Thomas walked out of the White Sox' camp because the organization won't respect him by granting him the money he believes he deserves. The outfielder demanded to be traded but, over the weekend, realized that his complaining was getting him nowhere. So, he reneged on his comments and said he wants to be a lifetime Dodger so that, come pay time, he has a better chance of being respected. Thomas, Sheffield and many of the other players around the league will testify that contracts are all about respect or the lack thereof. In many jobs, respect is earned.
Professional baseball is no different.
Even if you can hit a baseball 400 feet 40 times a year and knock in over 100 runs, if you don't carry yourself like a true professional, respect shouldn't be expected. And just when baseball needed someone to step up and prove that character will still get you far, Omar Vizquel rose to the occasion. Like a true professional. Copyright 2001, The Buchtelite.