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Old Frank Thomas article by Rick Reilly


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I feel sorry for any fan, especially a Sox fan, that didn't get to see Frank at his peak. Time stood still when he came to the plate for me. It was just like watching Michael. Everytime Frank came to bat u sensed something special was about to happen. Frank was on some different s*** in 1994. He was playing at a level that I to this day have never seen. And that includes any of Barry Bonds' steroid-induced years. People talk about how amazing it would be if somebody in the modern era won the triple crown. Not only did Frank have a legitimate chance to do that, but he had a legitimate chance to lead the league in SIX (yes, six) other major offensive categories, making that a staggering NINE offensive catergories. I will never forgive the b****es involved for wiping out that season. We missed out on argubly the greatest single-season EVER by ANY player in the history of the game.

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_1994.shtml

 

Click this link for the 1994 statistical leaders. Just take a look at how many Frank either led in or damn near led in. It's mind-boggling.

Edited by Jordan4life
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QUOTE (Jordan4life @ May 17, 2008 -> 09:09 PM)
I feel sorry for any fan, especially a Sox fan, that didn't get to see Frank at his peak. Time stood still when he came to the plate for me. It was just like watching Michael. Everytime Frank came to bat u sensed something special was about to happen. Frank was on some different s*** in 1994. He was playing at a level that I to this day have never seen. And that includes any of Barry Bonds' steroid-induced years. People talk about how amazing it would be if somebody in the modern era won the triple crown. Not only did Frank have a legitimate chance to do that, but he had a legitimate chance to lead the league in SIX (yes, six) other major offensive categories, making that a staggering NINE offensive catergories. I will never forgive the b****es involved for wiping out that season. We missed out on argubly the greatest single-season EVER by ANY player in the history of the game.

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_1994.shtml

 

Click this link for the 1994 statistical leaders. Just take a look at how many Frank either led in or damn near led in. It's mind-boggling.

 

Just to play devils advocate, Joey Belle was having an equally impressive season that year as well.

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Hawk has been quoted as saying that Big Frank was the best right handed hitter he's ever seen his first 8 years in the league. I concur. I never saw a power hitter with a better eye than the big hurt. During his prime, if you wanted to get him out, you HAD to give him something good to hit, and he usually hit it hard.

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QUOTE (JohnCangelosi @ May 18, 2008 -> 01:06 AM)
Hawk has been quoted as saying that Big Frank was the best right handed hitter he's ever seen his first 8 years in the league. I concur. I never saw a power hitter with a better eye than the big hurt. During his prime, if you wanted to get him out, you HAD to give him something good to hit, and he usually hit it hard.

He had such a great sense of the strike zone, too.

 

But what's weird is the dramatic drop off after 2000 -- a season he should've won the MVP (f*** you, giambi). I know he got hurt in '01 but he just never has come close to the same BA that he used to sport. Still, any question of whether or not he belongs in the HOF is just stupid. How easily people forget how much he dominated the league.

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To this day, I STILL believe that if Frank had been 100% in the '93 ALCS, we win the pennant (he had a pulled hammy, I think).

 

I vividly remember him having trouble stretching out for throws at first base, and not being himself at the plate.

 

His presence in the box in the 90's, and his hitting ability, was nothing short of awe-inspiring though.

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