Smile

My 31-year old turned into her teenaged self yesterday morning when someone she knows posted a photo of ex-Sox and HOF slugger Jim Thome having breakfast at a nearby restaurant. “He was five-minutes away,” the woman-child enthused. “I could’ve pick up Leo from daycare [Clare was working from home] and had our picture taken.” Alas, mom-child found out too late to act. “Imagine if we’d all been there when Thome walked in,” I teased. “That way, you could’ve had your picture taken, and I could’ve said, ‘Oh, by the way, my daughter hated you at first because the White Sox traded Aaron Rowand to get you.’” This attempt at humor was not appreciated. Truth be told, nothing would’ve pleased me more than to have my daughter rooting for Thome—whose smile could brighten the dark side of the Moon—from his first big-league at-bat. But we’re not Cleveland fans, and neither Chicago team knows how to scout its own backyard. Thome was born in downstate Peoria and went to school in Bartonville, about a 2-1/2 hour drive by way of I-55 and -74. Apparently, Sox scouts lacked the same ability to read a map. When the 1989 draft rolled around, either a lack of scouting reports or negative reports on Thome kept not only the Sox but every other major-league team from selecting the 18-year old out Illinois Central College in East Peoria during the first twelve rounds. The then-Indians rectified that mistake in the thirteenth round. Cleveland picked after the Sox, by the way. The Sox chose Frank Thomas in the first round, so it’s not like the draft was a total disaster. Here’s the thing, though: they also picked two first basemen ahead of Thome. Here’s the other thing—he came up as a third baseman. Yes, the Sox already had Robin Ventura, not that it kept them from drafting a third baseman in the fifth round. Other times, I complain about all the talent the Sox have traded away: Earl Battey; Johnny Callison; Norm Cash; Bucky Dent; Brian Downing; Doug Drabek; Terry Forster; Goose Gossage; and Bob Wickman. You can also throw in Gio Gonzalez, who was packaged with Rowand in the deal that brought Thome to the South Side. At the very least, Thome should be among the ones we had but let get away, assuming he couldn’t have dislodged Thomas or Ventura or proved a better DH than George Bell. Instead, he goes on the list with Curtis Granderson and Kirby Puckett, local products made good elsewhere. We should try that restaurant, though.