04/23/24
February 26, 2006
White Sox GM slams Thomas: Angry and disgusted with the latest comments from former slugger Frank Thomas, Chicago White Sox general manager Kenny Williams fired back Sunday, calling the two-time MVP "an idiot."
Yeah, cycling down, or as I would put it "whining" down! The guy has been a cancer in the clubhouse for YEARS! He was in about 21 games last year, so it just goes to show how little the team needed him. Maybe he can join Sammy Sosa in the "Chicago can do without 'em" club. Good bye you vile, gutless wonder!
posted by weeklyguy at 07:04 PM on February 26, 2006
sosa- did that guys career go to hell or what?
posted by aaa76 at 07:08 PM on February 26, 2006
All i have to say is good call weeklyguy...good call
posted by tubby2522 at 08:00 PM on February 26, 2006
I love Frank for all that he has done but its time to go
posted by ermmy at 07:02 AM on February 28, 2006
I'm not debating the fact Thomas is probably a cry-baby, whining whatever, but what is it with the people in charge of the White Sox? Williams isn't one of the players, he's a GM, for Christ's sake. Can't anyone in that organization bite their lip and take the high road? Say it's unfortunate Thomas has the feelings he does, but that the team is thankful for the years of production he gave them. Then they come out looking good. It always amazes me how everyone loves guys (ex. Sosa, Thomas) when they're driving in runs and hitting tape-measure homers, but as soon as they hit the decline, all anyone wants to talk about is what an ass they've been their entire career. Thomas is gone, so get over it, Kenny. Reinsdorf can stick up for himself if he feels he needs to.
posted by dyams at 07:06 AM on February 28, 2006
You'd think that he'd know that it wasn't personal, it was business. Interesting that when a player holds out for more money, he's being "selfish" and he's "hurting the team". But when the team screws HIM over, it's "just business." Thomas is getting old, and he was injured pretty much all of last year -- hmmm, must be cycling down... I'm guessing you think that Thomas did steroids, right? Did you know that Frank Thomas is one of the few players that advocated steroid testing in MLB, and was doing so WELL before Canseco's book came out? Did you know that he's been a BIG man his entire career? For an example of this, try watching (if you can stomach it) "Mr. Baseball" (the Tom Selleck baseball movie). Selleck's character loses his major league job to a rookie, who happens to be played by the same Frank Thomas. As you can see in the movie, he's HUGE. He's been a big man since he was a player in high school. So unless you've got ANY evidence or at least anyone with some insider knowledge that implies he's used steroids, you're just making yourself look like an ass by throwing around that accusation.
posted by grum@work at 08:21 AM on February 28, 2006
Williams was very unprofessional in his comments. Nobody will argue that his comments were not truthful. GM's shouldnt talk like that no matter the situation. williams is like Ozzie, he'll shoot his mouth at the drop of a hat. There is going to be a be a meltdown on the Southside this year. Then we'll really hear the words fly.
posted by daddisamm at 08:22 AM on February 28, 2006
Grum's got it right. Thomas just doesn't seem like a candidate for steroid accusations. He has left himself open to all sorts of OTHER accusations, but not the juice. The knee-jerk finger pointing (if you can picture that) at anyone who has played well -- which seems to double for anyone who is also something of a jerk -- is totally unfair. The question is, what are Williams and Guillen on? Because their tongues have gotten HUGE!!
posted by BullpenPro at 10:05 AM on February 28, 2006
I agree with, Dyams. I think Williams should have kept his mouth shut. He says that GMs are supposed to be above this stuff, yet he is not. Name-calling and broadcasting Thomas' personal business with Reinsdorf (i.e. a personal loan) is way out-of-line. What was the goal? What was he trying to accomplish? All he accomplished was showing that the White Sox are in fact disloyal to a player who contributed so much to the organization (and also that he has some weird protective thing with Reinsdorf).
posted by bperk at 10:16 AM on February 28, 2006
As a Los Angeles Angels Fan I am happy to hear that "Frank is being Frank" and that the cancer has spread to Oakland. I can't wait until the bad attitude of Milton Bradley surfaces and further defuses this division rival. Oakland, with a young clubhouse, did not need the problems of Thomas and Bradley.
posted by Termite at 11:05 AM on February 28, 2006
finally someone had the balls to say something to that dick head
posted by CoolAsFawk at 11:22 AM on February 28, 2006
Oakland, with a young clubhouse, did not need the problems of Thomas and Bradley. Winning is the ultimate deodorant. Or something like that.
posted by yerfatma at 11:30 AM on February 28, 2006
finally someone had the balls to say something to that dick head So for 10+ years, nobody says anything bad about him. He toils away for the team, carrying them on his broad shoulders for almost his entire career. In fact, the White Sox go out of their way to honour him (throwing out a playoff first pitch) even when he isn't contributing to the team anymore. However, the moment he complains about not getting even a phone call from his boss (Reinsdorf) after being unceremoniously dumped from the team, suddenly Kenny Williams decides to let loose with a stream of personal attacks. I'm not sure who the "dickhead" is in this case.
posted by grum@work at 11:53 AM on February 28, 2006
Actually, Grum, I've been hearing rumbles out of Chicago about Thomas being a jackass for quite some time, and he was a big target on Chitown sports radio for many years. You have to take it with a grain of salt, but as much as he was bashed, you would think there would be some truth there. This is what little insight I could find on that perception. It mentions his bitching about his salary when it was $11M per year and his missing pregame warm-ups in a snit once. That's pretty tame.
posted by wfrazerjr at 12:11 PM on February 28, 2006
I think Frank Thomas has been an ass for the sum total of his entire career. And I also think that the White Sox have been very accomodating to him for a number of years, even though he hasn't been an everyday player for the last five (during which time, he was paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $57 million). Frank chose to mouth off to whoever would listen about the way he was treated (truth: overpaid and underproducing) and the Sox had enough of their franchise's good name being dragged through the mud by a petulant fading superstar. Willams didn't exactly take the high road, but he sure had the last word.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 12:41 PM on February 28, 2006
grum, I didn't say that he was on steroids, I said that he was cycling down......Ok, I was implying he was on steroids, my bad. I will pull my foot out of my mouth now. But he's still a pain in the ass. Does that mean that I'm implying that he's gay? NO! I'm just saying what everyone else is saying, that he was a spoiled player who bitched if he didn't get his way.
posted by wingnut4life at 01:14 PM on February 28, 2006
Willams didn't exactly take the high road, but he sure had the last word. Actually, earlier today on ESPN they had an interview with Thomas after he and Williams spoke on the phone regarding Williams' comments. Thomas said the (phone) conversation was between he and Williams, and then said he just wanted to end by saying how much he enjoyed his years in Chicago. That's the last word, and makes the White Sox GM look like he can't control his temper and mouth. I'll always choose to remember Thomas for the player he was throughout most of his time in Chicago, as he was an absolutely devatating hitter. If he was such a dick, the White Sox look stupid for keeping him around as long as they did. As for his overall demeanor, I could care less. I don't hang around with him.
posted by dyams at 01:26 PM on February 28, 2006
If he was such a dick, the White Sox look stupid for keeping him around as long as they did. They probably kept him around so he could pay his loans back to Reinsdorf. Ok, ok. That was pretty low, but what do you expect? I'm a Tigers fan!
posted by wingnut4life at 01:46 PM on February 28, 2006
The Big Hurt kinda sounds like The Big Baby to me. You'd think that he'd know that it wasn't personal, it was business. The White Sox want to repeat, can you blame them? Now he's opened a can of worms, and I applaud Williams for speeking up and defending Jerry Reinsdorf. Thomas is getting old, and he was injured pretty much all of last year -- hmmm, must be cycling down...