1 hour ago, Balta1701 said:

While I don’t doubt that early in his career Frank Thomas was a jerk, let’s also not forget that the organization didn’t treat him well either. Can we think of any other hall of fame caliber player whose contract got a Diminished Skills Clause?

All of his financial problems the first 40 years of his life led to a ton of bitterness (and the whole steroids era overtaking him),  but he's seemingly in a much better place now from a mental health standpoint. 

8 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

All of his financial problems the first 40 years of his life led to a ton of bitterness (and the whole steroids era overtaking him),  but he's seemingly in a much better place now from a mental health standpoint. 

And she likes it too!!

35 minutes ago, Sambuca said:

Isn’t Big Frank supposedly the reason the Sox didn’t sign Barry Bonds as well?

I thought it was pretty well known The Hurt was a big cry baby during the first half of his career. I remember hearing that about him in real time when I was a kid. I also have visuals of him angrily sulking in the dugout.

Regardless, we will probably never see a better hitter in a White Sox uniform. All is forgiven.  

In hindsight, how much of the crying was about stuff like “he’s padding his stats by walking and not helping us win”, the same kind of stupid old school baseball stuff that has people complaining he didn’t want to hit 5th in this page? Now we better understand that “that insane monster has a f***ing .487 OBP, shut up about asking him to bunt” was the correct response.

Dude was a STICK though. I mean come on

1 hour ago, Sambuca said:

Isn’t Big Frank supposedly the reason the Sox didn’t sign Barry Bonds as well?

I thought it was pretty well known The Hurt was a big cry baby during the first half of his career. I remember hearing that about him in real time when I was a kid. I also have visuals of him angrily sulking in the dugout.

Regardless, we will probably never see a better hitter in a White Sox uniform. All is forgiven.  

From what I recall, the Sox asked Frank if they should sign Belle or Bonds, and Frank chose Belle.

1 hour ago, Balta1701 said:

In hindsight, how much of the crying was about stuff like “he’s padding his stats by walking and not helping us win”, the same kind of stupid old school baseball stuff that has people complaining he didn’t want to hit 5th in this page? Now we better understand that “that insane monster has a f***ing .487 OBP, shut up about asking him to bunt” was the correct response.

Even old school managers and players understood the benefit of a monster like Frank. Sox leading the pack of idiots again.

4 minutes ago, almagest said:

From what I recall, the Sox asked Frank if they should sign Belle or Bonds, and Frank chose Belle.

And Albert put up some massive numbers in a White Sox uniform.

2 minutes ago, wegner said:

And Albert put up some massive numbers in a White Sox uniform.

Then voided his contract, went to Baltimore and was never the same. Sox got an alright deal there, especially if Bonds also bailed after 2 years and then went on to be a monster in SF anyway.

Just now, almagest said:

Then voided his contract, went to Baltimore and was never the same. Sox got an alright deal there, especially if Bonds also bailed after 2 years and then went on to be a monster in SF anyway.

Yep they got lucky when he voided that deal.  But damn he was a monster while here.

I love Big Hurt. This book will do nothing to change my mind.

Frank is a bit like Aaron Rodgers to me as a Packer fan. 
Rodgers is a complete tool, but he’s our tool.

Frank may have been a moody douche, but he was our moody douche.

Looking for my pearls meant for clutching

4 minutes ago, Kyyle23 said:

Looking for my pearls meant for clutching

Because of the Packers fan?

Just now, Bossanoveralls said:

Because of the Packers fan?

No just because of the idea that someone called Frank Thomas a douchebag is so hard to take, I’m verclempt

Frank Thomas in a White Sox uniform during the steroids era will forever be a source of pride for me.

All the other stuff is moot.

3 minutes ago, Kyyle23 said:

No just because of the idea that someone called Frank Thomas a douchebag is so hard to take, I’m verclempt

Oy!

6 minutes ago, Kyyle23 said:

No just because of the idea that someone called Frank Thomas a douchebag is so hard to take, I’m verclempt

Woah there Chris Sale, them's fightin' words.

Amazing how these ex-players who felt the Big Hurt was a prima-donna or douchebag, never had the balls to tell this to his face in the clubhouse. Instead they ignore the cardinal rule of team sports...that players keep the negative things inside the locker room and not open to the media and fans.

It will always bother me that ex players who try to expose an ex-teammate for negative things, don't seem to understand to take the high road when being interviewed about a fellow past player. These ex-players are classless and total losers when they don't understand this simple adage: "Praise in Public and Criticize in Private!"

It is true that JR asked Frank who he'd prefer to have, who was a better player and he said Belle, who did put up some incredible numbers for the Sox.

Belle had a clause in his Sox contract that he had to be one of the three highest players in MLB. When others passed him the Sox decided not to increase his salary so he invoked the clause and left. Had a fine year or two with Baltimore before a bad hip forced him to retire.

A side not to all this was that Frank took a reduced salary he said so the Sox would have more money for Belle and to resign Ventura. The Sox did neither and that rubbed Thomas raw too.

31 minutes ago, Lip Man 1 said:

It is true that JR asked Frank who he'd prefer to have, who was a better player and he said Belle, who did put up some incredible numbers for the Sox.

Belle had a clause in his Sox contract that he had to be one of the three highest players in MLB. When others passed him the Sox decided not to increase his salary so he invoked the clause and left. Had a fine year or two with Baltimore before a bad hip forced him to retire.

A side not to all this was that Frank took a reduced salary he said so the Sox would have more money for Belle and to resign Ventura. The Sox did neither and that rubbed Thomas raw too.

Funny how both Belle and Bo had hip problems. I don't think this type of gossip about Frank is the way to get more people following beisbol.

2 hours ago, Bossanoveralls said:

Frank Thomas in a White Sox uniform during the steroids era will forever be a source of pride for me.

All the other stuff is moot.

I know Frank was a 1st ballot HOF'er but I always felt he didn't get his just due while playing. He was robbed of All-Star Games and at least 1 MVP by roiders.

 Look at the guys we're talking about possibly having had a chance to come here, McGwire, Bonds and we had Sosa pre roids. All were media darlings because of the insane amount of HR's they hit.

I remember thinking when Frank was in AA that they should've called him up earlier. I may have even wrote KW about it.

53 minutes ago, Lip Man 1 said:

It is true that JR asked Frank who he'd prefer to have, who was a better player and he said Belle, who did put up some incredible numbers for the Sox.

Belle had a clause in his Sox contract that he had to be one of the three highest players in MLB. When others passed him the Sox decided not to increase his salary so he invoked the clause and left. Had a fine year or two with Baltimore before a bad hip forced him to retire.

A side not to all this was that Frank took a reduced salary he said so the Sox would have more money for Belle and to resign Ventura. The Sox did neither and that rubbed Thomas raw too.

Belle also was a "take no prisoners" kind of player. If you were on the opposing team you were his enemy. Very combative guy.

7 minutes ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

I know Frank was a 1st ballot HOF'er but I always felt he didn't get his just due while playing. He was robbed of All-Star Games and at least 1 MVP by roiders.

 Look at the guys we're talking about possibly having had a chance to come here, McGwire, Bonds and we had Sosa pre roids. All were media darlings because of the insane amount of HR's they hit.

I remember thinking when Frank was in AA that they should've called him up earlier. I may have even wrote KW about it.

"Dear Blue Jays outfielder Kenny Williams,

The White Sox should call up Frank Thomas."

Yeah I thought him being kind of a dick was common knowledge. I remember when I first heard about it and was much younger, it made me feel a little upset. But now that I'm older... I don't know, I was kind of a douche when I was younger, too. I think we all hope we get better as we age, and even if we fail at that, we all hope people don't hold it against us when evaluating our work/other parts of our lives and person. Frank being a dick is actually baked into his performance legacy in some way -- to the extent that any lack of clubhouse harmony may have affected his numbers, and to the extent that his actions may have negatively affected his chance to win through his teammates -- and so I feel pretty damn comfortable evaluating his career through those numbers. Both the things he achieved AND the things he didn't.

10 minutes ago, Quin said:

"Dear Blue Jays outfielder Kenny Williams,

The White Sox should call up Frank Thomas."

Ha well I guess I didnt write KW then. Maybe someone else. I'm old with hazy memories ! Maybe I just thought he should've been called up earlier and thought about writing someone about it in the Sox FO. Luckily I said "may have" because I wasn't sure about the timeline either.