Thome in 'good company' as he watches White Sox remarkable postseason run

CLEVELAND – White Sox watch parties are forming across the Chicago area, in neighborhoods from Bridgeport to Streeterville to Bucktown.

There’s quite a bit to celebrate regarding the early postseason run of the South Siders, who have not trailed in the playoffs over three games and held the lead in 24 of their 27 innings going into Game 2 of the Division Series Monday evening in Cleveland.

But if you are talking about a special get-together mixing a high level of baseball acumen with actual Hall of Famers, look no further than Rate Field.

It was White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, Tony La Russa and Jim Thome this past Tuesday for the Wild Card opener against Houston. The trio met at Reinsdorf’s ballpark suite and enjoyed a 6-3 victory over the Astros.

“Then you know when you win, you gotta go back and do it again,” Thome told MLB.com during a phone interview on Saturday. “And it’s just been a joy.

“I love that man,” added Thome of Reinsdorf, his boss and friend. “He’s been so great to so many people that to watch him right now, enjoy this and genuinely, the happiness … “

Reinsdorf is in his 46th season as White Sox chairman, hoping his team repeats the 11-1 postseason magic of the 2005 World Series championship run. La Russa, who currently serves as a White Sox special advisor, won three World Series titles, six pennants and ranks No. 1 all-time for managers who also didn’t own their team (Connie Mack) with 2,884 victories.

La Russa was the White Sox manager when they last made the playoffs in 2021, losing in four games to the Astros in the Division Series. Thome, a special assistant to general manager Chris Getz, was pretty darn good on the field as well, finishing his career with 612 home runs, 1,699 RBIs and a .956 OPS.

So, the baseball conversations had to be quite interesting between the three. The meeting of the minds took place again on Saturday with Reinsdorf and Thome and another friend of Reinsdorf’s watching the team’s 3-0 victory over the Guardians in Game 1 of the Division series.

“That’s good company right there,” said White Sox third-base coach Justin Jirschele with a laugh. “I would have liked to be a fly on the wall.”

“For me, it’s a lot of listening,” Thome said. “It’s just really fun to listen to Tony, who is a legend in himself, just talk about the game. There’s so much you can learn and, no matter how long all of us are in it, we learn every day.”

Thome explained there was a lot of pitching talk, addressing specific pitches in specific counts. As for food, Thome added there was pizza on Saturday in the suite. There were even fist bumps and high-fives in celebratory moments.

“We are kind of hanging out. Just guys talking the game that kind of know a little bit about the game, which is incredible,” Thome said. “We are so locked in and it’s just a lot of fun.

“I was honored to be asked to come down and be a part of it. And then Jerry is a big baseball fan. To watch him right now enjoy all of this is so meaningful. All of the people that work for him are just so happy.”

The Thome family are White Sox fans and ardent supporters. He raised his kids, Lila and Landon, with his wife, Andrea, in the Chicago area, and Landon now plays for the organization after being selected 34th overall in the 2026 Draft.

Over four years with the White Sox, Thome hit 134 home runs and he has been part of the White Sox front office since July 2, 2013. Cleveland holds a special place in his heart as well, with Thome launching 337 homers with them over 13 years and playing on some great baseball teams. But now, all the focus is on the White Sox – one of the game’s best stories this year.

“I just see a bunch of guys that absolutely define brotherhood and the special fraternity that you have in a clubhouse and rooting for each other,” Thome said. “Then you go through the dynamics of our team, our offense, where we are pitching-wise, our bullpen, it’s just really fun.

“All of them know their role, and it’s not about anything but the team. These guys have worked really hard from day one, and it’s really great to see a bunch of guys that care, but also care about each other with their role and not getting ahead of anything. That’s been fun.”

There’s the potential for even more Game 2 fun, with Thome back at 35th and Shields with Reinsdorf. If it has worked so far, why change plans?

“I’m pretty sure that’s going to happen,” Thome said. “We all kind of know how that is. Obviously, Jerry will make that call, but I will be available Monday, there’s no doubt.”