USA Today Article on Frank & Sox

[Goldmember]

Hopefully hasn't been posted. From today's USA Today:

 

linky

 

I would post whole article but there's a side article on the page too and don't have time to separate them so if someone else wants to do it be my guest...

[mmmmmbeeer]

Good article. I really like the sidebar thing about the steroids. Sounds like one hell of an argument that makes a lot of sense when reading his quotes.

[CSF]

I would post whole article but there's a side article on the page too and don't have time to separate them so if someone else wants to do it be my guest...

 

Here's the side article:

 

Slugger worked for his HRs

 

At 6-5, 275, Chicago White Sox slugger Frank Thomas is a former college tight end and one of major league baseball's most physically imposing players. But sometimes he has felt like a victim of playing by the rules.

Thomas was a rookie call-up in 1990 when Cecil Fielder hit 51 home runs for the Detroit Tigers. It was the only time in Thomas' first five seasons that a player in either league was able to reach the 50-homer plateau.

 

Last year, Thomas slammed 42 homers to mark the fifth time in his 14-year career that he hit 40-plus homers. But he never has hit 50. Meanwhile, other sluggers have accomplished the 50-homer feat 17 times in the nine seasons since Thomas' all-around offensive dominance earned him his second of consecutive American League MVP Awards in 1994.

 

The accelerated power pace has caused Thomas to wonder if players using steroids could be a factor. He suspected there might be a problem even before 5%-7% of players tested positive in anonymous surveying last year.

 

"I don't have any direct knowledge, but I just know what I put into a season year in and year out in the weight room," Thomas said in an interview before Commissioner Bud Selig's gag order was imposed on the topic of steroid use.

 

"I know I push myself to the limit, and I'm as strong as they come. But guys have been just blowing by my home run performance in the last six or seven years. I really thought the bar was 44 or 45 (homers). But you saw guys just start to blow by it. I thought, 'Hey, they might be outworking me in the weight room.' But now things are coming out. Maybe some of my thoughts were right."

 

Thomas wants to see where he stands on a level playing field and welcomes mandatory drug testing, which MLB is implementing this season for the first time.

 

"I've never wanted to be outspoken on the subject because what people do for their families is their business," he says. "But now with mandatory testing, you will be held accountable, and that's the way sports should be. Fortunately, I've been accustomed to dealing with testing since college because at Auburn, they tested for football. It's an embarrassing situation when guys get caught. For the guys in that situation now, there's going to be a lot of embarrassment."

 

Chuck Johnson

[CSF]

Williams says no one seems to want to focus on the benevolent Thomas, who treated a group of teammates by taking them to dinner last week. "I see many more positives than the occasional negative thing that seems to get most of the attention," Williams says.

 

 

Notice how Frank didn't need a full page headline to announce he was taking some of his teammates to dinner.

 

Couldn't say the same for this individual

[Scwible]

I really liked this article. Seemed to be dead on about everything unlike the cubune crap. That steroid part seemed to be what everyone was thinking.

 

Notice how Frank didn't need a full page headline to announce he was taking some of his teammates to dinner.

dopey sosa :headshake

[Texsox]

I have criticized Frank sometimes for his whining, I would never criticize him for his work ethic. He is one of the only big men in MLB that I would never believe was on 'roids. And not just because he's on the Sox.

[SoxAce]

Agreed Tex. I don't think anyone believes he's on the roids except scrub fans but their idiots. Frank has always had a solid work ethic. He even has his own personal trainer. He tries to find how he can improve his swing better. You have to respect a man like that.

[Chisoxfn]

I've critisized Frank in the past, but I am so impressed with him thus far this spring.

[greasywheels121]

Agreed Tex. I don't think anyone believes he's on the roids except scrub fans but their idiots. Frank has always had a solid work ethic. He even has his own personal trainer. He tries to find how he can improve his swing better. You have to respect a man like that.

Another thing is Frank has always had this big appearance since being in the bigs and even in pre-MLB pictures. Therefore, unless he's been taking roids since adolescence....There's no question he's clean.

[YASNY]

Frank Thomas's positive attitude and team first outlook is the best thing to happen to this team in ages. I look forward to a year of Frank being happy, healthy and hitting. He will carry this team a long way, maybe all the way, if can maintain his health and attitude. Frank is that damn good.