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''This article is about the Major League baseball player. For the [[University of Alabama]] football coach, see [[Frank W. Thomas]].''
:''This article is about the Major League baseball player. For the [[University of Alabama]] football coach, see [[Frank W. Thomas]].''
[[Image:Frank Thomas.jpg|right|thumb|Frank Thomas]]
'''Frank Edward Thomas''' (born [[May 27]], [[1968]] in Columbus, Georgia) is a Hall of Fame baseball player who played for the [[Auburn Tigers baseball team|Auburn Tigers]] and the [[1990 Birmingham Barons|1990]] [[Birmingham Barons]]. He became one of Major League Baseball's biggest stars in the 1990s while playing with the Chicago White Sox.


'''Frank Edward Thomas''' (born [[May 27]], [[1968]] in Columbus, Georgia) is a Major League Baseball player for the Toronto Blue Jays.  He is known for his keen eye and immense power.
Known for his intimidating 6'-5", 240-pound frame and his penchant for swinging a heavy section of steel reinforcing bar instead of a bat while on deck, Thomas was given the nickname '''"The Big Hurt"''' by broadcaster Ken Harrelson.


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. Thomas is one of several notable baseball players who played college baseball at [[Auburn University]], such as [[Bo Jackson]], who was a teammate of Thomas' in both college and the major leagues.  He also played tight end for the [[Auburn Tigers football|Tigers]] football team.
Thomas was a first baseman early in his career. Regarded by some as one of the best pure hitters in baseball, he was valued more for his bat than for his defensive skills, and was primarily used as a designated hitter. He was the only player in major league history to hit above .300 for seven consecutive seasons and also recorded at least 100 walks, 100 runs, 100 runs batted in, and 20 home runs each year from [[1991]] to [[1997]]. Only five players in history who have both hit more home runs and maintained a higher career batting average than Thomas: Hank Aaron, Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott, Babe Ruth, and Ted Williams.


==Early life and career==
He was inducted into the [[Alabama Sports Hall of Fame]] in [[2011]] and enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot for which he was eligible on [[January 8]], [[2014]].
Thomas attended Columbus High School and was a standout in both football and baseball.  As a 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.


"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."
Thomas attended Columbus High School in his native Georgia and was a standout in both football and baseball. As a sophomore he hit cleanup for a baseball team that won a state championship. As a senior he hit .440, was named an All-State tight end in football, and played forward for the basketball team. He wanted to play professional baseball right out of high school, but was not selected in the 1986 amateur draft.


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 Tigers baseball|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.
That fall, Thomas accepted a football scholarship from [[Auburn University]] on the condition he could also play baseball. Coach [[Hal Baird]] loved his attitude as well as his power at the plate. He posted a .359 average and led the Tigers in runs batted in as a freshman. During the summer of [[1987]] he played for the U.S. Pan American Team. He earned a spot on the roster for the Pan American Games, but left to participate in practice as a tight end with the Auburn football team. Injuries early in the season and an offer of a baseball scholarship caused him to focus on one sport. In his sophomore year, Thomas was considered for the U.S. National Team preparing for the [[1988]] Summer Olympics, but did not make the final roster. In his junior season he hit 19 home runs and 19 doubles, batting .403. As a senior he was voted [[Southeastern Conference]] Most Valuable Player and tallied his 49th college home run.


Thomas might have lost his scholarship that year because he could no longer play football. Instead the 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.
The Chicago White Sox picked Thomas seventh in the first round of the June [[1989]] amateur draft. He played 17 games in the Gulf Coast League before joining the Sarasota White Sox in the Single-A Florida League. For the year, he hit .296 with five home runs, 41 runs batted in and 42 walks.
By his senior year (1989) he was voted the Southeastern Conference MVP in baseball, leaving the school with forty-nine career homers, a new record.


The Chicago White Sox picked Thomas seventh in the first round of the June 1989 draft.
[[Image:Frank_Thomas_1990_card.jpg|left|225px|Frank Thomas as a Baron]]
In [[1990]] Thomas was expected to move to AAA Winston-Salem, but asked for assignment to [[Birmingham]], which was closer to his family. As first baseman for the [[1990 Birmingham Barons]] Thomas hit .323 with 85 runs on 114 hits. He knocked 18 home runs despite the generous dimensions of the [[Hoover Metropolitan Stadium]] and also recorded 27 doubles and 112 walks before he was called up. He made his Major League debut with the White Sox on the road against the Brewers on [[August 2]], [[1990]]. In 60 games that season he batted .330 with 7 home runs, 34 runs batted in, and 44 walks. His first home run in the Majors was hit in a game against the Minnesota Twins on [[August 28]], [[1990]].
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 five players in history who have both hit more home runs and have a higher career batting average than Thomas (Hank Aaron, Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott, Babe Ruth, and Ted Williams).


==Chicago White Sox==
In his first full season, [[1991]], Thomas finished third in MVP voting with a .318 batting average and 32 home runs. He went on to finish in the top 10 of the MVP voting every year through [[1997]] and won the honor in [[1993]] and [[1994]]. In August [[2001]] Thomas underwent surgery to repair a torn medial collateral ligament (MCL). After the [[2002]] season (in which Thomas had 28 home runs, 92 RBI and 88 walks), the White Sox invoked a "diminished skills" clause in his contract. He rebounded in [[2003]], hitting 42 home runs despite a .267 batting average, and finished in the top 10 in walks, extra base hits and slugging percentage. Injuries slowed his pace in [[2004]] and [[2005]]. Thomas was not active when the White Sox won the 2005 World Series, but he was summoned to throw the ceremonial first pitch in the divisional series against the Red Sox.
In Thomas's first full season, [[1991]], Thomas finished third in MVP voting with a .318 batting average and 32 home runs. He won the first of four Silver Slugger awards, and led the league in on-base percentage, something he has done four times. 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 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).  Thomas accomplished this feat in the [[1993]] and [[1994]] seasons. From 1991–1997, Thomas finished in the top 10 of the MVP voting every year.  In [[1997]], Thomas won the batting title and finished third in MVP voting.  He struggled over the next two seasons, but rebounded in [[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 MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award.
That December the White Sox declined the opportunity to pick up Thomas' contract option, citing his injuries and a personality conflict with general manager Kenny Williams. He left the team as the Sox' 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).


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 signed a one year $500,000 deal with the Oakland Athletics on [[January 25]], [[2006]] and was slotted into the roster as their everyday designated hitter. He started out 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.
Thomas has been maligned by the media, especially in Chicago, due to a dropoff in his performance later in his career. Much of this came about after the [[2002]] season, when the White Sox invoked a "diminished skills" clause in his contract.  Oddly, this came after a season in which he hit 28 home runs with 92 RBI and 88 walks, while leading the major leagues in fly ball percentage (56.9%).  Thomas somewhat resurrected his career in [[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 fact that he still had the power that he showed earlier in his career. Adding together 2004 and 2005, he had less than 350 total at-bats because of the injuries but managed to hit 30 home runs and draw 80 walks. 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.


Thomas' departure was somewhat controversial. He and White Sox General Manager Kenny Williams mixed words before Thomas left for Oakland, but his statistical legacy from his time in Chicago is significant. 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).
Thomas was cheered by Chicago fans in his May 2006 return to Comiskey Park as a visiting player and went on to hit two home runs in the game. Through September 26, he had 38 HRs and 109 RBIs, and was named the American League's player of the week after hitting .462 with five homers and 13 RBIs in the week ending [[September 10]]. 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 play-off game earned Thomas the distinction of being the oldest player to hit multiple home runs in a Major League Baseball postseason game. He finished 4th in the vote for the American League Most Valuable Player Award in 2006.  


==Oakland Athletics==
On [[November 16]], [[2006]] Thomas signed a 2-year, $18.12 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. He hit his 500th career home run on [[June 28]], [[2007]] off the Twins' Carlos Silva. He was ejected later in the same game for arguing balls and strikes with the home plate umpire.
Partially due to his recurring ankle and foot injuries, the White Sox declined to pick up the option year on Thomas' contract on [[December 7]], [[2005]].  However, there was some animosity in the negotiations as Thomas was called "an idiot" and "selfish" by Chicago White Sox general manager Kenny Williams in a television interview.  Thomas, for his part, criticized the White Sox for letting him go as a "passing by player" instead of treating him like a long-term mainstay for the team. He signed with the Oakland Athletics to a one year, $500,000 deal with incentives on [[January 25]], [[2006]].
 
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.
 
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. Through September 26, he had 38 HRs and 109 RBIs, and was named the American League's player of the week after hitting .462 with five homers and 13 RBIs in the week ending [[September 10]]. He led the league in fly ball percentage (57.3%).  The 2006 post season provided Thomas the opportunity to play in his first postseason games since 2005, 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 play-off 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 MLB 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].
 
==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]]. 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 includes 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.
 
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 Martinez.
 
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. 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.
 
==Baseball accomplishments==
* On [[June 28]], [[2007]], Frank Thomas became only the 21<sup>st</sup> player in Major League Baseball history to hit at least 500 home runs, after he hit a 1<sup>st</sup> 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]].
* 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).
* 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 (1991 & 2000 at first base;  1993-94 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 is one of four players (Eddie Murray, Hank Aaron, and Rafael Palmeiro) to collect over 500 career [[home run]]s and over 115 career [[sacrifice fly|sacrifice flies]].  This carries significance as some home run hitters are often chastised for putting their quest to hit home runs over a willingness to sacrifice oneself and advance the team.
* 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 McGuire'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 18th with career 513 HRs.
* Currently ranks 22nd with career 1,674 RBIs.
* Currently ranks 20th with a .561 career slugging percentage.
* Currently ranks 5th with 120 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.
 
==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. There was also a "Big Hurt" pinball machine created by Premier Technologies (trade name Gottlieb).
 
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, held a "Frank Thomas Kid's Pillow" promotion on [[September 2]], [[2007]].


Thomas hit a grand slam off Red Sox reliever Manny Delcarmen in the [[April 6]] game to break a 2-2 tie. Nevertheless, manager John Gibbons benched the designated hitter on [[April 19]] and released him the next day. He finished the season back with the Oakland Athletics and appeared in 55 games. He was an unsigned free agent through the [[2009]] season and ended his career by signing a one-day contract with the White Sox on [[February 12]], [[2010]] in order to formally announce his retirement from baseball. His #35 White Sox jersey number was retired during a ceremony that August. A life-size bronze statue of Thomas was unveiled in the concourse of U.S. Cellular Field on [[July 31]], [[2011]].


Since retiring, Thomas has worked as a broadcaster for Comcast SportsNet Chicago and founded the W2W Records label. He is also part-owner of Chicago's Big Hurt Beer brewery.


==References==
==References==
* Frank Thomas (AL baseball player). (2007, November 24). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:21, November 30, 2007 [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Frank_Thomas_%28AL_baseball_player%29&oldid=173538893]  
* "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Thomas_%28designated_hitter%29 Frank Thomas (designated hitter)]". (January 8, 2014) Wikipedia - accessed January 8, 2014


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://imdb.com/name/nm0858827/ IMDb: Frank Thomas (II)]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/thomafr04.shtml Frank Thomas] statistics at baseball-reference.com
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMdelLmvUf0&mode=related&search=|Video: The Pillow fight commercial for the Toronto Blue Jays]
*[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]
 
{{GFDL}}


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[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Auburn alumni]]
[[Category:Auburn alumni]]
[[Category:Baseball players]]
[[Category:Auburn Tigers baseball players]]
[[Category:Auburn Tigers football players]]
[[Category:Auburn Tigers football players]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Birmingham Barons]]
[[Category:Birmingham Barons]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball players]]
[[Category:Record executives]]
[[Category:Alabama Sports Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:Alabama Sports Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:Baseball Hall of Fame]]

Latest revision as of 19:14, 8 January 2014

This article is about the Major League baseball player. For the University of Alabama football coach, see Frank W. Thomas.
Frank Thomas

Frank Edward Thomas (born May 27, 1968 in Columbus, Georgia) is a Hall of Fame baseball player who played for the Auburn Tigers and the 1990 Birmingham Barons. He became one of Major League Baseball's biggest stars in the 1990s while playing with the Chicago White Sox.

Known for his intimidating 6'-5", 240-pound frame and his penchant for swinging a heavy section of steel reinforcing bar instead of a bat while on deck, Thomas was given the nickname "The Big Hurt" by broadcaster Ken Harrelson.

Thomas was a first baseman early in his career. Regarded by some as one of the best pure hitters in baseball, he was valued more for his bat than for his defensive skills, and was primarily used as a designated hitter. He was the only player in major league history to hit above .300 for seven consecutive seasons and also recorded at least 100 walks, 100 runs, 100 runs batted in, and 20 home runs each year from 1991 to 1997. Only five players in history who have both hit more home runs and maintained a higher career batting average than Thomas: Hank Aaron, Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott, Babe Ruth, and Ted Williams.

He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2011 and enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot for which he was eligible on January 8, 2014.

Thomas attended Columbus High School in his native Georgia and was a standout in both football and baseball. As a sophomore he hit cleanup for a baseball team that won a state championship. As a senior he hit .440, was named an All-State tight end in football, and played forward for the basketball team. He wanted to play professional baseball right out of high school, but was not selected in the 1986 amateur draft.

That fall, Thomas accepted a football scholarship from Auburn University on the condition he could also play baseball. Coach Hal Baird loved his attitude as well as his power at the plate. He posted a .359 average and led the Tigers in runs batted in as a freshman. During the summer of 1987 he played for the U.S. Pan American Team. He earned a spot on the roster for the Pan American Games, but left to participate in practice as a tight end with the Auburn football team. Injuries early in the season and an offer of a baseball scholarship caused him to focus on one sport. In his sophomore year, Thomas was considered for the U.S. National Team preparing for the 1988 Summer Olympics, but did not make the final roster. In his junior season he hit 19 home runs and 19 doubles, batting .403. As a senior he was voted Southeastern Conference Most Valuable Player and tallied his 49th college home run.

The Chicago White Sox picked Thomas seventh in the first round of the June 1989 amateur draft. He played 17 games in the Gulf Coast League before joining the Sarasota White Sox in the Single-A Florida League. For the year, he hit .296 with five home runs, 41 runs batted in and 42 walks.

Frank Thomas as a Baron

In 1990 Thomas was expected to move to AAA Winston-Salem, but asked for assignment to Birmingham, which was closer to his family. As first baseman for the 1990 Birmingham Barons Thomas hit .323 with 85 runs on 114 hits. He knocked 18 home runs despite the generous dimensions of the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium and also recorded 27 doubles and 112 walks before he was called up. He made his Major League debut with the White Sox on the road against the Brewers on August 2, 1990. In 60 games that season he batted .330 with 7 home runs, 34 runs batted in, and 44 walks. His first home run in the Majors was hit in a game against the Minnesota Twins on August 28, 1990.

In his first full season, 1991, Thomas finished third in MVP voting with a .318 batting average and 32 home runs. He went on to finish in the top 10 of the MVP voting every year through 1997 and won the honor in 1993 and 1994. In August 2001 Thomas underwent surgery to repair a torn medial collateral ligament (MCL). After the 2002 season (in which Thomas had 28 home runs, 92 RBI and 88 walks), the White Sox invoked a "diminished skills" clause in his contract. He rebounded in 2003, hitting 42 home runs despite a .267 batting average, and finished in the top 10 in walks, extra base hits and slugging percentage. Injuries slowed his pace in 2004 and 2005. Thomas was not active when the White Sox won the 2005 World Series, but he was summoned to throw the ceremonial first pitch in the divisional series against the Red Sox.

That December the White Sox declined the opportunity to pick up Thomas' contract option, citing his injuries and a personality conflict with general manager Kenny Williams. He left the team as the Sox' 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).

Thomas signed a one year $500,000 deal with the Oakland Athletics on January 25, 2006 and was slotted into the roster as their everyday designated hitter. He started out 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.

Thomas was cheered by Chicago fans in his May 2006 return to Comiskey Park as a visiting player and went on to hit two home runs in the game. Through September 26, he had 38 HRs and 109 RBIs, and was named the American League's player of the week after hitting .462 with five homers and 13 RBIs in the week ending September 10. 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 play-off game earned Thomas the distinction of being the oldest player to hit multiple home runs in a Major League Baseball postseason game. He finished 4th in the vote for the American League Most Valuable Player Award in 2006.

On November 16, 2006 Thomas signed a 2-year, $18.12 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. He hit his 500th career home run on June 28, 2007 off the Twins' Carlos Silva. He was ejected later in the same game for arguing balls and strikes with the home plate umpire.

Thomas hit a grand slam off Red Sox reliever Manny Delcarmen in the April 6 game to break a 2-2 tie. Nevertheless, manager John Gibbons benched the designated hitter on April 19 and released him the next day. He finished the season back with the Oakland Athletics and appeared in 55 games. He was an unsigned free agent through the 2009 season and ended his career by signing a one-day contract with the White Sox on February 12, 2010 in order to formally announce his retirement from baseball. His #35 White Sox jersey number was retired during a ceremony that August. A life-size bronze statue of Thomas was unveiled in the concourse of U.S. Cellular Field on July 31, 2011.

Since retiring, Thomas has worked as a broadcaster for Comcast SportsNet Chicago and founded the W2W Records label. He is also part-owner of Chicago's Big Hurt Beer brewery.

References

External links

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