Hot Corner: Interrogation room with ex-White Sox Aaron Rowand
BY JOE COWLEY jcowley@suntimes.com August 5, 2011 9:38AM
Aaron Rowand has smashed his face on an outfield wall and broken his shoulder falling down a 20-foot embankment on a dirt bike. But the last time he really cried? When White Sox general manager Ken Williams told him he was traded from Chicago after the 2005 season.
Joe Cowley: OK, Bears boy, what would have happened if the NFL lockout didn’t end?
Rowand: I would have been in a full panic.
JC: What was it like watching the Packers win it all?
Rowand: Painful, extremely painful.
JC: You grew up a Chicago fan in California. Best Bears memory?
Rowand: Being an honorary captain for the coin toss at a Bears game just after I was traded two weeks earlier. I got a standing O, kind of a farewell thing that almost put me in tears.
JC: Favorite Sox teammate?
Rowand: Joe [Crede] and A.J. [Pierzynski].
JC: Where did [Juan] Uribe factor in. I mean, it was Juan Uribe.
Rowand: He’s right up there. I love me some Uribe. I still can’t understand what he’s saying, but he’s the best. He’s one of the best teammates I ever had, also. He’s awesome.
JC: You forgive Kenny for trading you?
Rowand: I told Kenny on the phone that day that I completely understand. He wanted a power bat from the left side and brought in a future Hall of Famer in Jim Thome. It was painful, but I understood.
JC: Thing you miss most about playing for Chicago?
Rowand: Wearing the road uniform. And you know why? Because it said ‘Chicago’ across the front. I got goose bumps every time I would put it on.
JC: Not so with San Francisco?
Rowand: [Pause] Let’s talk about the Bears again.
