The INSANE Prime of Frank Thomas

Frank Thomas AKA the Big Hurt was one of the  1990s finest ball players he seemed to have   no limitations he had for average power and was  patient walking more than he struck out for his   career his consistency is under-appreciated  and there's a stat we'll discuss later on   that all but confirms this claim he played 16  years with the White Sox and set record after   record for the franchise he made a baseball  bat look like a toothpick and was one of the   most imposing and dangerous hitters throughout  his 19-year big league career it's about time   we got around to this video Frank Thomas has  been a player on my list for a while now and   so many of you have been requesting him thank you  to everyone for the suggestions and make sure to   leave a comment and maybe you'll be featured on  a future video as always if you enjoy make sure   to leave a like and consider subscribing  hit the bell to enable all notifications   so you don't miss any future Cam 23 videos  Frank Edward Thomas Jr was born on May 27,   1968 in Columbus Georgia to parents Frank and  Charlie May Frank senior was a bail bondsman   and Charlie May was a textile worker Frank Jr was  the fifth of six children and with being one of   the youngest siblings came a lot of attention  and affection the tight knit family had two   parents that carried a great deal setting proper  boundaries that some might view as being strict   much of Frank's free time was spent playing sports  including baseball football and basketball growing   up Frank played with children much older than  himself at just nine years old he played in the   Pop Warner League that was geared toward 12 year  olds his dream to be a professional ball player   grew as time went on Frank was a little league  baseball player but was already striking fear   into opposing pitchers he was an imposing presence  towering over the other kids combine that with a   frightening level of ability and pitchers were  scared to throw the ball over the plate he would   be no stranger to the walk the soon-to-be six  foot five 240 pound hitter caught a glimpse of his   future in baseball in 1977 the Thomas family was  faced with tragedy when Frank Jr's two-year-old   sister Pamela died of leukemia the devastating  loss would be a primary reason for Frank Jr   eventually involving himself with the Leukemia  Foundation helping to raise money for Research   into a cure for the disease it was reported in  1996 that he was donating up to $50,000 a year   throughout his time at Columbus High School  Frank Thomas excelled in baseball but his   talent within basketball and football shouldn't  be underestimated as a sophomore he hit cleanup   for a baseball team that won a state championship  as a senior he batted 440 was a forward on the   basketball team and was named an All-State tight  end in football after graduating from high school   the 1986 amateur draft appeared to be Frank's  ticket to professional baseball 891 players   were signed following this draft and surprisingly  Frank was not one of them he was shocked and upset   but decided to accept a football scholarship  at Auburn University an eventual injury almost   cost him a scholarship since it was contingent on  him playing for the football team but instead the   school continued his funding he quickly proved  himself to the baseball coach and joined the   team he eventually shifted his focus entirely to  baseball and would shatter numerous school records   in just three years he was the all-time leader in  six major offensive categories in 1988 Frank was   hopeful of being selected to the Summer Olympics  team but would not make the final Squad his days   of being overlooked would soon come to an end one  year later in 1989 the Chicago White Sox drafted   Frank Thomas seventh overall in the first round  of the amateur draft he needed just 181 games in   the miners to prove he was Major League ready his  majorly debut came on August 2nd in 1990 where he   picked up his first RBI in the big leagues his  first home run came on August 28th against the   twins in Minnesota Frank played in 60 games total  in his first year at the game's highest level and   he made a statement a 3 30 batting average  and a 177 OPS+ are all you need to hear to   know that he was ready for the bright lights  and the game's biggest stage early on in his   career he earned the nickname Big Hurt equipped  by legendary broadcaster Ken the Hawk Harrelson the nickname became synonymous with Frank it  refers to his towering presence and ability   to inflict damage on opposing pitchers  Frank played first base for about half   of his career while his fielding wasn't  great he more than made up for it at the   plate over time he would slowly transition into  an everyday role as the team's designated hitter   1991 kicked off a string of dominance that  lasted the entirety of the 90s for Frank the   Tank what was his secret he was a complete hitter  meaning he could hit for power average and he drew   a lot of walks Frank showcased this during his  first full season and was very much in the MVP   conversation even with a strong first half he  didn't make the All-Star team but its season's   end proved himself worthy of a third place finish  in MVP voting behind Cecil Fielder and Cal Ripken   Jr who won the award Frank would also pick up  his first career Silver Slugger let's dig into   the numbers first off putting together a seven  War season as a player with such little Major   League experience is outstanding Frank led the  league in walks on base percentage Ops and Ops   plus his 453 on base percentage was nearly 30  points higher than second place Willie Randolph   and his 138 walks worth 30 more than the next  closest player Brett Butler Frank's 109 RBIs in   91 started a string of eight consecutive Seasons  with a or more Thomas was tied for 7th in home   runs amongst all big league players while he  would never leave the league in home runs or   RBIs Frank would post consistently great power  numbers in Bat north of 300 throughout the 90s   prior to the 1992 season Thomas received a  new three-year 4.5 million dollar contract   plus performance bonuses he also married his first  wife Elise silver not too shabby of an off-season   the season that followed was incredibly similar to  his 91 campaign he led the league in walks on base   percentage Ops and doubles with 46. his home runs  went down but his overall production didn't in   fact his seven war is identical to the year prior  and led the league in offensive War the MVP voting   was a bit wacky in 92 as Dennis Eckersley took  home the award in the Big Hurt finished eighth I'm   sorry but several players including Mike Devereaux  and Joe Carter finishing above Frank is wild   hindsight is 2020 and the emphasis on different  stats made for some interesting outcomes if you   saw my Kirby Puckett video you would know that he  deserves to be up there in the top three but in my   book Frank is right there with him Frank was an  offensive Juggernaut in 1993. he made his first   All-Star team and hit 41 homers with 128 RBIs a  317 batting average in OPS north of a 1.000 of   177 OPS+ and more than double the number of walks  to strikeouts the voters unanimously decided on   Frank Thomas and awarded him his first career MVP  inevitably he won his second Silver Slugger Award   after helping the White Sox to an AL West Division  Crown Frank got his first taste of October   baseball his performance did not disappoint a 353  batting average a home run three RBIs and 10 walks   in six games is fantastic but the White Sox lost  a tough series against the Toronto Blue Jays in   the first round the 1994 player strike cut the  season short but Frank Thomas and 40 fewer games   put together some video game numbers for a stat  nerd such as myself digesting 94 Frank Thomas this   season is like a kid in a candy store let's start  with the power numbers 38 homers and 101 RBIs is   ridiculous in his previous three seasons he played  in an average of 157 games had he played that   number of games in 1994 he was on pace to hit 52  homers and drive in 140. he batted a career-high   353 and his triple slash numbers led the league  and are incomprehensible he was approaching a 500   on base percentage that's Barry Bond's territory  and he wasn't intentionally walked nearly as often   last video I mentioned Mike Schmidt had a 198 OPS+  in his 1981 MVP season Frank Thomas played 11 more   games and put up a 212 OPS+ Frank was 112% better  than the league average hitter in 1994. for good   measure he led the league in walks offensive  war and took home back-to-back MVP awards he   made his second All-Star team and secured his  third Silver Slugger the real kicker is that   the White Sox prior to the cancellation of the  playoffs were a serious contender after the league   reworked the divisions the White Sox were atop  the newly formed Central Division it's a shame   because Frank wouldn't get many opportunities  in the postseason and while they weren't seen   his World Series favorites you never know what  the end result could have been following the   94 season the White Sox signed Thomas to a new  four-year contract that paid him an average of   7.25 million dollars a year additionally he  would receive endorsement deals from several   companies including Reebok Pepsi Cola and Bausch  and Lomb Frank Thomas always remained humble even   when the spotlights shined the brightest the fame  money and attention never dimmed his competitive   spirit he said it best I can't afford not showing  up at the ballpark mentally I have to be on every   night to be a force in the lineup and that he did  before we look at his 1995 season I'll mention the   Frank edged out Albert Belle to claim the Home  Run Derby title and during the 1995 All-Star   Game Frank Thomas launched a rocket down the  line to hit the first ever White Sox home run   in an All-Star Game this year we're going to be  his second 40 homer season and Thomas led the   league in games played walks sacrifice flies and  intentional walks this was his fourth season to   have an OPS above a thousand and he finished  eighth in MVP voting meanwhile the White Sox   team wouldn't be competitive until the turn of the  century they consistently finished second in the   division and regularly hovered around 500 baseball  Frank's consistency throughout this time frame is   remarkable in 1996 he reached 40 home runs for  the Third time of his career drove in 134 runs   and batted 349 the highest mark for a full 162. he  made his fourth All-Star team and again finished   eighth in MVP voting he did this despite missing  time with a stress fracture in his left foot   in 1997 like clockwork Frank once again exceeded  a 1000 Ops his fifth consecutive season to do so   for the first time in his career Thomas won the  batting title hitting 347 a comfortable 17-point   lead over second place Edgar Martinez Frank also  led the league in on base percentage Ops and Ops   plus he finished third in MVP voting behind Tino  Martinez and Ken Griffey Jr who won the award no   shame in losing to the kid who hit 12 more homers  than second place Tino Martinez 97 would also be   the last year that Frank Thomas played more at  first base than as a designated hitter Frank   Thomas was in the middle of his career yet would  never make another All-Star team following 1997.   don't ask me how but the Big Hurt was nowhere  near finished with his impressive baseball career   I have to share this crazy stat from 1991 to  1997 Frank Thomas was top 10 in the MVP race   every year but even more impressive he became  the first player in history to put together seven   consecutive Seasons where he hit over 300 with 20  or more home runs 100 RBIs 100 runs and 100 walks   only a few players have come close to his record  with Lou Gehrig Ted Williams and Jason Giambi each   accomplishing the feat as many as four times the  two seasons that followed this stretch were not up   to Frank's sky high standards but let's look at  it this way he was still on par with what Adley   Rutschman and Nolan Arenado have done offensively  in 2023 according to OPS+ that's still really   good during this time his marriage with his wife  Elise was falling apart the off-field issues for   Frank were affecting his on-field performance  in one game early on in the season there were   back-to-back questionable pitches called strikes  he blew it out of proportion when he protested   the calls publicly when the umpires caught win  they started to call strikes on inside pitches   more frequently on him having to adjust to a  new Strike Zone didn't stop Frank from capping   off his streak of a consecutive 100 RBI Seasons  his batting average however dipped well below   300 for the first time of his big league career  1999 saw Frank playing 25 games less than his   98th season thanks to a season-ending injury  on an injured right ankle the off-season that   followed was a brutal one for Thomas his agent  and one of his best friends Robert Fraley was   killed in a plane crash that also took the life  of Payne Stewart one of the best golfers of his   generation Frank was in shock when he heard the  news and it was extremely difficult for him to   accept the unfortunate reality the following  spring training Frank's father was gravely ill   with kidney failure and heart problems Frank  flew home to Georgia to be with him the health   scare hit him pretty hard and he came to the  realization that quote we're all on borrowed time   two thousand soft rank Thomas returned to his  dominant self putting up career highs and hits   home runs RBIs and total bases 43 bombs 143 runs  driven in and a 328 average merited his fourth   Silver Slugger Award somehow someway Frank was  snubbed for making the All-Star team in one of his   finest seasons in MVP voting Jason Giambi narrowly  won the award over Thomas the year 2000 saw the   White Sox return to the playoffs after his sixth  season Hiatus Thomas had a rough Series going over   nine as the White Sox were swept by the Seattle  Mariners the lowest point of Frank Thomas's career   came in 2001 his father tragically passed away and  Frank would soon undergo season-ending surgery on   his right arm having played in just 20 games  for the year he described both events as the   worst week of his life the tough breaks didn't  stop there after several years of separation the   divorce between Frank and his wife Elise was  finalized in 2002 Frank bounced back and was   modestly active on offense he was striking out  more than ever but he still had reasonably good   power numbers 2003 was a resurgent season  he reached the 40 homer mark for the fifth   and final time of his career he drove in over a  hundred and finished in the top 15 for MVP voting   2004 and 2005 were statistically great for Frank  when he was on the field his batting averages   might not suggest it but he was 56 and 31% better  than League average respectively according to Ops   plus he battled foot fractures in both seasons  with the second time coming in the midst of a   memorable year for the Chicago White Sox fan  base as the team won their first World Series   championship in 88 years it was unfortunate timing  for Frank Thomas as he was not a part of the World   Series roster but he would still receive a ring  this would be the last of Frank Thomas in a White   Sox uniform he finished his decade and a half-long  White Sox career as the team's all-time leader in   home runs RBIs doubles walks and runs before we  discuss the Frank Thomas versus the White Sox   Fiasco in November of 2005 he married his second  wife Megan and the two were still married today   he had a son and two daughters from his first  marriage and together they have six children   some drama took place before the 2006 regular  season the White Sox resigned Paul Konerko and   traded for Jim Thome sending the message that  the team was moving in a different direction   the White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf didn't call  Frank Thomas to let him know he wasn't coming back   after 16 years with the team he was hurt that  he was treated as a passing by player to add   fuel to the fire the general manager Ken Williams  wasn't a fan of Frank Thomas he made some ruthless   comments to the media speaking on behalf of the  whole team he would say that they won't miss him   good riddance and for Frank Thomas to stay out of  the White Sox business Billy Bean general manager   of the Athletics was impressed after talking  with Thomas during the winter meetings there   was a real sense of determination in talking to  him arguably he is one of the greatest offensive   players of his generation eventually Frank found a  new home with the Oakland Athletics and responded   to the comments with the performance on the  field that can be summed up with the famous   Michael Jordan meme and I took that personally the  Big Hurt received a warm welcome when he returned   to Chicago and promptly hit two home runs in  his first game back Thomas had a renaissance   with the A's after two injury-riddled seasons  that saw him play combined 108 games he nearly   reached 40 homers and easily surpassed 100 RBIs in  MVP voting he finished fourth his highest finish   since the year 2000 he reached the postseason  for the final time of his career with Oakland   and had a monster Division Series against the  Minnesota Twins going 5-10 with two home runs   both occurring in game one the championship  series wasn't quite the same as he failed to   get a hit in 13 at bats facing the Detroit Tigers  the A's ultimately were swept in four straight   2007 saw Frank on the move again this time signing  a two-year 18 million dollar deal with the Toronto   Blue Jays during this season he reached the 500  home run Milestone overall he put up pretty good   numbers in 2007 nearly reaching 100 RBIs and  hitting 26 homers but Frank was 39 years old   now and his days in the big leagues were numbered  on April 20th 2008 Frank Thomas was released by   The Blue Jays four days later he and the Athletics  reunited and he would finish off what would become   his final Big League season after setting out the  2009 season Frank Thomas announced his retirement   from baseball the White Sox retired his number  35 in 2010. for his career Frank Thomas posted a   73.8 war batted 301 belted 521 home runs drove in  1704 runs and posted a 156 Ops plus a two-time MVP   winner four-time Silver Slugger and won the  batting title in 1997. in 2011 Frank Thomas   started his own beer company called big hurt beer  after his iconic nickname the Hall of Fame case   for players who spent a decent portion of their  careers as a designated hitter can be complicated   it wasn't for Frank Thomas in 2014 he was elected  to the Baseball Hall of Fame alongside Greg Maddux   and Tom Glavine what a prestigious group of  ball players to all get elected at the same time   that same year Thomas joined Fox Sports as a  studio analyst for MLB on Fox in April of 2023   Fox Sports replaced him with Derek Jeter shortly  thereafter Thomas joined Apple TV's Friday night   baseball coverage he can occasionally be seen  interviewing and serving as a color commentator   in 2022 Frank Thomas established the charity  field of Big Dreams their mission is to Aid   children dealing with cancer treatment along with  supporting the mental and physical well-being of   our veterans and their families if you want to  learn more about his charity I'll include the   link in the description of this video Frank  Thomas is one of the greatest Sluggers of   his generation but the Big Hurt is also one  of the most under-appreciated he didn't just   Mash homers he was a complete hitter here for  average power and walked more than he struck   out his prize started the moment he reached the  big leagues Frank was faced with many challenges   during the heart of his career and the way he  was able to overcome that adversity is admirable   in his prime Frank Thomas was one of the most  terrifying hitters to face let me know in the   comments down below your thoughts on the video  If you enjoyed make sure to leave a like and   consider subscribing thank you all for watching  and I'll see you guys in the next video later

Channel: Cam 23

Views: 81,838

Keywords: Frank Thomas, frank thomas, thomas frank, frank thomas commercial, frank thomas swing, frank thomas home run derby, frank thomas highlights, Chicago White Sox, MLB, mlb, The INSANE Prime of Frank Thomas, frank thomas DH, first baseman, 1990s baseball, 1993, 1994, 2005 World Series, Frank Thomas World Series, Frank Thomas postseason, home run, silver slugger, MVP, postseason, baseball, 500 home runs, biography, high school, offensive highlights, college, Hall of Fame, history, Cam 23

Id: 3JAZ6XkZppw

Length: 20min 4sec (1204 seconds)

Published: Fri Aug 04 2023