Jim Thome has spent this White Sox postseason doing what a baseball lifer does best: watching every pitch, talking through every matchup and enjoying the view beside some of the sharpest minds in the organization. The Hall of Fame slugger joined chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and Tony La Russa for Chicago’s 6-3 Wild Card opener win over Houston, then returned to Reinsdorf’s suite for Saturday’s 3-0 Division Series Game 1 victory over Cleveland.
Key takeaways
- The White Sox entered Monday’s ALDS Game 2 having led for 24 of their first 27 postseason innings.
- Chicago had not fallen behind at any point during its first three playoff games.
- Reinsdorf, in his 46th year as White Sox chairman, is chasing another October run resembling the club’s 11-1 march to the 2005 championship.
- Thome said he expects to be available to join Reinsdorf again for Game 2 in Cleveland.
- La Russa, now a special advisor, owns three World Series rings, six league pennants and 2,884 managerial wins.
A suite full of baseball conversation
Chicago’s postseason has brought watch parties from Bridgeport to Streeterville and Bucktown, but the gathering at Rate Field has carried a little more baseball history than most. Reinsdorf, La Russa and Thome watched the Houston opener together Tuesday, with the White Sox taking the 6-3 decision.
Thome described the arrangement as a winning routine worth repeating. He also spoke warmly about Reinsdorf, calling the chairman a close friend and praising the joy he has taken from this October run.
Saturday brought another meeting in the suite, with Thome, Reinsdorf and another longtime friend of the chairman on hand as the White Sox shut out the Guardians, 3-0, in the Division Series opener. Third-base coach Justin Jirschele joked that he would have welcomed the chance to sit unnoticed in the room and hear the discussion.
For Thome, the role has been largely one of listening. He said the group spent plenty of time discussing pitching, including the use of particular pitches in particular counts. There was pizza in the suite, too, along with celebratory fist bumps and high-fives as the White Sox kept control of the game.
“It is good company,” Thome said in essence. “We’re locked in, talking baseball and having a great time.”
La Russa brings a manager’s perspective shaped by a career that places him behind only Connie Mack among non-owner managers in victories. He last managed the White Sox in 2021, when Chicago lost its Division Series to Houston in four games.
Thome sees a White Sox clubhouse playing for one another
Thome knows both cities in this series well. He hit 337 home runs across 13 seasons in Cleveland and played for several strong clubs there. His Chicago connection is substantial, too: he hit 134 homers in four seasons with the White Sox and has worked in the club’s front office since July 2, 2013, now serving as a special assistant to general manager Chris Getz.
His family remains deeply tied to the organization. Thome and his wife, Andrea, raised their children, Lila and Landon, in the Chicago area. Landon is now in the White Sox system after Chicago selected him with the 34th overall pick in the 2026 Draft.
Still, with the Division Series underway, Thome’s attention is fixed on the White Sox rather than his Cleveland memories. He sees a team connected by its willingness to accept jobs, support teammates and keep the focus on the club.
Thome pointed to Chicago’s offense, pitching staff and bullpen as reasons the group has become one of baseball’s best stories this season. More than that, he said, the players have created the kind of clubhouse fraternity in which everyone understands his role and roots for the next man.
That formula had Chicago holding the lead through most of its first three postseason games, and it had Thome preparing for another trip to Reinsdorf’s suite for Game 2 on Monday. The game was scheduled for 5 p.m. ET, 4 p.m. CT, in Cleveland.
Reinsdorf would make the final call, Thome said, but he left little doubt about his own plans: if the chairman wanted company, he would be there.
