Who's going to Cooperstown?? Let's give Frank a good showing!

 

http://baseballhall.org/hof/thomas-frank

Edited July 21, 201411 yr by La Marr Hoyt HOF

I almost scheduled the time and vacation to go, but it wouldn't have been much fun with the wife and kids, and there wasn't a lot around the area for them. I'd have loved to be there though.

Dad and I are flying into Boston Friday morning and renting a car to drive to Cooperstown. We're staying in Johnstown, which is about an hour away.

 

We'll be there for the Awards Ceremony and Parade Saturday (hoping to hit the Hall itself first thing in the morning), then Sunday's ceremonies, obviously.

 

We have tickets for a game at Fenway next Monday night, then hanging out and seeing the sights in Boston before flying back to O'Hare Tuesday night.

 

Can't wait.

Also, all week I'll be posting some "Big Hurt Facts" from my Twitter account...

 

 

From '69 expansion through his last season in '08, Frank Thomas is second in Fangraphs oWAR, trailing only Bonds.

 

From the stock market crash through the end of the century, Frank is behind only Williams, Ruth, Gehrig and Mantle in wRC+.

 

Frank is the only RH in #MLB history with 10k PAs and a career slash of .300/.400/.500. One of only SEVEN overall.

 

 

Pinned. This is important.

Also, all week I'll be posting some "Big Hurt Facts" from my Twitter account...

 

 

From '69 expansion through his last season in '08, Frank Thomas is second in Fangraphs oWAR, trailing only Bonds.

 

From the stock market crash through the end of the century, Frank is behind only Williams, Ruth, Gehrig and Mantle in wRC+.

 

Frank is the only RH in #MLB history with 10k PAs and a career slash of .300/.400/.500. One of only SEVEN overall.

 

So in another words 1st, not counting lab rats.

 

Frank Thomas, C-grade prospect:

 

http://scouts.baseballhall.org/report?repo...yerid=thomafr04

 

Hopefully he can hit over .250

Frank Thomas, C-grade prospect:

 

http://scouts.baseballhall.org/report?repo...yerid=thomafr04

 

Hopefully he can hit over .250

I thought his arm grade/report was even more hilarious.

I'll be driving out Friday afternoon with a couple Braves fans. We got a hotel downtown (someone pulled some strings) so it should be a great little weekend.

Who is presenting Thomas prior to his acceptance speech?

Who is presenting Thomas prior to his acceptance speech?

 

I think they do a video prior to the speech, Selig reads the plaque, and Frank speaks. It's not like the Football HOF where somebody presents.

 

It's going to be interesting to see how many Sox fans go. No offense to Frank, but considering how many people are going in this year, I can't imagine a lot of people are going to travel to watch him give a 10-minute speech.

Edited July 22, 201411 yr by flavum

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/42160142/v347...-by-ford-part-2

 

Well, at least Frank Thomas is still making some money, haha. I guess the JB guy is the agent from Million Dollar Arm?

 

Nice segueway to Harrelson at the end.

Nice segueway to Harrelson at the end.

segue

What channel will the ceremony be on?

What channel will the ceremony be on?

MLB Network

Frank Thomas, C-grade prospect:

 

http://scouts.baseballhall.org/report?repo...yerid=thomafr04

 

Hopefully he can hit over .250

 

I like the "Physical Description" section -- "One huge person."

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/page/frankt...ll-fame-tribute

 

QUOTES

 

"I've played with a lot of great players, and I've played against a lot, and he's the best I ever saw."

--Tim Raines

 

"The guy causes fear just standing at the on-deck circle."

--Nick Swisher

 

"It's so much fun watching him from the on-deck circle. I just sit back and become a fan just like everybody else."

--Eric Chavez

 

"The Big Hurt describes me perfectly -- not as a person, but as a player. It's what I do to a baseball."

--Frank Thomas

Edited July 25, 201411 yr by Eminor3rd

So happy for Frank hope he has a great weekend.

Reinsdorf in the hospital in Cooperstown. Experienced lightheadedness. Is resting, and should be fine tomorrow.

Edited July 26, 201411 yr by flavum

Reinsdorf in the hospital in Cooperstown. Experienced lightheadedness. Is resting, and should be fine tomorrow.

 

Did he see Yaz too?

Contemplating the 4 hour drive each way. All the hotels are booked or I'd drive up tonight. Eh, that's a long time in the car.

Cool to have a memory of a Sox player from draft day to Hall of Fame induction day.

 

Congratulations, Frank Thomas!

The bigger the numbers he put up, the more Thomas was consumed by being recognized as the best hitter in the game. He often was seen poring over stat sheets in the clubhouse and at his locker, and he always seemed to know his exact numbers.

 

Thomas doesn't deny that but wonders why it became such an issue with the media.

 

"Yeah, I did, but that was part of the game," Thomas said. "I did that because I wanted to be great, man. I wanted to know what other guys were doing, the guys who were in that elite level.

 

"I wanted to challenge them every day, and I knew if I played at that level, we were going to win a lot of ballgames. And if I didn't play at that level, we were going to lose a lot of ballgames. So I took it upon myself to do that. It wasn't that I was selfish. It was about wanting to be great."

 

But other hitters passed Thomas' numbers, leading him to feel overlooked and underpaid. He signed a seven-year deal at the end of the 1997 season that was worth $85 million if the two option years were picked up, but it also included a "diminished-ability" clause that allowed the Sox to terminate the contract if he failed to be an All-Star starter or finish in the top 10 in the MVP voting from 1999 to 2001.

 

Thomas staged a brief walkout in the spring of 2000 to protest the contract and still feels like he was underpaid.

 

"That was b.s.," he said. "But that's OK. I've prospered. Take the high road, keep that smile on my face and be happy. That's what I've done. Treat people like we're equal because that's part of me. I came from a small, humble place, and I continue to be that person. Whatever has happened to me has been unimaginable for where I'm from."

 

There are no regrets for Thomas, who said he's happy as a TV analyst for Fox and Comcast SportsNet and working for Genworth, a long-term-care planning company. He always spoke his mind, a trait he got from his dad, who will be there in spirit.

 

"I'm going to miss my dad at the Hall of Fame (induction)," he said. "That's one part of the speech I have to get past. I'm worried about getting choked up on that part because I know what he'd be like Sunday."

 

 

Guess it wouldn't be the Trib/Sullivan if he didn't go negative on a Sox player. Thank God Sosa or Grace never got in, and they can only "half-claim" Maddux. Palmeiro making it would have been hilarious as well, but...

 

 

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-07...s-steroid-users

 

Another article on how he's not going to go negative or attack the PED's users in his HOF induction speech.

Edited July 27, 201411 yr by caulfield12

According to the Score: Maddux, Cox, Glavine, Larussa, Thomas, Torre are the order of speeches today

Damn