Frank Thomas (AL baseball player)

Infobox MLB player
name = Frank Thomas


width = 200
caption =
team = Oakland Athletics
number = 35
position = Designated hitter
birthdate = birth date and age|1968|5|27
birthplace = Columbus, Georgia
bats = Right
throws = Right
debutdate = August 2
debutyear = 1990
debutteam = Chicago White Sox
statyear = 2008 season
stat1label = Batting average
stat1value = .301
stat2label = Home runs
stat2value = 521
stat3label = Runs batted in
stat3value = 1,704
stat4label = Walks
stat4value = 1,667
teams =
*Chicago White Sox (by|1990–by|2005)
*Oakland Athletics (by|2006)
*Toronto Blue Jays (by|2007–by|2008)
*Oakland Athletics (by|2008–present)

Frank Edward Thomas (born May 27, 1968) is a Major League Baseball designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics.

Thomas became one of baseball's biggest stars in the 1990s, playing for the Chicago White Sox. He was given the nickname "The Big Hurt" by broadcaster Ken Harrelson, who coined the term in the 1992 season. [ [http://www.kidzworld.com/article/962-the-nickname-game-in-sports Kidzworld :: Nicknames in Pro Sports | Randy Johnson | Gary Payton | Tara Dakides | Snowboarding | Athletes ] ] Frank Thomas is known, not only for his menacing home run power, but also for striking fear in the competition by swinging a rusted iron pipe (reportedly found during a renovation project in Old Comiskey Park [ [http://www.baseballmusings.com/archives/012498.php Baseball Musings: Hurt Nostalgia ] ] ) in the on-deck circle. [http://www.thediamondangle.com/archive/may02/whitesox/frank4.jpg]

Thomas is one of several notable baseball players who played college baseball at Auburn University, such as Bo Jackson, who was also a teammate of Thomas in the major leagues. He also played . [ [http://bleacherreport.com/articles/18741-Toronto-Blue-Jays-Frank-Thomas-Out-Barry-Bonds-In--200408 Toronto Blue Jays: Frank Thomas Out, Barry Bonds In? | Bleacher Report ] ]

Early life and career

Thomas was born and raised in Columbus, Georgia on the same day as fellow Major League player Jeff Bagwell (a player whose career would share several parallels to Thomas'). [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2005/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=2197536 ESPN - Big Hurt is far from forgotten - MLB ] ] He attended Columbus High School and 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 he was completely overlooked in the 1986 amateur draft. Baseball teams signed some 891 players on that occasion, and Thomas was not among them. [http://biography.jrank.org/pages/2715/Thomas-Frank.html Frank Thomas Biography ] ]

"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. Even so, 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.

Thomas might have lost his scholarship that year because he could no longer play football. Instead Auburn continued his funding, and baseball became his sole sport. He was good enough as a sophomore to win consideration for the U.S. National Team—preparing for the 1988 Summer Olympics—but he was cut from the final squad. Stung and misunderstood again, he fought back. By the end of his junior baseball season he had hit 19 home runs, 19 doubles, and had batted .403 with a slugging percentage of .801. With another amateur draft looming, the scouts began to comprehend that the big Georgia native could indeed play baseball.By his senior year (1989) he was voted the Southeastern Conference MVP in baseball, leaving the school with forty-nine career homers, a school record.

The Chicago White Sox selected Thomas seventh in the first round of the June 1989 draft. Thomas played first base during the early part of his career and was not known for his defense. He never won a Gold Glove at the position, and has played primarily as a designated hitter since turning 30 years old. Rather, Thomas is known for his offensive performance; some regard him as one of the best pure hitters in baseball's history. 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 despite playing only 113 games in 1994, due to the labor stoppage which curtailed that season prematurely, he still was able to attain these lofty numbers, thereby keeping the streak alive. Additionally, there are only 5 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 and Ted Williams).

Chicago White Sox

Early years

Thomas made his Major League debut on August 2, 1990 against the Milwaukee Brewers at County Stadium. He went hitless, going 0-4, but did have an RBI on a fielder's choice which scored Iván Calderón as the White Sox won the game 4-3. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIL/MIL199008021.shtml August 2, 1990 Chicago White Sox at Milwaukee Brewers Play by Play and Box Score - Baseball-Reference.com ] ] On August 28 1990, Thomas hit the first home run of his career in Minnesota, against the Twins, coincidentally the same place where he would hit his 500th career home run. He hit the home run off pitcher Gary Wayne in the top of the ninth as his team lost 12-6. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIN/MIN199008280.shtml August 28, 1990 Chicago White Sox at Minnesota Twins Play by Play and Box Score - Baseball-Reference.com ] ]

In just his first full season, in by|1991, 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. 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 two first basemen in history to win consecutive Most Valuable Player awards in the major leagues (Hall-of-Famer Jimmie Foxx is the other, in 1932–33). In his second MVP season, he hit an incredible .353, with 38 home runs and 101 RBI. Thomas now proved himself as not only a power hitter, but an excellent overall hitter. He became the most feared hitter in baseball. Pitchers began to pitch around him more often. He continued his trend of hitting for power with high averages. In 1996, he hit .349 and mashed 40 homers and became an all-star for the fourth time. He was 8th in MVP voting.

Later years

From 1991–1997, Thomas finished in the top 10 of the MVP voting every year. In by|1997, Thomas won the batting title and finished third in MVP voting. He struggled over the next two seasons, but rebounded in by|2000 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 Giambi of the Oakland Athletics. 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 go 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. [ [http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-75248560.html CHICAGO'S BIG HURT.(injury to Frank Thomas of the Chicago White Sox)(Brief Article) - Jet | Encyclopedia.com ] ]

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. Thomas has always been one of the most patient hitters in baseball, 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 by|2002 season, when the White Sox invoked a "diminished skills" clause in his contract. Thomas somewhat resurrected his career in by|2003; 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 won a World Series title with the Chicago White Sox in 2005, but he was not on the post-season roster 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."

Departure and controversy

Thomas' departure from the White Sox was somewhat controversial. He and White Sox General Manager Kenny Williams exchanged words before Thomas left for Oakland. After signing with Oakland, Thomas said that he didn’t appreciate the way his 16-year run with the White Sox ended, saying that chairman Jerry Reinsdorf didn’t call him to tell him he wasn’t coming back. He also said that he and Williams didn’t 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 wasn’t bitter or angry and had joined the A’s with an open mind. [http://sports.outsidethebeltway.com/2006/02/white-sox-gm-frank-thomas-an-idiot/ White Sox GM: Frank Thomas an Idiot » OTB Sports ] ]

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.”

Despite this controversy, Thomas' statistical legacy from his time in Chicago is significant as he is probably the best player the White Sox have ever had. Thomas has several White Sox records to his name, including all-time leader in runs scored (1,327), home runs (448), doubles (447), RBIs (1,465), extra-base hits (906), walks (1,466), total bases (3,949), slugging percentage (.568), and on-base percentage (.427).

Oakland Athletics

On December 7, 2005 Frank signed with the Oakland Athletics to a one year, $500,000 deal with incentives on January 25, 2006. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2305916/ Former ChiSox slugger agrees to 1-year deal with A's] ]

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 Monday, 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 RBIs. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/t/thomafr04.shtml Frank Thomas Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com] ] 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 RBIs. [ [http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20060911&content_id=1657416&vkey=pr_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb Thomas named AL Player of the Week] ] 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 Major League Baseball 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. However he was awarded with the AL players choice award for Comeback Player. He finished 4th in the vote for the American League Most Valuable Player Award. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/t/thomafr04.shtml Frank Thomas Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com ] ]

Toronto Blue Jays

On November 16, 2006 Thomas signed a 2-year, $18.12 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays which was officially confirmed on November 17, 2006. 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 his 2nd year of the contract. [ [http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061117&content_id=1742394&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor/ Big signing: Jays ink Thomas] ]

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, Frank 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. This is also notable, as Thomas was ejected in the later innings of the game for arguing balls and strikes with the home plate umpire.

On September 17, 2007, Frank 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. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS199609150.shtml September 15, 1996 Chicago White Sox at Boston Red Sox Play by Play and Box Score - Baseball-Reference.com ] ] [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/TOR/TOR200709170.shtml September 17, 2007 Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays Box Score and Play by Play - Baseball-Reference.com ] ] Knuckleballer 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 by|2008, 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 home run 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". [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/19/AR2008041901675.html Blue Jays' Thomas Angered by Benching - washingtonpost.com ] ] Thomas signed a two-year, $18 million contract with Toronto in November 2006. The deal included a $10 million option for 2009, but only if Thomas made 376 plate appearances in 2008.

Return to Oakland

On April 20, by|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 Gibbons for benching him. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3355502 Blue Jays release Thomas after slow start to 2008 season] ] Four days later (April 24, by|2008), the Oakland Athletics and Thomas agreed to terms for his return. [ [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/04/24/thomas.oakland.ap/index.html?eref=si_topstories Thomas agrees to deal with A's] ] After struggling at the plate with Oakland and a 2 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, 2008. [ [http://www.insidebayarea.com/athletics/ci_10347467?source=rss Big Hurt is back on disabled list] ]

Baseball accomplishments

* On June 28, 2007, Frank Thomas became only the 21^st player in Major League Baseball history to hit at least 500 home runs, after he hit a 1^st inning home run at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome; coincidentally Thomas hit his first home run of his career there back on August 28, 1990. [ [http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6971420?MSNHPHMA Frank Thomas hits career Home Run #500] ]
* Thomas is on a short list of elite players who have hit 500 home runs while maintaining a career .300 batting average (joining Hall-of-Famers: Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott, Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Henry Aaron, and later joined by Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramírez).
* Thomas is also on a short list of elite players to hit 500 career home runs and accrue at least 1600 Bases on Balls. The others are: Babe Ruth, Mel Ott, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, and Barry Bonds.
* Thomas was the first player in Major League history to win two silver slugger awards each at two different positions (1993-94 at first base; 1991 & 2000 as designated hitter).
* He was the 22nd player to win a second Most Valuable Player Award (1993 & 94). He was the first American League player to accomplish this since Roger Maris in 1960 and 1961.
* He was only the eleventh player in history to win consecutive Most Valuable Player Awards, and the first American League player to do so since Roger Maris in 1960 and 1961.
* He was the third player (Eddie Murray and Hank Aaron) to collect 500 career home runs and 120 career sacrifice flies.
* His 138 Bases on Balls in the 1991 season was not only the most accrued in a season by any American League player in the 1990s, it was the most for a season by any American League player since 1969 when Harmon Killebrew 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 Williams' 0.731 slugging percentage in 1957. Only Mark McGwire'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 Williams' 0.528 on base percentage in 1957. No American League player has topped this since.
* Currently the all-time record holder for home runs by a designated hitter.
* Currently ranks 17th with career 521 HRs.
* Currently ranks 20th with career 1,704 RBIs.
* 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 90 sacrifice flies, and not collect a single sacrifice hit. [http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/historical/player_stats.jsp?c_id=mlb&section1=1&statSet1=2&sortByStat=SF&statType=1&timeFrame=3&timeSubFrame=0&baseballScope=mlb&prevPage1=2&readBoxes=true&sitSplit=&venueID=&teamPosCode=all&HS=true]
* Only player in 500 Home Run club with fewer triples (12 for Thomas) in his career is Mark McGwire (with 6). [http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/historical/player_stats.jsp?statType=1&teamPosCode=all&HS=true&timeFrame=3&c_id=mlb&statSet1=1&sitSplit=&venueID=&section1=1&baseballScope=mlb&timeSubFrame=0&&sortByStat=HR]

tatistics

Appearances in the media

Thomas appeared in the movie "Mr. Baseball" (as a hot-prospect rookie who forces Tom Selleck's character off the Yankees) 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). [ [http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?gid=3591&puid=14026 Internet Pinball Machine Database: Premier 'Big Hurt' ] ] 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. [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/04/05/bc.bba.bluejays.ad.ap/index.html?eref=si_mlb] The Blue Jays, humorously, then scheduled a "Frank Thomas Kid's Pillow" promotion for September 2, 2007. [http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/schedule/promotions.jsp?c_id=tor&y=2007]

Thomas also appeared as a guest analyst during TBS's coverage of the 2007 MLB playoffs.

Advocate for drug testing

As early as by|1995, Thomas was advocating drug testing for professional baseball players. ["Steroids in Baseball? Say it Ain't So, Bud", Sporting News, July 24, 1995, p. 26] After hitting his 500th home run, Thomas stated, "It means a lot to me because I did it the right way," alluding to Barry Bonds's then-present pursuit of Hank Aaron's career home run record. [ [http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070628&content_id=2054182&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb Thomas Launches No. 500 at Metrodome] ] Thomas was the only active baseball player to be interviewed during the preparation of the Mitchell Report. He did so voluntarily.

ee also

* MLB players who have hit 30 or more home runs before the All-Star break
* DHL Hometown Heroes
* List of Major League Baseball Home Run Records
* 500 home run club
* Top 500 home run hitters of all time
* 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
* Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game
* Mitchell Report

References

External links

*Baseballstats |mlb=123245 |espn=2370 |br=t/thomafr04 |fangraphs=255 |cube=t/frank-thomas
*imdb name|id=0858827|name=Frank Thomas
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOoAy20zSPg&mode=related&search=|Video: The Blue Jays honor Frank Thomas for his 500th home run]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6PWNBGlMPc&mode=related&search=|Video: The Chicago White Sox tribute video in honor of Frank Thomas' 500th home run]