Frank Thomas

Being enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown puts a player in an elite class among their peers. Achieving the required 75 percent of votes in their first year of eligibility is something only 60 players have done. Frank Thomas was one of those 60; he also did things in his career that nobody else has accomplished.

Thomas was a contact hitter trapped inside a slugger’s body.1 He is the only player to have seven consecutive seasons with at least a .300 batting average, 100 runs batted in, 100 runs scored, 100 base on balls, and 20 home runs. He achieved this feat from 1991 to 1997, in the heart of Baseball’s steroid era.

In the now famous 2007 Mitchell Report, former US Senator George Mitchell was tasked by the commissioner’s office to investigate the illegal use of steroids and other performance-enhancing substances. Mitchell wrote to five major leaguers who had spoken publicly about performance enhancers, seeking their cooperation.2 Frank Thomas was the only active player willing to meet. “It was weird,” Thomas said. “The whole reason I did it was because I couldn’t believe the other guys weren’t talking to him. I had nothing to hide.”3

Thomas’s career stats are even more impressive when viewed through the lens of a clean player during a dirty time of the game. He achieved a .301 lifetime batting average, 521 home runs, 1,704 runs batted in, 1,494 runs, and 1,667 bases on balls to go with 2,468 hits. He is the all-time White Sox leader in home runs, doubles, runs batted in, runs, bases on balls, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. Thomas achieved all this through persistence, hard work, and never taking anything for granted: lessons he learned early in his life.

Frank Edward Thomas was born on May 27, 1968, in Columbus, Georgia, to his mother Charlie Mae and his father Frank Sr., the original “Big Frank.” Charlie Mae worked at the Fieldcrest Milling filling orders.4 Frank Sr. worked as a bondsman, an animal catcher, a delivery-truck driver for a liquor distributor.5 Frank Sr. was also a deacon at the Nazareth Baptist Church, where he preached his gospel: Place God, family, and education at the top of the order; see the ball and swing at strikes; and clean your plate.6 Young Frank grew up with three older sisters – Gloria, Mary, Sharon – and one older brother Michael, all from Charlie Mae’s previous marriage.7

While most kids dream of reaching the majors by imitating their heroes in the backyard, the young Thomas set his mind at the age of 9 to becoming “a great pro baseball player.” His motivation was fueled by profound loss.8 Tragedy stuck the Thomas family on Thanksgiving Day 1977 when the youngest of the Thomas family, Pamela, lost her battle with leukemia at the age of 2.9 “It inspired me, it definitely inspired me,” Thomas said. “From that point on, I thought something was wrong with me [too]. I thought I had to get everything I can out of life, and I did. From that point forward, she has stuck with me every day of my life.”10

Frank participated in many future charity endeavors that focused on leukemia. He charged $1 for his autograph, donated to the Leukemia Society of America which Thomas matched dollar for dollar.11 He also donated the proceeds from the special gold edition of his Leaf baseball card to the Leukemia Society.12 Rod Carew’s daughter Michelle also battled with leukemia and Thomas donated $45,000 to the Leukemia Society of America and the Michelle Carew fund when Carew’s Angels visited the White Sox in 1997.13

The Thomas family were a close group, and the youngest, Frank, was spoiled by his siblings and was close with his father. Frank excelled at all sports, but baseball was where he stood out. In Little League at age 9, when most kids struggled to hit the ball out of the infield, the ball zoomed off Frank’s bat to all fields.14

Thomas established his discipline at the plate early. “From the time he was in Little League he had a good eye,” his father said. “I always told him, ‘Don’t swing at bad pitches. Watch the ball all the way from the pitcher’s hand to the plate.’ It started at home and continued through Little League, high school and college. He had good teachers along the way, and he stuck with them.”15

Young Frank grew into what became his towering 6-foot-5, 275-pound frame. His siblings chipped in for shoes for his growing feet. He wore a size 14 shoe as a 14-year-old.16

Frank played varsity baseball, basketball, and football at Columbus High School.17 The baseball team won the 1984 state championship and Frank was named the Georgia player of the year.18 He displayed tremendous power even as a sophomore. His high-school coach, Bobby Howard, recalled Glenn Davis and a few minor leaguers from the area working out and Thomas showing up in high-top tennis shoes and connecting just as much as they did. “They couldn’t believe it,” Howard said. “They all said to me, ‘Who is that big boomer you got out here in tennis shoes?’ Everyone called him the ‘big boomer’ before he became the ‘Big Hurt.’”19

Many high-school pitchers did not give Thomas much to hit. He became frustrated and swung at bad pitches. Coach Howard had a fix for that: “After the game he’d count how many bad pitches I swung at and I’d have to run that many sprints. Discipline came really quick because I didn’t like running sprints like that. They weren’t easy sprints. Some days it was like puking out there,” Thomas recalled.20 Howard said, “He was a natural, but I stayed on him to make sure he didn’t stray too much. Frank was so passionate about hitting he would hit before basketball game days in the offseason. Frank just wanted to hit.”21

As Thomas finished high school, he faced two career paths. The most obvious: be drafted by a major-league team and start his professional baseball career. However, to the surprise to many, he entered Auburn University on a football scholarship in 1986 to play tight end.22 Football coach Pat Dye exempted Thomas from spring practice, allowing him to play on the Auburn baseball team.23

Many organizations assumed drafting Thomas would be a waste of a draft pick due to this scholarship. Baseball coach Hal Baird thought the opposite. “When Frank was in high school, I was convinced he was going to sign with the baseball club that drafted him. I thought he would not come to Auburn,” Baird said.24 Lucky for Baird he did.

“When he first came out, we figured he’d see some playing time as a freshman, said Baird. “Then he hit the first pitch he saw at practice. It was a bullet of a line drive at short. We knew then he’d play every day as a freshman.”25 He did more than play: He set records. Freshman Thomas led the team in RBIs, walks, total bases, slugging percentage, and homers at age 19. He was named to all-Southeast Conference team.26 Thomas made Team USA for the 1987 Pan Am Games.27 (The Americans ended up losing to Cuba in the baseball finals.)

Thomas played one season of football for Auburn, which had more impact on his future than he knew at the time. He made the team as a redshirt freshman and caught three passes for 45 yards. Coach Dye said Thomas had the potential to become the greatest tight end in Auburn history.28 It wasn’t meant to be. Thomas suffered a minor knee problem during practice, leading him to quit football and focus solely on baseball.29 However, his time on the football team helped propel him to the professional player he would become. “I worked hard on the weights during my time on the football team,” he said. “… [A]ll that work made me stronger, and it made a difference. Without it, I don’t think I would have been a first-round draft pick.”30

During Thomas’s sophomore season, Coach Dye asked Coach Baird how good a baseball player Thomas was, and whether he could make a living playing baseball. Baird assured him that Thomas could. “Good, we will keep him on a football scholarship and let him just play baseball,” Dye said.31

SEC pitchers wanted no part of Thomas during his sophomore season. “He was so refined and sophisticated when he got here. He knew the strike zone better than five or six guys I had played with in the pros,” Baird said.32 Thomas hit only 9 home runs but led the SEC in batting average (.385) and walks and had an on-base percentage of .509.33 His lack of power led to his being left off the 1988 US Olympic team. This snub was the first of several that would leave Thomas feeling he was not respected.

Between his sophomore and junior seasons, Thomas played in the Cape Cod League, where collegians play a minor-league-like schedule.34 The 1988 season produced 40 major leaguers including players such as Jeff Kent, Jeff Bagwell, Chuck Knoblauch, and Mo Vaughn. In a home-run derby at the Orleans ballpark, Thomas defeated Vaughn, taking advantage of the 300-foot distance down the left-field line.35

Thomas continued to show that he had little left to prove at the college level during his junior year. He won the SEC batting title for the second straight year, finished third in home runs with 19, set the school record once again for RBIs at 83, and was named an All-American. He was also named to the SEC All-Tournament team and made the NCAA Atlantic Regional All-Star team. He set 14 records at Auburn, including both season and career marks in home runs, extra-base hits, total bases, walks, and on-base percentage.36

The 1989 draft class produced four future Hall of Famers.37 Thomas was selected by the White Sox in the first round. He started his minor-league career at the Gulf Coast League. It provided little challenge for him; after just 66 plate appearances with a batting average of .365, he was promoted to the High-A Sarasota White Sox. In 55 games for Sarasota, Thomas batted .277 with 4 home runs and 30 RBIs. This earned him an invitation to the White Sox’ 1990 spring-training camp.

Thomas had about as good a spring training as anyone could ask for. In seven games, he was 9-for-17 (.529) with 2 home runs and 7 RBIs.38 One of the home runs, off Nolan Ryan, cleared the left-field scoreboard at the Texas Rangers’ ballpark in Port Charlotte, Florida. “I didn’t measure it, but it was a blast. It looked like 500 feet,” said White Sox manager Jeff Torborg.39

Despite his impressive showing, Thomas’s destination fate had been decided by White Sox general manager Larry Himes before spring training: He needed more seasoning, especially focusing on his defense. Torborg didn’t agree and thought Thomas was ready for the big leagues but was overruled. Thomas would start his 1990 season in Double-A Birmingham.40

During this time, Thomas found his personal hitting guru in Walt Hriniak, the new White Sox hitting coach. Hriniak held this position until 1995 but stayed in contact with Thomas long past that. In 2000 Hriniak said, “People ask me who was the greatest hitter I ever saw, and I said if you need a base hit, Wade Boggs, but as far as the best all-around hitter, it was Frank Thomas, hands down. He would win a game with a single down the right-field line or a home run to left.”41

At Birmingham, Thomas batted .323 in 109 games with 18 home runs, and 71 RBIs, and was leading the Southern League in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and runs scored when he was called up.42 On August 2, 1990, he made his major-league debut against Teddy Higuera and the Milwaukee Brewers. He went hitless in his first game but got his first major-league hit the next day, a two-run triple off the Brewers’ Mark Knudson. The drive launched a seven-game hitting streak. Thomas hit his first home run on August 28, off Twins pitcher Gary Wayne. Thomas was the White Sox’ regular first baseman the rest of the season, batting .330 with 7 home runs, 31 RBIs, and a .983 OPS.

The start of the 1991 season was a new page for the White Sox and Thomas. The White Sox debuted a new logo and color scheme for their home uniforms. Out were the blue, red, and white colors with the batterman logo the team had used since 1976. In was the white, silver, and black with an Old English logo of the Sox. Off the field, the new logo was adopted by many West Coast rappers such as Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Eazy-E, with Dr. Dre wearing the new hat and logo in the popular “Nuthin’ Like a G Thang” music video. In 1990 New Era made 9,000 White Sox hats; in 1991 they made 544,000.43

Thomas wore this new color scheme and struck fear in opposing pitchers with his 34-ounce bat.44 Teammate Steve Lyons said, “Frank is too big to be a man and too small to be a horse.”45 Thomas swung something unusual in the on-deck circle to prepare for battle at the plate: a three-foot-long piece of rebar that weighed about four pounds. “I like swinging something heavy so when I get to the plate my bat will feel light. That way you don’t have to over-swing to catch up to stuff. You feel natural,” Thomas said.46

Thomas was compared to fellow White Sox and Auburn alum Bo Jackson. Though they never overlapped on the football field at Auburn, to Thomas it wasn’t a comparison worth making. “You can’t compare me with Bo Jackson. That’s just the bottom line. Bo Jackson was probably the best athlete there’s ever been. You can’t compare me with that guy.”47

What separated Thomas from Jackson and others was his command of the strike zone. Even at the early age of 23 it stood out immediately. “What he’s got going for him is he’s got a pretty good idea of his strike zone at the plate. That’s going to be a benefit for him. Most big hitters don’t have that good sort of patience of the kind of discipline at the plate he seems to have.” Carlton Fisk said.48 Mainly a designated hitter in ’91, Thomas finished third in the AL MVP voting behind Cal Ripken Jr. and Cecil Fielder, but took home his first Silver Slugger award at DH.

At the start of the 1992 season the 23-year-old Thomas was compared to many of the greatest hitters past and present. Washington Post columnist Thomas Boswell said that if there was ever another Ted Williams, a perfect blend of hitter and slugger, Thomas might be it.49

With those big expectations came a new contract: three years and $4.3 million – a relative steal that later led to animosity between Thomas and the White Sox. White Sox broadcaster Ken “Hawk” Harrelson coined a term that that both summarized Thomas’s size and what he was capable of doing to opposing teams and the baseball: “The Big Hurt.”50

Thomas met some of the sky-high expectations as he started to become a superstar during the 1993 season. He made his first All-Star Game appearance and signed a shoe deal with Reebok. Reebok had Thomas star in a commercial based on his new shoe – “the Preseason” – and introduced Thomas to a wider audience.51

Thomas led the 1993 White Sox to the AL West Division championship with a 94-68 record, their first postseason appearance in 10 years, despite a late season injury to his left triceps.52 The White Sox fell to the Toronto Blue Jays in six games in the AL Championship Series. Thomas was named the AL MVP, receiving all of the first-place votes, beating out Blue Jays Paul Molitor and John Olerud.

Thomas was the third White Sox player to win the award after Nellie Fox in 1959 and Dick Allen in 1972. “I was very nervous. I thought there would be four or five guys splitting the first-place votes,” he said.53 He also won his second Silver Slugger award. The White Sox extended Thomas’s contract to cover the 1995-1998 seasons with club options in 1999 and 2000 for a total of $43 million, second only to Barry Bonds.54 The contract included other performance-based incentives such as bonus for league, playoff, and World Series MVP awards. Thomas would meet one of those in the following 1994 season.

The 1994 season will always be known as a “what could have been” season for many players and teams as the players strike cut the season short on August 12. In the National League, the Montreal Expos had the best record in the majors at 74-40. Matt Williams of the Giants had 43 home runs as he was pursing Roger Maris’s single-season record of 61 and Tony Gwynn was chasing Ted Williams’s .400 average milestone, with a .394 average with 45 games remaining.

Frank Thomas was also having a career year that he did not have a chance to finish. “Walt [Hriniak] and I busted our butts so I wouldn’t have my normal slow start,” Thomas said.55 In 23 games in April, he batted .295, with 8 home runs and 20 RBIs. It paid off and Thomas, whose teammates called him Stat King, checked the stats daily for motivation.56 “Pete Rose was exactly the same way,” Hriniak noted. “That’s the way he stayed motivated. Frank ain’t trying to fool anybody. He ain’t trying to hide it. He’s right out in the open with it, so I respect him for that. Pete Rose knew what he was hitting, and he always knew what everybody else was hitting. He always wanted to get more hits than anybody who ever lived. That drive, that determination, that’s a motivating factor in improving.”57

Thomas made the All-Star team, led all first basemen in votes, and participated in the Home Run Derby which was won by Ken Griffey Jr.58 In 113 games Thomas batted .353, hit 38 home runs, drove in 101 runs, and led the league with 106 runs and 109 walks as well as several other hitting categories. He was named the MVP once again, becoming the 11th major leaguer to win consecutive awards.59 When the season was called off, the White Sox were leading the AL Central Division with a 67-46 record.

The unexpected time off let Thomas focus on spending time with his family – his wife, Elise, and their two children, Sloan (7 months) and Sterling (2 years). “Now, it’s like being a normal father,” Thomas said. “I’m at home, I wake up with the kids, I go to sleep with the kids. It’s been fun.”60 Thomas also had time to set up Big Hurt Enterprise, which handled his marketing, fan mail, and fundraising opportunities.61

On March 28, 1995, the strike was officially over with a shortened 144-game season ahead. Thomas picked up where he had left off and was once again an All-Star. At the All-Star Game he participated in the Home Run Derby, winning this time, beating future teammate Albert Belle. Thomas also drove in the only two runs for the American League with a home run in the bottom of the fourth inning, the first time a White Sox player hit a home run in an All-Star Game.62 The White Sox fell short of making the postseason, finishing third in the AL Central Division.

The rest of the late 1990s followed a similar pattern for the White Sox. Fans dying for a World Series were frustrated by second-place finishes in the 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999 seasons. Thomas, despite making the All-Star team in 1996 and 1997, bore the wrath of the fan base and the media for years to come. To many he was portrayed as what was wrong with the modern athlete, focused on one’s self over the team. Thomas left the 1995 All-Star Game early with permission of MLB to make it back to Chicago for the game the next day. Combined with his focus on his own stats and his personal branding opportunities,63 he would become a favorite target of Chicago Sun-Times journalist Jay Mariotti, who referred to him with nicknames like The Big Killjoy64 and, when injuries were suspect, The Big Skirt.65

Also not helping how fans viewed Thomas was a new contract signed at the end of the 1997 season that on its face appeared to be for $80 million over nine years.66 However, this contract was heavily incentive-laden and much of the money deferred. It also included a diminished-skills clause that the team could invoke, altering his pay and making him a free agent. This clause proved the ultimate wedge between Thomas and the White Sox.

The 1999 season was one of the most difficult years of Thomas’s life, both professionally and personally. He continued to play with a bone spur in his foot, but his normal power production was not there. He ended the season with just 15 home runs (but a .305 batting average). He had surgery after the season to have the bone spur removed. Normal bone spurs are the size of a dime; the one removed from Thomas’s foot was the size of a chicken wing.67

Thomas’s personal life was just as bad: He was going through a divorce with Elise. His friend Derrick Thomas of the Kansas City Chiefs died of a heart attack. His agent, Robert Fraley, died in the plane crash that also took the life of golfer Payne Stewart. His father was on a dialysis machine three times a week for kidney failure and already had a weak heart. “I was at rock bottom,” Thomas said a year later.68

During the offseason, Thomas worked with his hitting guru Hriniak in the cage to regain his swing. “He had me fixed in 30 minutes,” Thomas said.69 Fixed indeed, Thomas ended the 2000 season more like his old self, hitting 43 home runs and winning another Silver Slugger Award. He finished second in the MVP voting to the Oakland Athletics’ Jason Giambi. The White Sox finished first in their division but were quickly swept by the Seattle Mariners, in the Division Series. The White Sox didn’t make the playoffs again until 2005.

The 2001 season was a season of loss once again professionally and personally for Thomas. After only 20 games, on April 27, Thomas dove for a ball hit by Ichiro Suzuki and suffered a torn right triceps that required surgery. He missed the rest of the season.70 The same week that he was injured, his father died. “This is the worst week of my life,” Thomas said.71

The diminished-skills clause in Thomas’s contract became a point of contention and further added to the stress between him and the White Sox. He asked for a new contract in 2001 before his injury and was assured by team owner Jerry Reinsdorf that the White Sox would not leverage this clause.72 The White Sox suffered another lackluster year, finishing second in the division. Tempers flared all season between manager Jerry Manuel and Thomas, leading to Thomas’s being benched for being late to a game.73

Thomas received a standing ovation from the crowd at the last home game of the season, possibly his last at-bat in a White Sox uniform. Rumors had swirled for months that the diminished-skills clause would be used at the end of the season. “I expect to be back fully. I’ve built a legacy here and I’m not going to throw it away,” Thomas said.74

On October 6, 2002, the White Sox notified Thomas they were invoking the diminished-skills clause. He tested the free-agent waters but ended up back with the White Sox with a new contract through the 2006 season.75 He was back in his old form in 2003, hitting his 400th career home run on July 25 off Tampa Bay Devil Rays pitcher Jorge Sosa. The White Sox once again finished second in the AL Central Division.

The 2004 season started with a fresh outlook. The White Sox had a new manager, Ozzie Guillén. The two had been teammates for eight years. Thomas specifically avoided all media during the offseason, moved to Las Vegas, and reported to camp on time. It seemed things were finally getting off on the right foot. “A lot of people expected him to show up here moody and with a negative attitude and complaining and stuff. But this is the happiest I’ve seen him,” Guillén said. “He showed up in shape and with enthusiasm. He’s involved in every drill. I can’t be more pleased.”76 The season didn’t turn out differently for the White Sox; they finished second again. Thomas once again voiced displeasure with his current contract.77 Then his season ended when he suffered a left-ankle stress fracture in early July.78

At age 37, the 2005 season became Thomas’s last with the White Sox. He returned in late May after recovering from offseason surgery on his left ankle, but refractured it on July 21, limiting him to just 34 games. He still managed 12 home runs in 105 at-bats. He missed the historic playoff and World Series run he had worked his entire career with the White Sox to attain.79 “It means everything to me personally,” he said of the team’s postseason success. “It’s like I told the guys earlier, whatever I do forward from here, it’s all gravy now. I always wanted to do what I did right here, and that’s a world championship.”80

The final breakup with the White Sox left a bad taste in Thomas’s mouth. The White Sox bought out the remaining part of his contract in early November. Aaron Rowand was traded for Jim Thome on November 25 and Paul Konerko re-signed on November 30. There was no room for Thomas on the roster. Kenny Williams left a voice mail for Thomas after the Konerko signing, which Thomas found disrespectful; he felt that the organization owed him more than that. “If they had just called and said, ‘Thanks for the ride, we’re going in a different direction,’ I could have handled that.81

Despite Jerry Reinsdorf saying it would kill him to see Thomas in another uniform,82 it happened. Thomas signed a one-year contract with the Oakland A’s that included incentives based on plate appearances and staying off the disabled list.83 Thomas started the season slowly, with a .178 batting average heading into his return to Chicago on May 22. He was greeted with a video tribute and a three-minute standing ovation by the crowd. Thomas homered in his first at-bat and again later in the game. “I left on bad terms there, and I was really just going through the motions until I got back to say goodbye to the fans,” he said. “It was a good feeling. The season seemed to take off right after that point.”84 He batted .270, hit 39 home runs, finished fourth in the MVP voting at age 38 and once again entered free agency.

Thomas signed a two-year contract for $18 million with the Toronto Blue Jays to take over their DH spot and chase the 500-home-run mark. He started the season needing 13 homers to reach the magic number.85 That day came on June 28, 2007, in Minnesota in the top of the first inning off Carlos Silva, when Thomas became the 21st player to join the 500-homer club.

The next season, 2008, was his last. The Blue Jays released him in late April and Thomas re-signed with the A’s on April 24. He hit his final home run (number 521) on August 9 at Detroit off Armando Galarraga, tying for 18th on the all-time record with Willie McCovey and Ted Williams. He played his final game later that month on the 29th, going 2-for-4 with a run and a strikeout against the Minnesota Twins. A Hall of Fame-worthy career had come to an end.

Time eventually heals all wounds, and in 2009 Thomas rejoined the White Sox as a broadcaster for Comcast SportsNet.86 (In 2019 he began broadcasting as an analyst for Fox Sports.87) Thomas joined the White Sox as an ambassador in 201088 and his number was retired on August 29, 2010, in a ceremony that brought him to tears.89 It was also announced that day that Thomas would receive a statue on the outfield concourse in 201190 beside White Sox greats Luis Aparicio, Harold Baines, Charles Comiskey, Carlton Fisk, Nellie Fox, Minnie Miñoso, and Billy Pierce. (Paul Konerko joined the group in 2014.)

On January 8, 2014, Thomas, along with Braves pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. This was the second time that three first-ballot Hall of Famers were elected; the previous time was the first class inducted in 1936.91 Joining the trio in the 2014 class were managers Bobby Cox, Joe Torre, and Tony La Russa.

The outpouring of support and congratulations from friends, family, and fans was overwhelming. President Barack Obama, a noted White Sox fan, called to congratulate Thomas.92 The family that supported Frank Thomas at the start was there to support him at the end in Cooperstown when he gave his speech as the first player inducted with most of his games being played at DH. Thomas’s speech thanked family, friends, coaches, teammates, members of various organizations, doctors, and the cities he played in. He closed his speech with what was instilled in him early in life. “To all you kids out there, just remember one thing from today. There are no shortcuts to success. Hard work, dedication, commitment, stay true to who you are.”93 Pamela would have been proud of what her big brother accomplished.

Last revised: March 1, 2025

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the authors consulted Baseball-Reference.com.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Joe Wancho for providing a fantastic base of research and to Bobby Howard for agreeing to the interview.

Notes

1 David Haugh, “Hitting Guru Recalls Thomas’ Prowess,” Chicago Tribune, February 12, 2000.

2 Jack Curry, “One Player Who Spoke With Mitchell Wonders Why So Few Others Did,” New York Times, December 15, 2007.

3 “One Player Who Spoke With Mitchell Wonders Why So Few Others Did.”

4 Alva James-Johnson, “Frank Thomas’ Family Looks Forward to Hall of Fame Ceremony,” Columbus (Georgia) Ledger-Enquirer, July 17, 2014. Accessed September 3, 2024, https://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/local/article29337022.html.

5 “Frank Thomas’ Family Looks Forward to Hall of Fame Ceremony.”

6 Paul Ladewski, “Big Hurt,” Inside Sports, no 14 (1992), 46-49.

7 “Frank Thomas’ Family Looks Forward to Hall of Fame Ceremony.”

8 Phil Rogers, “Big Hurt Never Took Anything for Granted,” MLB.com, January 8, 2014. Accessed September 7, 2024, https://www.mlb.com/news/hall-of-famer-thomas-never-took-anything-for-granted/c-66417646.

9 “Big Hurt Never Took Anything for Granted.”

10 “Big Hurt Never Took Anything for Granted.”

11 Rick Reilly, “The Big Heart,” Sports Illustrated, August 8, 1994.

12 “The Big Heart.”

13 Carrie Muskat, “Big Heart,” USA Today Baseball Weekly, August 20-26, 1997.

14 Paul Ladewski, “Big Hurt.”

15 Paul Ladewski, “Big Hurt.”

16 Alva James-Johnson, “Frank Thomas’ Family Looks Forward to Hall of Fame Ceremony.”

17 Chuck Williams, “From Junior to Big Hurt: How Frank Thomas Went from Columbus to the Hall of Fame.”

18 Paul Ladewski, “Big Hurt.”

19 Bobby Howard, telephone interview, September 21, 2024.

20 Phil Rogers, “Big Hurt Never Took Anything for Granted.”

21 Bobby Howard, telephone interview, September 21, 2024.

22 Paul Ladewski, “Big Hurt.”

23 Chuck Williams, “From Junior to Big Hurt: How Frank Thomas Went from Columbus to the Hall of Fame.”

24 Williams.

25 Dave Platta, “Proving the Doubting Thomases Wrong Mr. Cub Predicts White Sox Slugger Has Great Career Ahead,” Sports Collectors Digest, April 26, 1991.

26 Platta.

27 Platta.

28 Platta.

29 Platta.

30 Platta.

31 Williams.

32 Williams.

33 Platta.

34 Williams.

35 Bill Whelan, “Frank Thomas: From Cape Cod to Cooperstown,” Wareham Week, January 21, 2014. Accessed September 8, 2024, https://wareham.theweektoday.com/article/frank-thomas-cape-cod-cooperstown/12807.

36 Platta.

37 The other three were Jeff Bagwell, Trevor Hoffman, and Jim Thome.

38 Paul Sullivan, “Thomas Having a Walk in the Park,” Chicago Tribune, July 21, 1998.

39 Jerome Holtzman, “No Rookie Problems for Sox’s Thomas,” Chicago Tribune, August 12, 1990.

40 Platta.

41 David Haugh, “Hitting Guru Recalls Thomas’ Prowess,” Chicago Tribune, February 12, 2000.

42 Holtzman.

43 Matthew Ritchie, “How an MLB Rebrand Shook Up the Hip-Hop World,” September 26, 2023. Accessed September 14 2024, https://www.mlb.com/news/white-sox-1990-rebrand-instilled-a-sense-of-pride-in-fans

44 Ladewski.

45 Nicholas Dawidoff, “The Not-Really Rookies,” Sports Illustrated, April 1, 1991.

46 Daniel Brown, “Raising the Bar,” San Jose Mercury News, August 11, 2006.

47 Dan Kitkowski, “Frank Thomas,” Baseball Card News, August 19, 1991.

48 Kitkowski.

49 Thomas Boswell, “Thomas Is Polite, Patient and Pow!” Washington Post, March 19, 1992. The Baseball Writers Association of America will present its Career Excellent Award in ceremonies at the 2025 Hall of Fame induction weekend at Cooperstown, New York. https://www.mlb.com/news/thomas-boswell-wins-bbwaa-career-excellence-award.

50 Jack Bourboushian, “Frank Thomas Puts the Hurt on Reebok,” Courthouse News Service, March 21, 2014. Accessed September 21, 2014, https://www.courthousenews.com/frank-thomas-putsthe-hurt-on-reebok/.

51 Milton Kent, “Thomas Gets Starring Role,” Baltimore Sun, July 11, 1993.

52 George Kimball, “Thomas Has No Doubts About MVP,” New York Post, October 5, 1993.

53 Chuck Johnson, “Thomas: Award an Honor, but There’s More Work to Do,” USA Today, November 12, 1993.

54 Mel Antonen, “Thomas Attacks Defense,” USA Today, October 22, 1993.

55 Murray Chass, “Thomas Is Changing Name of the Game,” New York Times, May 31, 1994.

56 Tom Keegan, “The Big Hurt,” Sport, May 1994.

57 Keegan.

58 Rick Reilly, “The Big Heart,” Sports Illustrated, August 8, 1994.

59 Joel Sherman, “Big Hurt Racks Up Back-to-Back MVPs,” New York Post, October 27, 1994.

60 Carrie Muskat, “Good Works, Family Fill Thomas Time,” USA Today, October 18, 1994.

61 “Good Works, Family Fill Thomas Time,” USA Today, October 18, 1994.

62 Bill Francis, “All-Star Game Bats Land at HOF,” Freeman’s Journal (Cooperstown, New York), July 16, 1995.

63 Tom Keegan, “Image Hinders Big Hurt,” New York Post, July 12, 1995.

64 Jay Mariotti, “Talk About Cutting Remarks,” Chicago Sun-Times, February 24, 2003.

65 Jay Mariotti, “Big Frank Won’t Get Big Finish He Deserves,” Chicago Sun-Times, July 30, 2005.

66 “Red Sox’ Martinez Has Competition,” Syracuse (New York) Herald American, December 14, 1997.

67 Bob Nightengale, “At Last, Big Hurt Feeling No Pain,” USA Today Baseball Weekly, September 6-12, 2000.

68 Nightengale.

69 Nightengale.

70 Peter Gammons, “Thomas Has Something to Prove,” ESPN.com, November 18, 2002.

71 “Chicago’s Big Hurt,” Jet, May 28, 2001.

72 “Thomas Won’t Lose Pay,” Albany (New York) Times Union, June 10, 2001.

73 Paul Sullivan, “Benched Star’s Tardiness Elicits Teammates’ Barbs,” Chicago Tribune, July 8, 2002.

74 Paul Sullivan, “‘I Expect to Be Back’/Thomas Counting On Wearing Sox Uniform Next Year,” Chicago Tribune, September 26, 2002.

75 Paul Sullivan, “Thomas Starts From Scratch,” Chicago Tribune, December 7, 2002.

76 Chuck Johnson, “Frank Expectation Set for White Sox’s Thomas,” USA Today, March 23, 2004.

77 Joe Cowley, “Frank to Sox: It’s Time to Talk,” Daily Southtown (Chicago), April 16, 2004.

78 Dave van Dyck, “It’s Doubtful Thomas Will Play Much More in 2004,” Chicago Tribune, July 9, 2004.

79 Scott Merkin, “White Sox Buy Out Thomas’ Option,” MLB.com, November 4, 2005.

80 Scott Merkin, “Thomas’ Legacy Includes Championship,” MLB.com, October 27, 2005.

81 Phil Arvia, “Southtown Exclusive: Bitter batter?” Daily Southtown, February 26, 2006.

82 Nathaniel Whale, “Reinsdorf Would Like to See Thomas Finish Here,” Daily Southtown, October 6, 2005.

83 Andrew Baggarly, “A’s Hope to Put ‘Big Hurt’ on Rivals,” Inside Bay Area, January 26, 2006.

84 Jorge L. Ortiz, “’Big Hurt’ Finds Healing,” USA Today, September 26, 2006.

85 “Blue Jays Sign Thomas for Two Years, $18 million,” ESPN, November 17, 2006.

86 Carol Slezak, “Time Healing the Hurt for Frank Thomas, White Sox,” Chicago Sun Times, June 12, 2009.

87 Charles Oduamp (Associated Press), “Thomas Headed to ‘Big Leagues’ as Baseball Analyst,” Sports Illustrated, February 22, 2019.

88 Chris De Luca, “Feud Is in the Past as Frank Thomas Rejoins White Sox,” Chicago Sun Times, July 28, 2010.

89 Rick Morrissey, “A Hurt-Warming Event,” Chicago Sun Times, August 30, 2010.

90 Doug Padilla, “More Thomas Honors to Come in 2011,” ESPN, August 29, 2010, https://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/white-sox/post/_/id/1766/more-thomas-honors-to-come-in-2011.

91 “BBWAA Elects Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas,” BBWAA, January 8, 2013. https://bbwaa.com/14-hof/.

92 Associated Press, “Former Chisox Star Frank Thomas Tours Hall of Fame,” Boston Herald, March 3, 2014.

93 “Transcript: Frank Thomas Hall of Fame Speech,” Chicago Tribune, July 27, 2014.