Jim Thome has been around enough winning clubs to know when a baseball room has the right feel, and right now he’s seeing it up close with the White Sox.
The South Siders have rolled through the early postseason without ever really letting anyone breathe. They haven’t trailed in the playoffs across three games, and they’ve owned the lead for 24 of their 27 innings heading into Game 2 of the Division Series on Monday night in Cleveland. That’s the kind of run that turns every suite into a small celebration.
At Rate Field, the celebration has included some heavyweight company. White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, Tony La Russa and Thome were together Tuesday for the Wild Card opener against Houston, watching a 6-3 win from Reinsdorf’s suite. Then on Saturday, Reinsdorf and Thome were back together again, along with another friend of Reinsdorf’s, for Chicago’s 3-0 win over the Guardians in Game 1 of the Division Series.
“That’s good company right there,” White Sox third-base coach Justin Jirschele said with a laugh. “I would have liked to be a fly on the wall.”
Thome, now a special assistant to general manager Chris Getz, said the appeal is simple: listen, learn and enjoy the baseball conversation. He said the group spent time breaking down pitching, including specific pitches in specific counts. There was pizza in the suite on Saturday, too, along with the occasional fist bump and high-five when things turned their way.
“For me, it’s a lot of listening,” Thome said. “It’s just really fun to listen to Tony, who is a legend in himself, just talk about the game. There’s so much you can learn and, no matter how long all of us are in it, we learn every day.”
Thome also made it clear how much it means to watch Reinsdorf soak in the moment. Reinsdorf is in his 46th season as White Sox chairman and is chasing the kind of postseason run the club had in 2005, when it went 11-1 on the way to the World Series title. La Russa, now a White Sox special advisor, brings plenty of championship experience of his own, with three World Series titles, six pennants and 2,884 victories, which rank No. 1 all-time among managers who did not own their team, behind only Connie Mack.
La Russa was also the White Sox manager the last time they reached the playoffs, in 2021, when they fell to the Astros in four games in the Division Series.
Thome’s connection to the Sox goes well beyond the front office. He spent four seasons with the club and hit 134 home runs there.
He has been part of the organization’s front office since July 2, 2013. His family has lived the White Sox life, too: Thome said his wife, Andrea, and their children, Lila and Landon, were raised in the Chicago area, and Landon is now in the organization after going 34th overall in the 2026 Draft.
If the White Sox are finding joy in this run, Thome said it’s because the team has a clear sense of itself. He pointed to the way the club has handled its roles and the way players have pulled for one another.
“I just see a bunch of guys that absolutely define brotherhood and the special fraternity that you have in a clubhouse and rooting for each other,” Thome said. “Then you go through the dynamics of our team, our offense, where we are pitching-wise, our bullpen, it’s just really fun.
“All of them know their role, and it’s not about anything but the team. These guys have worked really hard from day one, and it’s really great to see a bunch of guys that care, but also care about each other with their role and not getting ahead of anything. That’s been fun.”
And if the same setup returns for Game 2, Thome sounds ready. He said he’ll be available Monday, and he expects the same group to be back together with Reinsdorf.
“I’m pretty sure that’s going to happen,” Thome said. “We all kind of know how that is. Obviously, Jerry will make that call, but I will be available Monday, there’s no doubt.”
In Other News...
White Sox Booth Suddenly Faces Real Uncertainty Beyond This Postseason
The White Sox have a little more than a postseason run to worry about when it comes to the broadcast booth. John Schriffens contract has expired, and there have been no recent renewal talks, leaving the clubs play-by-play chair in an unexpectedly unsettled spot as Chicago tries to keep its attention on October baseball.
Mike McCarthy and CHSN are reportedly exploring potential replacements, which adds another layer of uncertainty to a setup that had seemed stable enough heading into the stretch run. The team has stayed quiet beyond saying its focus remains on the postseason, but the situation suggests the booth could look very different once this run is over. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Are Betting Game 2 On A Risky Pitching Formula
The White Sox are sticking with the kind of pitching plan that can make a postseason series feel like it is being managed on a knifes edge. For Game 2 of the American League Division Series, left-hander Anthony Kay is set to open ahead of right-hander Sean Burke, a setup that manager Will Venable has already confirmed as part of Chicagos approach.
It is the sort of decision that keeps every inning tied to the next one, especially with other arms such as Grant Taylor and Hagen Smith available if needed in shorter bursts. Burke, who had a strong regular season and is now coming off his first postseason start, said he is prepared to help in whatever role the White Sox need as they try to keep the series moving their way. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Fans Have One Prospect Worth Watching Closely Sunday
The Arizona Fall League has become a familiar late-season stop for evaluators looking to get one more read on some of the games better young talent, and Sundays slate has plenty of names worth tracking across Scottsdale, Glendale, Peoria, Mesa, Salt River and Surprise. For White Sox fans, the most relevant watch point is Caleb Bonemer, who is part of a group that also includes prospects such as Zyhir Hope, Nathan Flewelling, Chase Harlan, Ike Irish, Arjun Nimmala, Dax Kilby, Demetrio Crisantes, Sebastian Walcott, Aidan Miller and Angeibel Gomez.
With games streaming on MLB.com and MLB.TV, the setup offers an easy chance to check in on how these prospects are handling another level of competition, especially on a day when rankings and recent achievements are likely to be a big part of the conversation. The White Sox do not have the deepest AFL footprint in the spotlight, but Bonemer gives their followers one player to keep close tabs on while the rest of the leagues top young names fill out the board around him. [Read more 🡒]