Slumping Thome sits out to serve suspension

Posted April 14, 2008 11:00 pm

Scot Gregor

Slumping White Sox designated hitter Jim Thome was already set to sit out Tuesday afternoon's game against the Oakland Athletics.

Thome used the day off to serve a one-game suspension, which resulted from his ejection during last Friday's game against the Detroit Tigers. The 37-year-old DH was tossed after arguing with home-plate umpire James Hoye over a called third strike.

"To be honest, it kind of surprised me,'' Thome said of the suspension. "But with the day off today they were giving me, instead of taking the (suspension) later on, it was best just to get it over with and move on, move forward and not look back.''

Thome is 3-for-21 on the Sox' first homestand of the season, and the left-hander has just 5 hits in his last 43 at-bats. Thome is batting .156 overall.

"The last couple days, I pulled a couple balls foul for homers,'' Thome said. "I think what's happening is I'm just a little too quick right now, and I need to get back to going to center field and left-center and then those balls that I hooked foul, those balls will be to right-center. You put the time in, you put the work in and hopefully, you'll be rewarded later on.''

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