Reinsdorf out of hospital after fainting scare
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. - White Sox and Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf was released from Bassett Medical Center Saturday morning after fainting the night before during a dinner attended by Frank Thomas, who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Sunday.
"After seeing Jerry go down last night, that scared the (bleep) out of me," Thomas said. "He was down for a long time and it didn't look good. He was white as a ghost on the floor.
"The first thing you are thinking is, 'Oh, my God. He's gone.' To see them take him away in an ambulance and pumping his chest, we thought it was serious.
"I had a long conversation with him all day and it was just one of those things. You can't take life for granted. We are going to enjoy the rest of this weekend."
An emergency medical technician and cardiologist were on the scene Friday night, and Reinsdorf, 78, was taken to Bassett Medical Center by ambulance.
Tests were negative, and Reinsdorf was never in a life-threatening situation. He was held overnight and treated for exhaustion.
Reinsdorf was resting Saturday and plans to attend Sunday's Hall of Fame ceremony. In addition to Thomas, former Sox manager Tony La Russa will be inducted.
Hall eligibility now 10 years:
Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire will have less time to remain eligible for the Hall of Fame ballot under changes made Saturday. The Hall of Fame's board cut a player's eligibility from 15 years to 10, which gives McGwire a maximum of two more appearances on the writers' ballot. Bonds, Clemens and Sosa, shunned so far along with other Steroids Era stars, can be considered up to eight more times each by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
- Associated Press contributed