04/23/24
November 05, 2005
Thomas Done?: The Chicago White Sox recently bought out Frank Thomas' contract for 3.5 mil- this looks like the last run for Thomas, and his HOF career.
posted by redsoxrgay to baseball at 11:11 AM - 14 comments
I think he's done. Unless he's willing to play for almost nothing, I don't see anyone paying a player to occupy the DL. He's really the Big "Hurt" these days. I wonder where he stands on the whole steroid thing? I know he used to play football and all, but he could kick sand in Canseco's face. The guy was MASSIVE!!
posted by dyams at 12:18 PM on November 05, 2005
Nah, he was just a big dude. There may have been juice there, but since the main benefit of steroids is quicker recovery time and not actual strength, I'm guessing Thomas is clean. Well, at least he got his ring. And he'll go somewhere else for a year or two, just to get the last of his playing-urges out of his system. I hope the White Sox have room for him upstairs when his days are over. He carried that team through some lean years.
posted by chicobangs at 12:37 PM on November 05, 2005
I think it was Canseco himself who said (in his book) that Thomas was clean. Little known fact about Frank Thomas #1: he plays "the rookie" that takes Tom Selleck's position on the Yankees in the movie "Mr. Baseball". I hope everyone can remember that he was the best American League hitter from 1990-1997. Griffey may have been the bigger name and better fielder, but nobody swung a better bat in the AL than The Big Hurt. Little known fact about Frank Thomas #2: he was born on the exact same day as Jeff Bagwell (May 27, 1968).
posted by grum@work at 01:35 PM on November 05, 2005
No matter what happens to Frank, I tip my hat to him. Helluva hitter. Nice guy.
posted by sic at 03:02 PM on November 05, 2005
I believe Thomas, if healthy, will return to the White Sox. His option for 2006 was $10 million, which is a lot to pay for a 38-year-old DH even if he plays 150 games. With Carl Everett gone, Thomas is the team's first option at DH, assuming the two sides can agree on, say, two years for $10 mil and a mutual option or two. His brief time in 2005 after a year away from the game proved he still has a power stroke, and for the first time in his career Thomas can be considered an asset in terms of leadership. The White Sox will find a place for him.
posted by Brett at 03:32 PM on November 05, 2005
Done or not, I can care less. I will say that from the years of living in Chicago and watching this guy, I can say he was always highly over-rated. He seems like he might be a cool guy and definately had the skills to be great, but never had the true chance with all of the surgeries and ailments from year to year. HOF is the question, NO should be the answer. For as many years as he wore black, he was never even close to the HOF material that many believe not to mention with all those years he should own a few of the records for the team. Bye Bye Big Turd
posted by melcarek69 at 05:29 PM on November 05, 2005
HOF is the question, NO should be the answer. For as many years as he wore black, he was never even close to the HOF material that many believe Wow. I mean, really. Wow. Do you have any idea what you are talking about? I'll just assume you aren't trying to troll for a response, and give you the easy information. Career OBP: .427 (13th all time) Career SLG: .568 (15th all time) Career OPS: .995 (11th all time) Career OPS+: 161 (14th all time) 2 MVP awards 7 consecutive top-10 appearance in MVP voting not to mention with all those years he should own a few of the records for the team. Chicago White Sox leader in the following categories: Career OBP Career SLG Career OPS Career OPS+ Career Runs Career Total Bases Career Doubles Career HR Career RBI Career Walks Career Extra Base Hits Career Intentional Walks Chicago White Sox single-season record holder for the following categories: OBP (1994 - .487) (actually, holds 5 of the top 9) SLG (1994 - .729) (actually, holds 6 of the top 7) OPS (1994 - 1.217) (actually, holds the top 5 spots, and 7 of the top 10) OPS+ (1994 - 212) (actually, holds 7 of the top 8 spots) So whatever you do, don't let reality get in the way of your thought process.
posted by grum@work at 08:17 PM on November 05, 2005
nice guy??? might be a cool guy???? Is this the same frank thomas that i know. frank is a big time JAG-OFF. anyone that has lived in chicago in the last ten years knows that. he has treated everyone like crap. never wanted to play the field. always moaning about the contract that he signed. that being said--- it will be a close vote into the HOF. one of the best hitters that i have ever seen
posted by whodat at 09:57 PM on November 05, 2005
nice work grum i love the big hurt and he plays for a division rival(live in detroit). the guy was the right handed hitter of his generation in the AL
posted by Fade222 at 10:19 PM on November 05, 2005
No doubt he's a HOFamer. As far as being a nice guy, who knows. For years when everything was going well he sounded like a saint. Then when he went through a couple of bad years it seemed like he was regarded as a cancer. Now during the world series he seemed, on camera, to be the ideal teammate. So I don't know. I don't follow the white sox close enough to know. But there does seem to be two extreme opinions on thomas.
posted by justgary at 11:19 PM on November 05, 2005
At his best, the guy was flat-out dominating. I always liked watching him at the plate, and wish he had more good years ahead. As for him personally, who really cares. I don't plan on hanging out with him anytime soon. Other than the run-of-the-mill bitching most athletes do occasionally, I've never noticed anything really extreme. Plus, he's stuck with the Sox throughout the years and didn't cry and whine about needing to go elsewhere.
posted by dyams at 06:55 AM on November 06, 2005
Little known fact, who cares if Jeff Bagwell's birthday is the same as Frank Thomas.
posted by INOALOSER at 07:58 AM on November 07, 2005
Little known fact, who cares if Jeff Bagwell's birthday is the same as Frank Thomas. Well, it's interesting because Bagwell is Thomas' best "compare" score, and Thomas is Bagwell's second best "compare" score. It's like they were baseball twins from different wombs. Throw in the fact that they both were giants with the bats, have pretty much the same career paths, both made it to their first World Series while watching from the bench (most of the time), and will probably get elected into the Hall of Fame at the same time, and you end up with a pretty freaking coincidental bit of trivia. But if that don't float your boat, no problem.
posted by grum@work at 09:47 AM on November 07, 2005
Tampa Bay Devil Rays on line 1, Mr. Hurt.