.gif)
Frank Thomas (AL baseball player)
Encyclopedia
Frank Edward Thomas, Jr. (born May 27, 1968), nicknamed "The Big Hurt", is a former Major League Baseball
designated hitter
and first baseman
.
Thomas became one of baseball's biggest stars in the 1990s, playing for the Chicago White Sox
. Broadcaster Ken Harrelson
coined the aforementioned nickname for Thomas in the 1992 season. Frank Thomas is known for his menacing home run power; he routinely swung a rusted piece of rebar
(reportedly found during a renovation project in Old Comiskey Park) in the on-deck circle.
Thomas played baseball and football at Auburn University
. He retired February 12, 2010. Thomas is 6'5" and 275 pounds.
and attended Columbus High School
where he was a standout in both football and baseball. As a Columbus High School sophomore he hit cleanup for a baseball team that won a state championship. As a senior he hit .440 for the baseball team, was named an All-State tight end with the football team, and played forward with the basketball team. He wanted desperately to win a contract to play professional baseball, but was not drafted in the 1986 amateur draft.
"I was shocked and sad," Thomas recalled in the Chicago Tribune
. "I saw a lot of guys I played against get drafted, and I knew they couldn't do what I could do. But I've had people all my life saying you can't do this, you can't do that. It scars you. No matter how well I've done. People have misunderstood me for some reason. I was always one of the most competitive kids around."
In the autumn of 1986, Thomas accepted a scholarship to play football at Auburn University
. His love of baseball drew him to the Auburn baseball team, where the coach immediately recognized his potential. "We loved him," Auburn baseball coach Hal Baird told Sports Illustrated
. "He was fun to be around—always smiling, always bright-eyed." He was also a deadly hitter, posting a .359 batting average and leading the Tigers in runs batted in as a freshman. During the summer of 1987 he played for the U.S. Pan American Team, earning a spot on the final roster that would compete in the Pan American Games
. The Games coincided with the beginning of football practice back at Auburn, so he left the Pan Am team and returned to college—only to be injured twice in early season football games.
Despite the injury that could have jeopardized his football scholarship, Auburn continued his funding and baseball became his sole sport. He won consideration for the U.S. National Team – preparing for the 1988 Summer Olympics
– but he was cut from the final squad. By the end of his junior baseball season he had hit 19 home runs, 19 doubles, and batted .403 with a slugging percentage of .801. He earned Southeastern Conference MVP honors his senior year.
Thomas concluded his college career with 49 home runs, a school record.
The Chicago White Sox
selected Thomas with the seventh pick in the first round of the June 1989 Major League Baseball Draft
.
Thomas played first base during the early part of his career. However, his defensive skills were mediocre to poor and as a result he spent the latter part of his career as a designated hitter
. Thomas is the only player in major league history to have seven consecutive seasons of a .300 average and at least 100 walks, 100 runs, 100 runs batted in, and 20 home runs (from 1991 to 1997). The only other player to have more than five consecutive seasons accomplishing this feat was Ted Williams
with six. This accomplishment is even more remarkable considering that he played only 113 games in 1994, due to the strike.
There are only six other players in history who have both hit more home runs and have a higher career batting average than Thomas: Hank Aaron, Jimmie Foxx
, Babe Ruth
, Alex Rodriguez
, Manny Ramirez
, and Willie Mays
.
at County Stadium. He went hitless, going 0–4, but had an RBI on a fielder's choice which scored Iván Calderón as the White Sox won the game 4–3. On August 28, 1990, Thomas hit the first home run of his career in Minnesota, against the Twins (coincidentally, he would hit his 500th career home run at the Metrodome
). He hit the home run off pitcher Gary Wayne
in the top of the ninth as his team lost 12–6.
In his first full season, in , Thomas finished third in MVP voting with a .318 batting average, 32 home runs, 109 runs batted in as well as walking 138 times. He won the first of four Silver Slugger
awards, and led the league in on-base percentage, something he would accomplish four times throughout his career.
In 1993 and 1994, Thomas won back-to-back Most Valuable Player awards – the first by a White Sox since Dick Allen
in 1972. In 1994, the baseball season was shortened due to a players' strike and perhaps no one felt the sting of the strike more than Thomas, who stood poised to achieve one of baseball's most prestigious honors: the Triple Crown. Not since 1967 had any player finished the regular season first in average, home runs, and runs batted in. Thomas was contending for the honor when the strike occurred, and his numbers were good enough to earn him a second American League Most Valuable Player award. Pressed by the media to comment on his accomplishments—and his future—Thomas told the Atlanta Journal and Constitution: "I'm not into being known as the best by fans or the media. I care how I'm perceived by my peers. I can settle for the label 'one of the best' because that means you're considered an elite player."
He is one of only three first basemen in history to win consecutive Most Valuable Player awards in the major leagues (Hall-of-Famer Jimmie Foxx
, 1932–1933, and current St. Louis Cardinal
Albert Pujols
, 2008–2009, are the others). In his second MVP season, he hit .353, with 38 home runs and 101 RBI. In 1996, he hit .349 40 home runs and became an All-Star for the fourth time, while finishing 8th in MVP voting.
of the Oakland Athletics
, who was found guilty of using steroids. He also won the 2000 AL Comeback Player of the Year Award
. In 2001, after his father died, Thomas also announced during the same week that he would undergo season ending surgery after a second MRI revealed a triceps tear in his right arm. "This is the worst week of my life," Thomas said during a press conference in Chicago. "First I lose my father, then come back and find out I'm lost for the season." He only played in 20 games that year.
He rebounded in 2002, but he just hit .252 in 148 games, a career-low for Thomas for a complete season. As the years went on, Thomas' average dropped year after year, but his power never seemed to diminish. He has traditionally been a patient hitter, leading the American League
in walks four times. Through the end of the 2006 season, Thomas was second among all active players in walks and third in on-base percentage, and ranked among the top 20 lifetime in both categories.
Thomas had been maligned by the media in Chicago due to a dropoff in his performance later in his career. Much of this came about after the season, when the White Sox invoked a "diminished skills" clause in his contract. Thomas resurrected his career in ; although he hit a subpar .267, he was tied for second in the American League
in home runs (42), and was in the league's top ten in walks, extra-base hits, slugging percentage, and on-base plus slugging
, as he led the major leagues in fly ball percentage (54.9%). In 2005, Thomas hit 12 home runs despite only having 105 at-bats in 35 games, demonstrating the power that he showed earlier in his career. Adding together 2004 and 2005, he had fewer than 350 total at-bats because of the injuries but managed to hit 30 home runs and draw 80 walks. As a member of the White Sox, Thomas and teammate Magglio Ordóñez
tied a major league record for back-to-back homers, with six in one season. Thomas was not on the post-season roster of the World Series
-winning 2005 White Sox team due to injury. During Game 1 of the Division Series against the Boston Red Sox
, Thomas threw out the ceremonial first pitch. "What a feeling," Thomas said. "Standing O all around the place. People really cheering me. I had tears in my eyes. To really know the fans cared that much about me – it was a great feeling. One of my proudest moments in the game."
did not call him to tell him he wasn’t coming back. He also said that he and Kenny Williams did not see eye-to-eye after Williams became GM following the 2000 season. At the time, Thomas was unhappy that his next-to-last deal with the White Sox contained a "diminished skills" clause. He said the White Sox should have traded him after the playoffs that season.
"I've got a lot of respect for Jerry Reinsdorf, I do. But I really thought, the relationship we had over the last 16 years, he would have picked up the phone to say, 'Big guy, we're moving forward. We're going somewhere different. We don't know your situation or what's going to happen.' I can live with that, I really can," Thomas said. "But treating me like some passing-by-player. I've got no respect for that." Thomas said he was not bitter or angry and had joined the A's with an open mind.
Williams fired back at Thomas, calling him an "idiot." He also said, "If he was any kind of a man, he would quit talking about things in the paper and return a phone call or come knock on someone's door. If I had the kind of problems evidently he had with me, I would go knock on his door." Thomas and Williams have since made amends.
Thomas has several White Sox records to his name, including all-time leader in runs scored (1,327), home runs (448), doubles (447), RBI (1,465), extra-base hits (906), walks (1,466), total bases (3,949), slugging percentage (.568), and on-base percentage (.427). At the time he left the team, his 448 home runs were more than twice as many as any other individual player had hit for the White Sox in their 104-year history.
On December 7, 2005, Thomas signed with the Oakland Athletics to a one year, $500,000 deal with incentives on January 25, 2006.
.jpg)
The Athletics installed Thomas as their everyday DH. He started the season slowly, but ended the season as the team leader in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage. He provided a powerful right-handed bat in the middle of the lineup for the division-leading Athletics. He had a stretch where he hit a home run in six straight games.
On May 22, 2006, Thomas homered twice in his first game against his former team. Before Thomas came up to lead off the 2nd inning, a musical montage played on the Jumbotron
at U.S. Cellular Field
, paying tribute to Thomas's legacy with the White Sox. He was cheered in his introduction by the White Sox fans. Moments later, when he hit his first home run of the night to put his former team behind in the score 1–0, he was loudly cheered along with a standing ovation.
Thomas rejuvenated his career playing with the Athletics, placing fifth in the American League with 39 HRs and eighth with 114 RBI. He also was key to the team's stretch drive to the playoffs: for the week ending September 10, he was the American League's player of the week after hitting .462 with five homers and 13 RBI. The 2006 post season provided Thomas the opportunity to play in his first postseason games since 2000 since he missed the 2005 playoffs with an injury, when the Athletics clinched the American League West title, defeating the Seattle Mariners 12–3 on September 26. During the A's first playoff game on October 3, Thomas hit two solo home runs, leading the A's to a 3–2 win over the Minnesota Twins. His performance during the opening playoff game earned Thomas the distinction of being the oldest player to hit multiple home runs in a postseason game.
On October 7, 2006, he finished behind Jim Thome
, the man who replaced him as the Chicago White Sox's DH, in the voting for the American League Comeback Player of the Year Award
. He was awarded the AL players choice award for Comeback Player. He finished 4th in the vote for the American League Most Valuable Player Award.
On November 16, 2006 Thomas signed a 2-year, $18 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. According to BlueJays.com, Thomas was scheduled to make $1 million (US) in the first season (with a $9.12 million signing bonus) and $8 million in the next season. The contract included an option for 2009 contingent on his reaching 1,050 plate appearances over the next two seasons or 525 plate appearances in the second year of the contract.
On June 17, 2007, Thomas hit his 496th career home run, giving him his 244th home run as a DH
, breaking the record previously held by Edgar Martínez
.
On June 28, 2007, Thomas hit the 500th home run of his career, becoming the 21st player in the history of Major League Baseball to do so. It was a three-run shot off Minnesota
's Carlos Silva (Thomas' 500th home run came on the same day Craig Biggio
hit his 3,000th career hit). Thomas was ejected in the later innings of the game for arguing balls and strikes with the home plate umpire.
On September 17, 2007, Thomas hit three home runs in his team's 6–1 win over the Boston Red Sox. It was the second time in his career that Thomas hit three home runs in a game, the first time also against the Red Sox, on September 15, 1996, in a Chicago White Sox loss. Knuckleball
er Tim Wakefield started both games for the Red Sox, and gave up five of the six home runs Thomas hit, including all three in the first game.
During spring training in , Thomas expressed his confidence about his team's chances for the upcoming season. Thomas hit his first home run of the season against the Red Sox on April 5, in a 10–2 Blue Jays win. The following day, with the bases loaded and a 2–2 tie, Thomas hit a grand slam
off Red Sox reliever Manny Delcarmen
, leading the Jays to a 7–4 victory. On April 19, before a game against the Detroit Tigers
, manager John Gibbons
announced that he would be benching Thomas for an undisclosed period of time. The benching angered the 39-year old Thomas, who did not shake hands with his teammates following their victory on that day and said before the game that he was angry and that his career "will not end like this."
for benching him. Four days later, the Oakland Athletics
and Thomas agreed to terms for his return. In his final game with the Athletics on August 29, he went 2 for 4. After struggling at the plate with Oakland and a two-month stint on the disabled list, his 2008 season ended with a .263 batting average when he was again placed on the 60-day disabled list on August 30. On October 31, 2008 he became a free agent. Thomas officially retired on February 11, 2010, and will be eligible for consideration for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.
. It is the 8th statue on the outfield concourse.
Thomas appeared in the movie Mr. Baseball
(as a hot-prospect rookie who forces Tom Selleck
's character off the Yankees
roster) and made a guest appearance (as himself) on the TV show Married With Children.
In 1995, a Super NES
baseball video game titled Frank Thomas' Big Hurt Baseball
was released for home video game play, and Premier Technologies created a "Big Hurt" pinball machine, (marketed under the Gottlieb trade name). Thomas made an appearance in the documentary The History of Pinball in which he discusses the similarities between playing baseball and pinball.
In 2007, he appeared in a promotional advertisement for the Toronto Blue Jays, in which he engages in a pillow fight
with children. This ad drew the criticism of the Television Bureau of Canada, who requested a "Dramatization. Do not try this at home." disclaimer be placed on the ad. A similar warning was placed on teammate A.J. Burnett's commercial. The Blue Jays, humorously, then scheduled a "Frank Thomas Kid's Pillow" promotion for September 2, 2007.
Thomas appeared as a guest analyst during TBS's coverage of the 2007 MLB playoffs.
He also helped out Comcast SportsNet Chicago with the Crosstown Classic in 2009.
In 2010, Thomas continued his work with Comcast SportsNet Chicago by serving as an analyst during its post-game White Sox telecast. He also was a substitute color analyst for the White Sox, temporarily filling in for Steve Stone.
's then-ongoing pursuit of Hank Aaron's career home run record. Thomas was, then, the only active baseball player to be interviewed during the preparation of the Mitchell Report
. He did so voluntarily.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
and first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
.
Thomas became one of baseball's biggest stars in the 1990s, playing for the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
. Broadcaster Ken Harrelson
Ken Harrelson
Kenneth Smith Harrelson , nicknamed "The Hawk" due to his distinctive profile, is a former All-Star first baseman and outfielder in Major League Baseball...
coined the aforementioned nickname for Thomas in the 1992 season. Frank Thomas is known for his menacing home run power; he routinely swung a rusted piece of rebar
Rebar
A rebar , also known as reinforcing steel, reinforcement steel, rerod, or a deformed bar, is a common steel bar, and is commonly used as a tensioning device in reinforced concrete and reinforced masonry structures holding the concrete in compression...
(reportedly found during a renovation project in Old Comiskey Park) in the on-deck circle.
Thomas played baseball and football at Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
. He retired February 12, 2010. Thomas is 6'5" and 275 pounds.
Early life and career
Thomas was born and raised in Columbus, GeorgiaColumbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
and attended Columbus High School
Columbus High School (Columbus, Georgia)
Columbus High School is located in Columbus, Georgia, USA. It serves as one of the Muscogee County School District's Liberal Arts Magnet school. It opened in 1890 and has been located throughout the city. In the 2006–2007 school year it was ranked #9. In 2005, the school shared the ranking as the...
where he was a standout in both football and baseball. As a Columbus High School sophomore he hit cleanup for a baseball team that won a state championship. As a senior he hit .440 for the baseball team, was named an All-State tight end with the football team, and played forward with the basketball team. He wanted desperately to win a contract to play professional baseball, but was not drafted in the 1986 amateur draft.
"I was shocked and sad," Thomas recalled in the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
. "I saw a lot of guys I played against get drafted, and I knew they couldn't do what I could do. But I've had people all my life saying you can't do this, you can't do that. It scars you. No matter how well I've done. People have misunderstood me for some reason. I was always one of the most competitive kids around."
In the autumn of 1986, Thomas accepted a scholarship to play football at Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
. His love of baseball drew him to the Auburn baseball team, where the coach immediately recognized his potential. "We loved him," Auburn baseball coach Hal Baird told Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. "He was fun to be around—always smiling, always bright-eyed." He was also a deadly hitter, posting a .359 batting average and leading the Tigers in runs batted in as a freshman. During the summer of 1987 he played for the U.S. Pan American Team, earning a spot on the final roster that would compete in the Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
. The Games coincided with the beginning of football practice back at Auburn, so he left the Pan Am team and returned to college—only to be injured twice in early season football games.
Despite the injury that could have jeopardized his football scholarship, Auburn continued his funding and baseball became his sole sport. He won consideration for the U.S. National Team – preparing for the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
– but he was cut from the final squad. By the end of his junior baseball season he had hit 19 home runs, 19 doubles, and batted .403 with a slugging percentage of .801. He earned Southeastern Conference MVP honors his senior year.
Thomas concluded his college career with 49 home runs, a school record.
The Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
selected Thomas with the seventh pick in the first round of the June 1989 Major League Baseball Draft
1989 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1989 Major League Baseball draft.-Supplemental first round selections:-External links:*...
.
Thomas played first base during the early part of his career. However, his defensive skills were mediocre to poor and as a result he spent the latter part of his career as a designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
. Thomas is the only player in major league history to have seven consecutive seasons of a .300 average and at least 100 walks, 100 runs, 100 runs batted in, and 20 home runs (from 1991 to 1997). The only other player to have more than five consecutive seasons accomplishing this feat was Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
with six. This accomplishment is even more remarkable considering that he played only 113 games in 1994, due to the strike.
There are only six other players in history who have both hit more home runs and have a higher career batting average than Thomas: Hank Aaron, Jimmie Foxx
Jimmie Foxx
James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx , nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was a right-handed American Major League Baseball first baseman and noted power hitter....
, Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
, Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
, Manny Ramirez
Manny Ramírez
Manuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...
, and Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
.
Early years (1990–96)
Thomas made his major league debut on August 2, 1990 against the Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
at County Stadium. He went hitless, going 0–4, but had an RBI on a fielder's choice which scored Iván Calderón as the White Sox won the game 4–3. On August 28, 1990, Thomas hit the first home run of his career in Minnesota, against the Twins (coincidentally, he would hit his 500th career home run at the Metrodome
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
). He hit the home run off pitcher Gary Wayne
Gary Wayne
Gary Anthony Wayne was a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He is an alumnus of the University of Michigan....
in the top of the ninth as his team lost 12–6.
In his first full season, in , Thomas finished third in MVP voting with a .318 batting average, 32 home runs, 109 runs batted in as well as walking 138 times. He won the first of four Silver Slugger
Silver Slugger
The Silver Slugger Award is awarded annually to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball...
awards, and led the league in on-base percentage, something he would accomplish four times throughout his career.
In 1993 and 1994, Thomas won back-to-back Most Valuable Player awards – the first by a White Sox since Dick Allen
Dick Allen
Richard Anthony Allen is a former Major League Baseball player and R&B singer. He played first and third base and outfield in Major League Baseball and ranked among his sport's top offensive producers of the 1960s and early 1970s...
in 1972. In 1994, the baseball season was shortened due to a players' strike and perhaps no one felt the sting of the strike more than Thomas, who stood poised to achieve one of baseball's most prestigious honors: the Triple Crown. Not since 1967 had any player finished the regular season first in average, home runs, and runs batted in. Thomas was contending for the honor when the strike occurred, and his numbers were good enough to earn him a second American League Most Valuable Player award. Pressed by the media to comment on his accomplishments—and his future—Thomas told the Atlanta Journal and Constitution: "I'm not into being known as the best by fans or the media. I care how I'm perceived by my peers. I can settle for the label 'one of the best' because that means you're considered an elite player."
He is one of only three first basemen in history to win consecutive Most Valuable Player awards in the major leagues (Hall-of-Famer Jimmie Foxx
Jimmie Foxx
James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx , nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was a right-handed American Major League Baseball first baseman and noted power hitter....
, 1932–1933, and current St. Louis Cardinal
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
, 2008–2009, are the others). In his second MVP season, he hit .353, with 38 home runs and 101 RBI. In 1996, he hit .349 40 home runs and became an All-Star for the fourth time, while finishing 8th in MVP voting.
Later years (1997–2005)
From 1991–1997, Thomas finished in the top 10 of the MVP voting every year. In , Thomas won the batting title and finished third in MVP voting. He struggled over the next two seasons, but rebounded in when he hit .328 with a career-high 43 homers and 143 runs batted in. Thomas finished second in MVP voting that season, behind Jason GiambiJason Giambi
Jason Gilbert Giambi is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball.He was the American League MVP in 2000 while with the Oakland Athletics, and is a five-time All-Star who has led the American League in walks four times, in on base percentage...
of the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, who was found guilty of using steroids. He also won the 2000 AL Comeback Player of the Year Award
MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award
The Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award is presented by Major League Baseball to the player who is judged to have "re-emerged on the baseball field during a given season." The award was developed in 2005, as part of a sponsorship agreement between MLB and Viagra...
. In 2001, after his father died, Thomas also announced during the same week that he would undergo season ending surgery after a second MRI revealed a triceps tear in his right arm. "This is the worst week of my life," Thomas said during a press conference in Chicago. "First I lose my father, then come back and find out I'm lost for the season." He only played in 20 games that year.
He rebounded in 2002, but he just hit .252 in 148 games, a career-low for Thomas for a complete season. As the years went on, Thomas' average dropped year after year, but his power never seemed to diminish. He has traditionally been a patient hitter, leading the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in walks four times. Through the end of the 2006 season, Thomas was second among all active players in walks and third in on-base percentage, and ranked among the top 20 lifetime in both categories.
Thomas had been maligned by the media in Chicago due to a dropoff in his performance later in his career. Much of this came about after the season, when the White Sox invoked a "diminished skills" clause in his contract. Thomas resurrected his career in ; although he hit a subpar .267, he was tied for second in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in home runs (42), and was in the league's top ten in walks, extra-base hits, slugging percentage, and on-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player to both get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented. An OPS of .900 or higher in Major League...
, as he led the major leagues in fly ball percentage (54.9%). In 2005, Thomas hit 12 home runs despite only having 105 at-bats in 35 games, demonstrating the power that he showed earlier in his career. Adding together 2004 and 2005, he had fewer than 350 total at-bats because of the injuries but managed to hit 30 home runs and draw 80 walks. As a member of the White Sox, Thomas and teammate Magglio Ordóñez
Magglio Ordóñez
Magglio José Ordóñez Delgado is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball right fielder. He has played for the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers . Ordóñez is six feet, one inch tall and weighs .-Professional career:...
tied a major league record for back-to-back homers, with six in one season. Thomas was not on the post-season roster of the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
-winning 2005 White Sox team due to injury. During Game 1 of the Division Series against the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, Thomas threw out the ceremonial first pitch. "What a feeling," Thomas said. "Standing O all around the place. People really cheering me. I had tears in my eyes. To really know the fans cared that much about me – it was a great feeling. One of my proudest moments in the game."
Departure and controversy (2005)
After signing with Oakland, Thomas said that he did not appreciate the way his 16-year run with the White Sox ended, saying that chairman Jerry ReinsdorfJerry Reinsdorf
Jerry M. Reinsdorf is a CPA, lawyer and an owner of the MLB's Chicago White Sox and the NBA's Chicago Bulls. He started his professional life as a tax attorney with the Internal Revenue Service. He has been the head of the White Sox and Bulls for over 20 years.He made his initial fortune in real...
did not call him to tell him he wasn’t coming back. He also said that he and Kenny Williams did not see eye-to-eye after Williams became GM following the 2000 season. At the time, Thomas was unhappy that his next-to-last deal with the White Sox contained a "diminished skills" clause. He said the White Sox should have traded him after the playoffs that season.
"I've got a lot of respect for Jerry Reinsdorf, I do. But I really thought, the relationship we had over the last 16 years, he would have picked up the phone to say, 'Big guy, we're moving forward. We're going somewhere different. We don't know your situation or what's going to happen.' I can live with that, I really can," Thomas said. "But treating me like some passing-by-player. I've got no respect for that." Thomas said he was not bitter or angry and had joined the A's with an open mind.
Williams fired back at Thomas, calling him an "idiot." He also said, "If he was any kind of a man, he would quit talking about things in the paper and return a phone call or come knock on someone's door. If I had the kind of problems evidently he had with me, I would go knock on his door." Thomas and Williams have since made amends.
Thomas has several White Sox records to his name, including all-time leader in runs scored (1,327), home runs (448), doubles (447), RBI (1,465), extra-base hits (906), walks (1,466), total bases (3,949), slugging percentage (.568), and on-base percentage (.427). At the time he left the team, his 448 home runs were more than twice as many as any other individual player had hit for the White Sox in their 104-year history.
On December 7, 2005, Thomas signed with the Oakland Athletics to a one year, $500,000 deal with incentives on January 25, 2006.
Oakland Athletics (2006)
On May 22, 2006, Thomas homered twice in his first game against his former team. Before Thomas came up to lead off the 2nd inning, a musical montage played on the Jumbotron
Jumbotron
A JumboTron is a large-screen television using technology developed by Sony, typically used in sports stadiums and concert venues to show close-up shots of the event. Although JumboTron is a registered trademark owned by the Sony Corporation, the word jumbotron is often used by the public as a...
at U.S. Cellular Field
U.S. Cellular Field
U.S. Cellular Field is a baseball ballpark in Chicago, Illinois. Owned by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, it is the home of the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball's American League. The park opened for the 1991 season, after the White Sox had spent 81 years at old Comiskey Park...
, paying tribute to Thomas's legacy with the White Sox. He was cheered in his introduction by the White Sox fans. Moments later, when he hit his first home run of the night to put his former team behind in the score 1–0, he was loudly cheered along with a standing ovation.
Thomas rejuvenated his career playing with the Athletics, placing fifth in the American League with 39 HRs and eighth with 114 RBI. He also was key to the team's stretch drive to the playoffs: for the week ending September 10, he was the American League's player of the week after hitting .462 with five homers and 13 RBI. The 2006 post season provided Thomas the opportunity to play in his first postseason games since 2000 since he missed the 2005 playoffs with an injury, when the Athletics clinched the American League West title, defeating the Seattle Mariners 12–3 on September 26. During the A's first playoff game on October 3, Thomas hit two solo home runs, leading the A's to a 3–2 win over the Minnesota Twins. His performance during the opening playoff game earned Thomas the distinction of being the oldest player to hit multiple home runs in a postseason game.
On October 7, 2006, he finished behind Jim Thome
Jim Thome
James Howard "Jim" Thome is a Major League Baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is the eighth player to hit 600 home runs in the major leagues. He is widely considered a future Hall of Famer.-Cleveland Indians :...
, the man who replaced him as the Chicago White Sox's DH, in the voting for the American League Comeback Player of the Year Award
MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award
The Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award is presented by Major League Baseball to the player who is judged to have "re-emerged on the baseball field during a given season." The award was developed in 2005, as part of a sponsorship agreement between MLB and Viagra...
. He was awarded the AL players choice award for Comeback Player. He finished 4th in the vote for the American League Most Valuable Player Award.
Toronto Blue Jays (2007–08)
On June 17, 2007, Thomas hit his 496th career home run, giving him his 244th home run as a DH
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
, breaking the record previously held by Edgar Martínez
Edgar Martinez
Edgar Martínez , nicknamed "Gar" and "Papi", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman and designated hitter. He spent his entire 18-year Major League career with the Seattle Mariners. He is the cousin of Carmelo Martínez.-Seattle Mariners:On December 19, 1982, the Seattle Mariners signed...
.
On June 28, 2007, Thomas hit the 500th home run of his career, becoming the 21st player in the history of Major League Baseball to do so. It was a three-run shot off Minnesota
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
's Carlos Silva (Thomas' 500th home run came on the same day Craig Biggio
Craig Biggio
Craig Alan Biggio is a former Major League Baseball second baseman, catcher, and outfielder. He played his entire 20-year baseball career with the Houston Astros . He ranks 21st all-time with 3,060 career hits, and is the ninth player in the 3000 hit club to get all his hits with the same team. He...
hit his 3,000th career hit). Thomas was ejected in the later innings of the game for arguing balls and strikes with the home plate umpire.
On September 17, 2007, Thomas hit three home runs in his team's 6–1 win over the Boston Red Sox. It was the second time in his career that Thomas hit three home runs in a game, the first time also against the Red Sox, on September 15, 1996, in a Chicago White Sox loss. Knuckleball
Knuckleball
A knuckleball is a baseball pitch with an erratic, unpredictable motion. The pitch is thrown so as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight. This causes vortices over the stitched seams of the baseball during its trajectory, which in turn can cause the pitch to change direction—and even...
er Tim Wakefield started both games for the Red Sox, and gave up five of the six home runs Thomas hit, including all three in the first game.
During spring training in , Thomas expressed his confidence about his team's chances for the upcoming season. Thomas hit his first home run of the season against the Red Sox on April 5, in a 10–2 Blue Jays win. The following day, with the bases loaded and a 2–2 tie, Thomas hit a grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
off Red Sox reliever Manny Delcarmen
Manny Delcarmen
Manuel "Manny" Delcarmen is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has been called "The Pride of Hyde Park".-Early life:...
, leading the Jays to a 7–4 victory. On April 19, before a game against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, manager John Gibbons
John Gibbons
John Michael Gibbons was the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays in Major League Baseball from 2004 to 2008...
announced that he would be benching Thomas for an undisclosed period of time. The benching angered the 39-year old Thomas, who did not shake hands with his teammates following their victory on that day and said before the game that he was angry and that his career "will not end like this."
Return to Oakland (2008)
On April 20, 2008, the Blue Jays released Thomas, who had been batting only .167. This occurred one day after being benched by the team for his lack of production, and criticizing manager John GibbonsJohn Gibbons
John Michael Gibbons was the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays in Major League Baseball from 2004 to 2008...
for benching him. Four days later, the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
and Thomas agreed to terms for his return. In his final game with the Athletics on August 29, he went 2 for 4. After struggling at the plate with Oakland and a two-month stint on the disabled list, his 2008 season ended with a .263 batting average when he was again placed on the 60-day disabled list on August 30. On October 31, 2008 he became a free agent. Thomas officially retired on February 11, 2010, and will be eligible for consideration for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.
Retirement
On February 12, 2010, Thomas announced his retirement from Major League Baseball after not playing in the 2009 season. During the same press conference, the Chicago White Sox, for whom he played 15-plus seasons, announced that they would retire No. 35 for him on August 29, 2010.Statue
The Chicago White Sox announced that they would honor Frank with a life size bronze statue. It was unveiled on Sunday, July 31, 2011 at 12:30 pm CDT, on the outfield concourse at U.S. Cellular FieldU.S. Cellular Field
U.S. Cellular Field is a baseball ballpark in Chicago, Illinois. Owned by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, it is the home of the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball's American League. The park opened for the 1991 season, after the White Sox had spent 81 years at old Comiskey Park...
. It is the 8th statue on the outfield concourse.
W2W Records
Currently, Frank Thomas serves as CEO and Founder of W2W Records, a record label based in Las Vegas, NV. Over the past decade, music production and the development of artists has been a passion Thomas pursued primarily in the off-season. As a result of his February 2010 retirement from baseball, Thomas assumed both full-time creative direction and management of W2W Records operations. The label presently has four artists signed: Tampa Bay Rap artist, Swerv, renowned Harlem-based Rap artist Cardan, pop vocalist Bonnie Marie and BelleVoxx; a female pop trio consisting of Denisse Lara, Harmony Moniz and Raquel Houghton that Thomas personally developed and produced. BelleVoxx debuted their first single, Looking For Love, on October 12, 2010.Baseball accomplishments
- On June 28, 2007, Thomas became the 21st player in Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
history to hit at least 500 home runs, after he hit a first inning home run at the Hubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeHubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeThe Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
. - Thomas is on a short list of players who have hit 500 home runs while maintaining a career .300 batting average (joining Hall-of-Famers: Babe RuthBabe RuthGeorge Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
, Jimmie FoxxJimmie FoxxJames Emory "Jimmie" Foxx , nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was a right-handed American Major League Baseball first baseman and noted power hitter....
, Mel OttMel OttMelvin Thomas Ott , nicknamed "Master Melvin", was a Major League Baseball right fielder. He played his entire career for the New York Giants . Ott was born in Gretna, Louisiana. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
, Ted WilliamsTed WilliamsTheodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
, Willie MaysWillie MaysWillie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
, Henry AaronHenry AaronHenry Louis "Hank" Aaron , nicknamed "Hammer," "Hammerin' Hank," and "Bad Henry," is a retired American baseball player whose Major League Baseball career spanned the years 1954 through 1976. Aaron is widely considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time...
, and later joined by Alex RodriguezAlex RodriguezAlexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
and Manny RamírezManny RamírezManuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...
). - Thomas is also on a short list of players to hit 500 career home runs and accrue at least 1600 bases on ballsBase on ballsA base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
. The others are: Babe RuthBabe RuthGeorge Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
, Mel OttMel OttMelvin Thomas Ott , nicknamed "Master Melvin", was a Major League Baseball right fielder. He played his entire career for the New York Giants . Ott was born in Gretna, Louisiana. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
, Mickey MantleMickey MantleMickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
, Ted WilliamsTed WilliamsTheodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
, and Barry BondsBarry BondsBarry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
. - Thomas was the first player in major league history to win two Silver SluggerSilver SluggerThe Silver Slugger Award is awarded annually to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball...
awards each at two different positions (1993–94 at first base; 1991 & 2000 as designated hitter). - He was only the eleventh player in history to win consecutive Most Valuable Player Awards, and the first American LeagueAmerican LeagueThe American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
player to do so since Roger MarisRoger MarisRoger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...
in 1960 and 1961. - He was the third player (Eddie MurrayEddie MurrayEddie Clarence Murray , nicknamed "Steady Eddie", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and designated hitter. He was known as one of the most reliable and productive hitters of his era. Murray is regarded as one of the best switch hitters ever to play the game...
and Hank Aaron) to collect 500 career home runHome runIn baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 120 career sacrifice fliesSacrifice flyIn baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
. - His 138 walksBase on ballsA base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
in the 1991 season was not only the most accrued in a season by any American LeagueAmerican LeagueThe American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
player in the 1990s, it was the most for a season by any American League player since 1969 when Harmon KillebrewHarmon KillebrewHarmon Clayton Killebrew , nicknamed "Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon", was an American professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. During his 22-year career in Major League Baseball , he played for the Washington Senators, a team which later became the Minnesota Twins, and...
walked 145 times. - Thomas' 0.729 slugging percentage for the shortened 1994 season was the highest season mark for an American League player since Ted WilliamsTed WilliamsTheodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
' 0.731 slugging percentage in 1957. Only Mark McGwireMark McGwireMark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
's 0.730 in 1996 has been higher since then. - In the shortened 1994 season, Thomas achieved an on-base percentage of 0.494 which was also the highest season mark for an American League player since Ted WilliamsTed WilliamsTheodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
' 0.528 on-base percentage in 1957. No American League player has topped this since. - Retired as the all-time leader in home runs by a designated hitterDesignated hitterIn baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
, with 269. He is currently 2nd, behind David OrtizDavid OrtizDavid Américo Ortiz Arias , known as David Ortiz, nicknamed "Big Papi", is a Dominican American professional baseball player who is currently a free agent. Previously, Ortiz played with the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox...
. - Currently ranks 18th with career 521 HRs.
- Currently ranks 21st with career 1,704 RBI.
- Currently ranks 24th with a .554 career slugging percentage.
- Currently ranks 4th with 121 career sacrifice flies. He is the only player in Major League history to hit over 100 sacrifice fliesSacrifice flyIn baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
and not collect a single sacrifice bunt. - The White Sox retired his uniform No. 35 during in an on-field ceremony on "Frank Thomas Day," August 29, 2010.
Appearances in the media
Mr. Baseball
Mr. Baseball is a 1992 American film that starred Tom Selleck and was directed by Fred Schepisi.-Plot:Jack Elliot is an aging American baseball player put on the trading block by the New York Yankees in favor of a rookie first-baseman , and there's only one taker: the Nagoya Chunichi Dragons of...
(as a hot-prospect rookie who forces Tom Selleck
Tom Selleck
Thomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
's character off the Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
roster) and made a guest appearance (as himself) on the TV show Married With Children.
In 1995, a Super NES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
baseball video game titled Frank Thomas' Big Hurt Baseball
Frank Thomas' Big Hurt Baseball
Frank Thomas' Big Hurt Baseball is a multiplatform baseball simulation game that is licensed by Major League Baseball.-Summary:Notable for being released near the end of the Super NES' timeline, this video gameproviding the most realistic action for a baseball game that was released on that...
was released for home video game play, and Premier Technologies created a "Big Hurt" pinball machine, (marketed under the Gottlieb trade name). Thomas made an appearance in the documentary The History of Pinball in which he discusses the similarities between playing baseball and pinball.
In 2007, he appeared in a promotional advertisement for the Toronto Blue Jays, in which he engages in a pillow fight
Pillow fight
A pillow fight is a common game mostly played by young children in which they engage in mock physical conflict, utilizing pillows as weapons....
with children. This ad drew the criticism of the Television Bureau of Canada, who requested a "Dramatization. Do not try this at home." disclaimer be placed on the ad. A similar warning was placed on teammate A.J. Burnett's commercial. The Blue Jays, humorously, then scheduled a "Frank Thomas Kid's Pillow" promotion for September 2, 2007.
Thomas appeared as a guest analyst during TBS's coverage of the 2007 MLB playoffs.
He also helped out Comcast SportsNet Chicago with the Crosstown Classic in 2009.
In 2010, Thomas continued his work with Comcast SportsNet Chicago by serving as an analyst during its post-game White Sox telecast. He also was a substitute color analyst for the White Sox, temporarily filling in for Steve Stone.
Advocate for drug testing
As early as , Thomas was advocating drug testing for professional baseball players. After hitting his 500th home run, Thomas stated, "It means a lot to me because I did it the right way," alluding to Barry BondsBarry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
's then-ongoing pursuit of Hank Aaron's career home run record. Thomas was, then, the only active baseball player to be interviewed during the preparation of the Mitchell Report
Mitchell Report (baseball)
The Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball, informally known as the "Mitchell Report", is the result of former Democratic United States Senator from Maine...
. He did so voluntarily.
See also
- DHL Hometown HeroesDHL Hometown HeroesOn September 27, 2006, Major League Baseball announced a list of players, one from each team, voted by MLB fans. Fans were asked to vote for the most outstanding player in the history of each MLB franchise, based on on-field performance, leadership quality and character value.The candidates for...
- List of Major League Baseball Home Run Records
- 500 home run club500 home run clubIn Major League Baseball , the 500 home run club is a term applied to the group of batters who have hit 500 or more regular-season home runs in their careers. On August 11, 1929, Babe Ruth became the first member of the club. Ruth ended his career with 714 home runs, a record which stood from 1935...
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball RBI Records
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
- List of Major League Baseball doubles champions