Top 10 moments of Frank Thomas' career

CHICAGO – There’s very little debate when talking about Frank Thomas as the greatest hitter in White Sox history.

The Big Hurt, as he was aptly dubbed, hit for power, hit for average and had a keen batting eye. That success carried over into short stints with Oakland and Toronto and pushed the 6-foot-5, 240-pound one-time tight end from Auburn into Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

Here’s a look at 10 big moments from Thomas’ illustrious career.

1. The 500 Club

Thomas finished with 521 career home runs over 19 seasons and 448 came in 16 seasons with the White Sox, where he’s the franchise's all-time leader. But No. 500 came with the Blue Jays on June 28, 2007. Thomas, who was the designated hitter for Toronto, connected against Minnesota starter Carlos Silva and launched a three-run blast to left on a 1-2 pitch as the Blue Jays’ fifth hitter in the first. Thomas pumped his first into the air as he reached first base, celebrating one of his 52 homers against the Twins and one of his 16 launched at the Metrodome.

2. Hall of Famer

Thomas was on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in 2014 and was elected with 83.7 percent of the vote. Thomas’ class included Atlanta pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, who also were first-ballot selections, along with managers Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa and Joe Torre. As a side note, La Russa returned to become the White Sox manager prior to the 2021 season and led the team to an AL Central title. Thomas thanked 138 people during his heartfelt speech at Cooperstown.

3. 2005 championship

It took Thomas until his 16th season on the South Side of Chicago to finally celebrate a World Series championship, although he already had been a driving force to the playoffs in 1993 and 2000. Thomas would have liked to be more involved than he was, but the designated hitter still contributed 12 homers, 26 RBIs and a .905 OPS over 34 games and 124 plate appearances before being shut down on July 20 by a fracture in his left foot. Thomas was part of a White Sox team winning 99 regular-season games and going 11-1 in the postseason under the managerial guidance of Ozzie Guillen, who was Thomas’ teammate with the White Sox from 1990-97. Thomas had a chance to address the large crowd during the championship parade and rally in Chicago.

4. MVP caliber in Oakland

Thomas could have been considered a Hall of Famer simply based on his time in Chicago, but it was his 2006 season in Oakland that really put him over the top. That fracture in his left foot shut down Thomas’ last season with the White Sox early, and there were some who wondered if the big man would come back to play at all. He answered those questions with 39 homers, 114 RBIs and a .270/.381/545 slash line, leading Oakland to an American League West title. Thomas finished fourth in the AL MVP voting, trailing only Justin Morneau, Derek Jeter, and David Ortiz.

5. Playoff power

A high point of that ’06 season with Oakland came in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Twins at the Metrodome. The A’s were facing Johan Santana, who put together a 15-2 individual run with a 2.44 ERA over 23 starts beginning on June 2, but Thomas was ready. He homered leading off the second against Santana as part of a two-run inning and then increased the lead to 3-1 in the ninth with a leadoff blast against Jesse Crain. The A’s held on for a 3-2 victory and swept the Twins, before getting swept by the Tigers in the ALCS.

6. He’s No. 1

Only four White Sox players have been voted AL Most Valuable Player, with José Abreu being the last winner in 2020. Thomas is the lone White Sox player to be MVP on more than one occasion and one of 32 players to win multiple MVPs in Major League history, winning in 1993-94. Thomas had a slash line of .317/.426/607 with 41 homers, 128 RBIs and 106 runs scored in ’93, earning his first of five All-Star nods and getting all 28 first-place votes in the MVP voting. Thomas’ numbers were astronomical over 113 games in ’94, with a slash line of .353/.487/.729 to go with 38 homers, 101 RBIs and 106 runs scored. Thomas topped the AL in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, runs scored, walks (109) and OPS+ (212). Thomas finished third in AL MVP voting in ’91 and ’97, fourth in ’06 and second to Jason Giambi in 2000.

7. Hurt’s so good in the ’90s

Ken “Hawk” Harrelson, the Hall of Fame television voice of the White Sox for more than three decades, had a way with handing out White Sox nicknames from the broadcast booth. None of his gems were more accurate than naming one of the game’s most feared hitters: The Big Hurt. Thomas backed up that moniker during the ’90s, slashing .320/.440/.573 with 301 homers, 1,040 RBIs, 968 runs scored and 1,076 walks against 741 strikeouts in 1,371 games from 1990-99. Thomas captured three of his four Silver Sluggers during that decade and won the batting title in ’97 with a .347 mark. Thomas still holds nine White Sox franchise records.

8. First of 2,468 hits

Speed was one of the few on-field traits missing from Thomas’ vast offensive skillset, as shown by his 12 triples among his 2,468 career hits. But it just so happens the first big league hit for the Big Hurt was of the three-base variety. After starting his career 0-for-6, the team's top pick in the 1989 Draft launched a two-out triple off the right-field wall in Milwaukee’s County Stadium against Mark Knudson to score two runs for his first two career RBIs.

9. Sending Minnesota home

The Twins and White Sox battled for the 2003 AL Central title right down to the final weeks before Minnesota emerged as the winner. But Thomas provided one of the season’s more exciting moments on July 2 by connecting for a walk-off homer against All-Star Twins closer Eddie Guardado, who recorded 41 saves that season. Thomas fell behind, 0-2, in the 11-pitch at-bat with two outs in the 12th inning, worked the count full and connected for a majestic two-run blast down the left field line for an 8-6 victory.

10. Home run champ

Albert Belle and Thomas eventually became teammates with the White Sox from 1997-98, but in 1995, they were Home Run Derby finalists at the Ballpark in Arlington. Thomas edged out Belle for the title during All-Star festivities, although Belle had one more home run in the entirety of the event. Thomas also competed in the 1994 Home Run Derby, won by Ken Griffey Jr., at Three Rivers Stadium.