only 74 games.
"He's a Hall of Famer ? or should be a Hall of Famer," Williams said. "Whenever it is he gets injected into the lineup, it can't help but make us better."
Carl Everett figures to get the bulk of the at-bats at designated hitter in Thomas' absence. He, too, had an injury-plagued 2004, but has received glowing reviews for his conditioning since arriving in camp.
The Sox spent a lot of time over the winter keeping tabs on Everett. Was that in part because they were aware Thomas' return was going to be delayed?
"We know Frank wasn't going to come back, (but knowing) Frank's not going to come back is not the reason we did that," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "The reason we told him to come in shape is because he's a big part of this team."
The same might no longer be true of Thomas. His contract can be bought out after this season for $3.5 million.
"If Frank's not ready, 90 to 100 percent, it's going to be hard for him to be in the lineup," Guillen said. "Right now we only have one goal, and that goal is for us to win."
Thomas likely won't be ready for Opening Day
Saturday, February 19, 2005
By Phil Arvia
Sports columnistTUCSON, Ariz. ? Frank Thomas isn't coming to White Sox training camp until he goes to the doctor one more time.
Two days after general manager Ken Williams said he expected Thomas in camp Monday, the Sox revised their projection to early March ? increasing the likelihood the two-time MVP will not be ready by Opening Day.
"I spoke to Dr. (Richard) Ferkel, who is the doctor that operated on Frank," Sox trainer Herm Schneider said Friday. "He saw him in early February, said Frank could start doing some weight-bearing things ... but he said he didn't want Frank to entertain coming to spring training until after he saw him in early March."
Schneider wouldn't hazard a guess as to when Thomas would be ready to play, saying only that the club has "no timetable" on his return to the lineup.
Williams went a bit further, saying, "We prepared this club and built it with the mind-set that he may not be ready.
"If he's ready, it's a bonus. Whenever that is, it'll be a shot in the arm and we'll gladly accept it, but up until that day our focus is going to be on what we have here in camp and what will be ready for us Opening Day."
In October, Thomas underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in the navicular bone in his left ankle. Thomas suffered the injury on June 17 while playing first base in an interleague game against the Florida Marlins in Miami. He went on the disabled list July 10 and missed the rest of the season after attempts to let the injury heal naturally proved unsuccessful.
Thomas hasn't been cleared for baseball-related activities yet, and the Sox were unwilling to guess when he might be. Nor has he begun jogging, though Schneider said Thomas has been working out in swimming pools and walking on a treadmill.
Asked how long it might take Thomas to get in playing shape once he is cleared to participate in baseball activities, Schneider said "a month," but only on the assumption that Thomas suffered no setbacks.
Williams painted an equally bleak picture, saying, "If he were here and ready to go full speed mid-March, then conceivably you could have dreamed about Opening Day."
What does he dream about now?
"I dream about these guys right here going out and playing every day as hard as they can ... playing the way we drew it up," Williams said.
Yet, there is no arguing the picture is incomplete without Thomas.
The Sox were 39-30 (.565) with Thomas in the lineup last season and 44-49 (.473) without him. His .434 on-base percentage would have led the American League, his .563 slugging percentage would have ranked fifth, and he was on pace for 39 homers and a career-high 140 walks. His 64 walks ranked second on the team, though he played in only 74 games.
"He's a Hall of Famer ? or should be a Hall of Famer," Williams said. "Whenever it is he gets injected into the lineup, it can't help but make us better."
Carl Everett figures to get the bulk of the at-bats at designated hitter in Thomas' absence. He, too, had an injury-plagued 2004, but has received glowing reviews for his conditioning since arriving in camp.
The Sox spent a lot of time over the winter keeping tabs on Everett. Was that in part because they were aware Thomas' return was going to be delayed?
"We know Frank wasn't going to come back, (but knowing) Frank's not going to come back is not the reason we did that," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "The reason we told him to come in shape is because he's a big part of this team."
The same might no longer be true of Thomas. His contract can be bought out after this season for $3.5 million.
"If Frank's not ready, 90 to 100 percent, it's going to be hard for him to be in the lineup," Guillen said. "Right now we only have one goal, and that goal is for us to win."
