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Originally Posted by eriqjaffe
Frank Thomas has always been an enigma, and his biggest fault is his inability to keep his mouth shut and take the high road. Always has been.
...and the Chicago media loves him for it because it gives them something to write about. Thomas had spent his entire professional career with the Sox organization - heck, he was the only player on the 2005 squad whose tenure dated back to Old Comiskey. I don't blame him for being bitter about the Sox buying out his contract.
Then again, he stuck around after the infamous "diminished skills clause" incident - so who's really to blame him for holding some bitterness against the Sox?
I was always a fan of Frank Thomas, and I always will be. I think he should be a first-ballot HOFer, especially considering the steroid cloud that hangs over many other 90's power hitters - that cloud doesn't taint Thomas's numbers. At his peak, he was one of the best hitters the game had ever seen. He could do it all at the plate - hit for high average, power, draw walks. He was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of player. Heck, his career .995 OPS ranks 11th all-time, well ahead of legends like Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.
I don't think his poor media relations will hurt his HOF chances nearly as much as the fact that he played a significant amount of his career as a DH. If he plays a dozen games as a DH for Oakland in '06, he will finally tip that scale.
I wish Frank Thomas well, he's one hell of a player. Maybe not the greatest guy, but it's not like he was caught with a corked bat, pretended not to speak English in front of Congress, or beat his wife with a rum bottle.
Sosa is a straight-up jackass, and always has been. He just hid it very well for a few years. Sosa should be happy to take whatever he can get, but his love of himself is much bigger than his love for the game.
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Excellent post. I'm a Cubs fan, and I was always jealous that the Cubs never had someone like Frank Thomas, until Sosa temporarily got our attention.
I think Thomas will also be hurt in HoF voting by being relatively hidden for the past several years. He's only played two full seasons out of the past five. The greats who stay in the spotlight until the day they retire - like Cal Ripken or Tony Gwynn - those guys don't have that problem.
Also, with regards to Thomas being a DH, I think if Paul Molitor can get it, playing DH as much as he did, then Thomas should be able to as well. Yes, it would help Thomas if he could play defense, but that doesn't take away from his massive contributions at the plate.
One other thing: Thomas was only a five-time All-Star. Not that I think All-Star selections should determine Hall of Fame status, but was there a better player in the All-Star era who played in fewer All-Star Games? Five sounds low for a guy of Thomas' talent.
As for Sosa, he's a cheater, and I hope he leaves the game so I don't have to be reminded what a SOC he was.