Frank Thomas joined the White Sox while I was still stationed in Korea in the Marines and had a great second season that I followed in box scores in the Stars & Stripes in '91.
I was home in Chicago area for the '92 season on thru the 2000 season and he just mashed the ball. He could hit for power, average and he walked a ton. He was the Big Hurt. Of course now he has deservedly made the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. He should have. His numbers over time were up there with the greatest, Musial, Williams, Mantle etc. But there was a time, 2000 to be exact that I disliked him and that was in 2000. It was the one year I had season tickets to the Sox and also first round playoff tickets. He was the opposite of clutch in the playoffs. The stadium would rock with chants of M-V-P! M-V-P! every time he came to the plate but by the end of the two home games, I was chanting L-O-B! L-O-B! as he was constantly coming up with runners on and leaving them on base. (He went 0-9 with 4 walks in the 3 game sweep by Seattle and we were out of the playoffs that fast). When we finally won the World Series, Frank was an afterthought, a part of the past, though he would kick around the league a few more years. In the 90s though, he was the best hitter in baseball and deserves being a first ballot guy.
Congrats Big Hurt.
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