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New career direction suits Thomas just fine

Frank Thomas borrowed a fellow reporter's umbrella at rainy Wrigley Field on Tuesday afternoon, but it didn't help much.

Dressed in a suit instead of a baseball uniform, Thomas sloshed through the infield in search of an interview.

As for playing baseball again, the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer didn't offer a hint one way or another, but if no major-league team has called Thomas by now, working as a TV reporter seems to be a suitable option.

"I love it," said Thomas, who is working for Comcast SportsNet during the White Sox-Cubs series. "I can give both sides of the story. I know what those guys (players) are feeling because I've been through it.

"It's like talking about Milton (Bradley) last night. Everybody's trying to jump on the guy, but they don't know him."

Thomas said he is no longer working out with hitting coach Mike Easler, but his oldest son Sterling is beginning a promising career as a high school first baseman.

Ozzie on Sammy: White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is getting tired of being asked about players accused of using performance enhancing substances, but he continues to offer his opinions.

That trend continued at Wrigley Field on Tuesday when Guillen was asked about Sammy Sosa. The two were teammates with the Sox from 1989-91.

"I think whoever's name is out there, just deal with it on one day and we don't have to sit here every day and answer these questions," Guillen said. "It's like no matter what you say, you're going to be wrong. If you protect them, you're wrong. If you're against them, you're wrong.

"It's a shock. Now everybody asks me who did it; who didn't, I think I better check myself because I'm so confused. Because you don't know who did it and who didn't."

The New York Times reported Sosa failed a drug test in 2003.

"I think Sammy did a lot of good things for baseball, not just for the Cubs," Guillen said. "Sammy and (Mark) McGwire put an unbelievable season together and people went back to the game. People make mistakes. A lot of worse things happen out there."

Push it back: Tuesday's rainout won't change the order of the White Sox' starting rotation.

"We're pushing everything back a day," Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said.

John Danks starts against the Cubs today, followed by Gavin Floyd on Thursday.

When the White Sox move on to Cincinnati this weekend, Jose Contreras starts the series opener, followed by Clayton Richard and Mark Buehrle.

"We think he has a chance to go deep on Sunday," Cooper said of Buehrle, who hit a home run at Milwaukee Sunday. "It's a very reachable right-field porch, and (Jon) Garland went deep there a couple years ago."

The Sox have been dealing with rainy weather for most of the season, but Cooper isn't making any excuses.

"I don't ever keep track of it, to tell you the truth," Cooper said. "The bottom line is we're pushing things back. In some ways it's good, in some ways it's not. We already had an off day (Monday). So this just gives everybody an extra day's rest. It depends on how you look at it. I think we're going to be sharp anyways.

"It's not going to effect out sharpness, I don't believe. We're not going to use that as an excuse, the extra day. We're just going to push everything back. They're all going to get their 32 starts and everything like that."

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