White Sox Notebook: Sox honor Baines with statue

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CHICAGO - It's not the Hall of Fame, but for now, it will have to do. “I'd be lying if I said I don't want to be in the Hall of Fame,” said Harold Baines, honored by the White Sox with a life-sized bronze sculpture on Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field. “But this is a great honor, too. “When an organization puts up a statue of you in their stadium ... it's forever.” Baines said a statue wouldn't validate his career, baseball-wise. “My objective was to try to win a World Series, not get a statue,” he said. However, he welcomed the display of appreciation. “I'm very grateful,” Baines said. “It's surreal. In a way, it's better than the Hall of Fame. It shows my family, we represented the White Sox well.” Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said if anyone deserves a statue, it's Baines. “A lot of great players went through this organization, but the one who deserves (a statue) the most is (Baines),” he said. “Nobody ever has had anything bad to say about Harold and the way he has represented our organization.” Baines is the seventh White Sox luminary to be honored with a statue. One day, Guillen will earn such an honor - he hopes it happens soon. “I should (get a statue). I did more stuff than Harold,” he said with a smile. “I hope they do it before I die. I hope I'm still managing, too - I don't want to get fired, then all of sudden have them say, ‘We're going to do this statue for you.' “I'm the second son of (owner Jerry Reinsforf) ... I think I should get one.” Guillen said Baines, who had 384 homers and 2,866 hits, deserves a plaque, too. A plaque in Cooperstown, that is. “I respect the people voting, but I think (Baines) should be in there,” he said. A designated hitter for the majority of his career, Baines, like most DHs, has not garnered significant HOF consideration, simply because of his position. That, Guillen and Baines said, is ridiculous. “They're baseball players, aren't they?” Guillen asked. “If you're in the lineup, no matter what you do, you're a baseball player. You look at some of the DHs ... wow. “(Jim) Thome, Frank Thomas, Edgar Martinez ... they've put up some (incredible) numbers. And designated hitters should be in the Hall if they've got the numbers.” Baines agreed. “From what I've read, (the writers) don't believe the DH is a part of baseball,” the career .289 hitter said. “If that's the case, they should get rid of the DH. If (the writers) aren't going to vote a position into the Hall of Fame ... there were a lot of guys who were great designated hitters when they played.” Guillen said the statue, while not a plaque, says a lot. “To be here forever and ever, as long as the White Sox exist ... wow,” he said. “If we have a new ballpark, old ballpark, whatever - he's going to be here forever. “That's something he should feel proud of. (Baines) is in a group out there with a bunch of great players. That's an honor. There are only six others out there.” Thome hits milestone Designated hitter Jim Thome recorded career hit No. 2,000 in the seventh inning of Sunday afternoon's game against Kansas City. Thome is the 252nd player in baseball history to reach 2,000 hits - he's the ninth player in baseball history to tally 2,000 hits, 1,500 walks and 500 home runs. “You feel proud, you feel humble, because those are great names,” he said. “You never imagine it's going to happen. When it does, it's something you cherish.” Thome's 2,000th hit was a double down the left-field line. “That's a lot of hits,” he said. Russell sent down The Sox optioned reliever Adam Russell to Triple-A Charlotte after the game. A team spokesman said a corresponding move will be made before tonight's contest. Logic says the Sox will recall a pitcher, possibly a long reliever. Of course, with the trade deadline rapidly approaching, you can never count out a deal.