Quote:
Originally posted by Coltrane
Damn, dude, you just picked on my favorite player of all time.
He's not a dick...at least to the fans. He was a dick to the media, and said a few things publicly that he should have kept private. The media destroyed him b/c he treated reporters like shit. His current (bad) reputation has been completely exaggerated (especially by Jay Mariotti, who is hated in Chicago). But he's always been very gracious and friendly with fans. I've actually met him in a bar. Unbelievably friendly.
Also, he is the greatest right-handed hitter I've ever seen (Ozzie recently said the same thing). I was 15 when he came into the league. At 8, you start to really like baseball. At 12, you know how to hit, throw and run. But by 15, you get it. And Frank's first years with the Sox corresponded to 15-17 for me. He was just...awesome. He's the greatest hitter in Sox history (by far), and, according to Bill James, a lock for the HOF.
In his 1995 Players Ratings Book, this is what Bill James wrote about him: "Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Frank Thomas...maybe the three best hitters God ever made. Gets on base half the time, has tremendous power, hits .350...what more could you want? He works hard, stays healthy, never slumps. Only weakness are his glove and speed. When the White Sox picked him seventh overall in the 1989 draft, they were widely ridiculed by the scouting community."
Thomas has authored a career batting line of .305 AVG/.425 OBP/.565 SLG. That OBP is good for 13th on the all-time list, and Thomas' .565 SLG ranks 15th all-time (minimum 3,000 plate appearances on both counts).
Soon, he'll be only the seventh player to retire with at least 500 homers and a career batting average of at least .300. The others on that exclusive list are Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams and Mel Ott.P
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I posted a response to this that got lost because the last thread closed. Pain in the ass.
Anyway, I hear that. Dave Winfield was that player for me.
But there is no question Thomas is/was a huge talent. Great hitter with an outstanding eye, who hits for power and average. His numbers don't get the attention they deserve because he hit in the steroid era (presumably) without the steroids.
But, I have heard the following about him. Please let me know if I'm off base.
1. He's a stats guy. Doesn't care how the team does as long as he puts up his numbers.
2. He's a shitty teammate. He expects and demands special treatment from the club, thinks he's better than anyone else and generally his teammates don't like him.
3. He fakes injuries. Or maybe he just doesn't play with injuries he could play with because he had that huge contract, doesn't care and puts himself before the team every chance he gets.
4. A friend of mine wanted to try to set me up with his wife when they separated (I think) way back. They told me that he was a tremendous asshole, completely arrogant and hated by everyone "close" to him.
Please correct me if I'm wrong on any of this stuff.*
TM
*Especially the set-up with his wife. She still hasn't called. <sniff.>
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