Quiet night as Thome anticipates No. 500

Jim Thome has made hitting home runs look easy throughout his career. Use his three deep ones on consecutive days over the weekend as proof.

But as he entered Monday's game only 2 home runs shy of 500, Thome had to remind himself there's a reason why only 22 players in the history of the game that have reached the historic mark.

"It's tough," Thome said. "You don't want to go in every night and say, 'You got to hit a home run.' Home runs are not that easy."

It appeared that way again Monday as Thome went homerless in his 3 at-bats against the Cleveland Indians before rain put an end to the night at U.S. Cellular Field. The Indians were leading the White Sox 4-2 after seven innings when the delay began.

Although Thome isn't planning on a specific date for his 500th home run, he is making other arrangements for it. He and his father, Chuck, have discussed what they'd like to do with the ball if it were returned to him.

"Hopefully if we're lucky enough to get it back, my father and I are going to donate it to the Hall of Fame," Thome said. "That's something that was important to me for the history of the game, for my dad as well to be a part of."

Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is in favor of anything that allows the fan to have a special experience in Cooperstown, N.Y.

"Hey, that's great," Guillen. "I think that's great for baseball. I think it's great for people to get a chance to see something out there when they visit."

Exactly how and when No. 500 will come have been on Thome's mind lately. He wouldn't give any details of how he's imagined it, but he did admit that he and his teammates were talking about the possibility of doing it with an inside-the-park job.

"We were just talking (in the clubhouse), 'Has there ever been an inside-the-parker?' " Thome said. "I've got to believe that's ruled out with me."

It certainly would take something out of the ordinary to get Thome around all the bases. He hasn't tripled since May 11, 2004.

"If there's a play that's even close to that, he better pull up at third and do it the right way," said first baseman Paul Konerko. "No one wants to see an inside-the-parker. My guess is it'll be a 600-foot home run, the way he hits them."

Indians manager Eric Wedge did wish Thome the best before the game, but only after his team's done playing the White Sox.

"I hope we don't see it," Wedge said of No. 500. "I hope he does it against somebody else."

Third-base woes: It's not that Alex Cintron is one for making excuses for his recent errors, including a pair Sunday against Minnesota, but …

"A lot of third basemen make 2 or 3 errors similarly to how I did the other day," Cintron said before Monday's game. "It's part of the game, especially if you don't play every day. It's hard.

"I don't have much playing time, but I don't make any excuses -- it's just one of those days."

"Those days" have come most often when Cintron has played third base. In 14 games there this year he's committed 5 errors, including a pair Sunday.

It's the same number he's totaled in 30 games this season at second base and shortstop.

"It's more reacting," he said of playing third. "If you don't get used to that, you're in trouble.

"The ball goes quick to you. You got to react to the ball and make a strong play."

With manager Ozzie Guillen and general manager Ken Williams already evaluating players for next season, Cintron knows his every move the rest of the way will be duly noted.

Talk about pressure.

"It's frustrating because you're trying to show you can play over there and try to help the team to get more playing time," he said. "If you play my role, it's hard because if you don't hit good or play good you're not going to be there."

Cintron wasn't there Monday. Andy Gonzales, who has also struggled in the field, got the start at third against Cleveland. He committed an error, giving him 6 in 16 games at third. White Sox third basemen have committed 6 errors in the last four games.

"It's hard because we don't have a good feeling right now about the ballclub because of the way they're playing," Guillen said. "(After the season) we'll relax for a couple of days and then sit back all together and say, 'OK, we're not going to check this team with our feelings, we're going to check this team with our brains and say, who's the best coming back?'

"Right now you ask anybody, it's kind of hard to say."

Indians 4, White Sox 2

(Rain delay after 7 innings)

At the plate: A.J. Pierzynski singled, doubled, drove in a run and stole his first base of the season. Jim Thome went 0-for-3 and remained at 498 career home runs.

On the mound: Starter Gavin Floyd made his longest start of the season (61/3 innings) but was due to get the loss after reliever Mike Myers came in and gave up a 2-run home run in the seventh inning.

-- Scott J. Powers