Jim Thome vs. Frank Thomas

Not to mention that Thome is widely regarded as one of the classiest guys in the game and a superb clubhouse presence. As great as Thomas was for us, I don't think that could ever be said about him.

I really think there is no need for this entry to exist. The "case closed" pretty much said it all.

This is a little bit like "who would you rather be with while stranded on an island - Jessica Alba or Rosanne Barr". Yes, there is such thing as carma...

It's sad that Frank continues to embarrass himself this way. I will always be a fan of Frank Thomas, but he makes people want to hate him. I'm not going to attend the A's series, because I can anticipate one of those uncalled for Johnny Damon type greetings, and it will break my heart. Ijust wish he'd shut up long enough to let his many fans on the Southside be able to appreciate the GREATEST PLAYER IN WHITE SOX HISTORY.

there is no dought that FT is the greatest player in WHITE SOX history, however he seems to also the worst person in WHITE SOX history.

Personally Frank is the most talented and most accomplished player ever to wear a White Sox Uniform. As a result of Kenny torpedoing Frank out of town I am not going to any Sox games this year except The A's games. To evaluate now, yes Thome has the upper hand, but let's see if his back holds out or if Frank stays at .190, I say that neither is very likely. Also, to evaluate if this was a good move, we need to also evaluate Anderson vs. Rowand since that was a part of the trade/change at DH. That said it is currently a wash.

There are plenty of athletes that make you want to hate them. My friends, Frank Thomas is not one of them. His “whining� or complaining that is being blown up by Kenny Williams or now Frank haters is no worse than anyone else in any sport. Facts are facts: He is the greatest to ever suit up for this club. I think he deserved better from the Sox. We complain that athletes are not loyal, well this guy wanted to stay and was willing to restructure his deal. He should not be wearing an A’s uniform. There are two sides to every story and if Thome didn’t have 14 jacks all you Frank haters would be asking for him back. Praise the greatest White Sox ever and arguably the best hitter of the 90's. Hawk should be calling Frank’s 500th and it will be ashame that he won’t and you Can Put That On The Board!

This move makes our team better, no argument. Frank had upsides and downsides to be sure. But I very sincerely hope that Sox fans give him one last standing ovation when he first comes back to town on May 22nd. One last time, let's give him the benefit of the doubt. I don't want our city to come off looking like Cleveland did when Thome went back home.

Chris - as a frequent visitor to Sox games, I consider myself lucky that someone with your views won't be there. "Kenny Williams topedoed him"?! No, Kenny Williams was determined to make the club better. Thomas' diminished skills and inability to stay healthy made it an easy decision not to sign him. Did you not see the way the Sox treated him during the playoff run? Did you not see him on the parade stage? Of course he was a greater HITTER, not player. As far as Thome/Rowand being a "wash"? True, Rowand was a nice player for the Sox and a terrific defensive CF - I think he's hitting 6th and staying around .300 now that they moved him from the #2 slot. Thome is the early leader fo AL MVP - leading in HRs and RBIs. A "wash"??? Thome vs. Rowand - you have to give the edge to Sox. Thome vs. Rowand and subtract Thomas...BIG edge to Sox

That's a cheap comparison. You want to compare stats, compare lifetime stats, not two hot months. Call him what you will, but Frank Thomas is the greatest White Sox player ever. Taking shots at his stats at the very end of his career is low and unfair. Did he act immaturely in some cases? Without a doubt. Was some of the bashing he took warranted? Sure. But 95% of the time, he was one of if not the best (natural) hitter of the modern era. Jim Thome cannot come close to saying that. As a matter of fact, if you exclude the "juiceheads" it's hard to name many players better than Frank in his prime. Case Closed.

ok Geezy - for a career, Thomas stats are a little better (HR 455 vs 444; RBIs 1483 vs. 1229, BA .305 vs. 282); Thomas' first 6 or 7 years were unreal, but what about the last 6 or 7 years? There is no comparison to Thome - couple that with the fact that Thomas has made trips to the DL almost each one of those years. A cheap shot to compare stats? Don't forget it was Thomas who called out Thome this spring. Oops - how's that prediction coming along Frank? Oh yeah, Thomas just hurt himself again - the DL is likely. Also, how do you know Thomas (or Thome for that matter) didn't use roids or HGH?

For anyone out there like Geezey to reflect on Thomas' lifetime stats - or what he did in the '90s - ignores the fact that he wouldn't be helping us in 2006. Yes Frank was the greatest hitter to wear the Sox uniform, but the Frank of '06 is a mere shell of the Frank of '93. To state otherwise makes you sound like a Cubs fan (i.e. "Gracie had more hits over his career than Lee, so the Cubs would be better off in '06 with Gracie"). You people need to get a grip on reality, as there is no way we would be doing as well as we are if we had Thomas instead of Thome.

The bottom line is Frank Thomas is a great player. Your stupid if you dont admire what he did for the Chicago Whitesox. Year after year the whitesox would finish 2nd or 3rd place, but never did he complain about wanting to be traded. To me, he is truly a player I appreciate watching. He never showed up pitchers or bashed his teammates for anything. I dont believe the whitesox should have got rid of him. Jim Thome has had some injury problems over the years and it makes no sense to get rid of your franchise player. That said, as a true Whitesox fan, I respect the decision they made about Frank Thomas. However, I dont think they handled it the right way. All I know is that when he comes back to Chicago, he is definitly getting a tremendous appreciation from me, and should from every true Whitesox fan out there!

Some of these comments from the Frank Thomas defenders are simply stupid. When you run a pro sports franchise you don't offer people contracts based on what they did for you 10 years ago. You base decisions on what they can do for you this year and next. Frank Thomas WAS a great player. He is no longer a great player, or even a very good player. Thome, on the other hand, is STILL a very good player and will still be playing next year, possibly at a very high level. Frank will not be playing next year. In fact, I doubt if he will be on the A's roster at the end of this year.

Williams made a smart decision, the same decision any other GM would have made. End of debate. Anyone who thinks otherwise should be encouraging Jim Hendry to give Sammy a call because of all he did for the Cubs. And the Red Sox should sign Ted William's head as their new DH.

thome can beat thomas is home runs. He has been one of the top hitters in baseball ever since he came to the indians in 1992. I know he will.

I think all sox fans will remember all those big hits Frank got in the playoffs against Anaheim and the Series against Houston.....Oops that's right they won without him. I'll remember his 1 for 13 in the 2000 playoffs against Seattle. Thome already has more hr;s this year than a broker down Frank had last year. Enough already, the previous poster said it all "case closed"

Who knows..in 5-10 years, Frank Thomas may not be remembered as the best White Sox player ever. That honor may go to our biggest fan favorite - PK.

Chicago sports teams have no loyalty to the players they have a history of it ,Frank was a good player in his prime probably the best ever to wear a sox uniform,the sox management did disrespect frank,Thome is a good player but to compare him with frank now smacks of stupidity,Frank is past his prime ,thome is in his prime.Frank said a lot of controversial things but so did alot of players (ego).The lets hate Frank Thomas party seems a little like rascism masked as logical thinking.Yeah the sox won the world series.I am glad for them ,but to tear down a good man for the sake of a media made and probably manufactured controversy shows how we appreciate our athletes.We dont need Kenny Williams to tell us how to think about someone.

I don't think it's fair to compare Brian Anderson to Aaron Rowand in the Thome/Thomas situation. Thome and Thomas are both experienced players who have had their chance to prove themselves and show what they can do. But while Aaron Rownad has been around for a while, Brian Anderson has not. He is entering his first full season in the big leagues and has not yet had a chance to prove himself. Yes, Rowand is a better player, but if you give Anderson time to grow and get better, I am sure he will prove himself worthy of a starter's job, just as Rowand did. Sure, his batting stats show room for improvement, but Anderson is a good defensive center fielder. And when he brings his batting stats up, he will be a great replacement for Aaron Rowand and prove the point that the edge goes to the White Sox.

My comments have nothing to do with this discussion. I just figured that I would leave a message telling everyone that I am doing ok. There's nothing wrong with me, I'm not involved in any dangerous situation, I'm just doing ok and thought everyone would sleep better knowing this. The weather is a little cold today, I wish it was a little warmer than it is. I'm at work and have nothing better to do with my time than surf the net. I'll be having Mother's day dinner with my family later on. I wonder what I'll be able to have to eat-I hope it's something good. I'm hungry. I need a vacaton. It's been too long since I've had one. I should play the lottery this week. But I never win. I like Taco Bell. McDonald's is ok too. I'm not too fond of cats.

The right handed natural. Lets start giving PK his true nickname....Paulie Hobs the natural!!

DOC-"The lets hate Frank Thomas party seems a little like racism masked as logical thinking" If I were to defend Thomas and rip Williams would you call that racism since Williams is also African-American. Please do not play the race card in this because like the Bonds scrutiny I do not think it has anything to do with race. I do agree that thomas is past his prime while thome still is in the tail end of his prime. Beside that reason for thome over thomas there is also the fact that thome is a left hitting power bat that gives the sox more balance in the lineup. Frank Thomas is my favorite player but it was clear that he had more injury issues than Jim Thome. I do not think Kenny would trade for a player if he was not sure that he(Thome) could bounce back.

Hey Doc, if you're a Frank Thomas fan, great; and, if you want to defend him, fine. But please, please try not to use the race card because with its over-use, the effect is ZIP and LAUGHABLE

The orginal post misquoted Franks comments during the spring training press conference. What he said was "Jim hasn't done anything on the field that I haven't". Frank spoke in the past tense and in this case, he was correct.

This whole Thomas thing has made me really look at my alligences and fandom in general. Quite frankly, his release made me question whether I was a Sox fan or a Thomas fan. So I ran the numbers: I've been a Frank fan since the Sox drafted him. BUT, I've been a Sox fan since 77, when I spent almost my entire summer as a kid in old Comisky at games watching Richie/Oscar and the Road Runner.

I chose the team. I may not like or agree with everything they do (White Flag anyone???), but they are my team.

Hopefully, when Frank comes HOME as a A, we treat him with respect and he has a good series...

But we win the games.

Just the kind of response I expected the race card has been played for 400 years on Minorities!so dont cry in your milk when someone gives there opinion concerning race.The race card was played when Jack Johnson,Jackie Robinson and Henry Aaron were playing they had to tolerate alot of it because of the era they were in, only a fool would think it does not exist in todays world.These days it often covert and implied mostly.Rascism not only creates a bad environment for the players but also for our kids.So to say people are playing the race card when they mention how rascism still plays a part in how fans think is ludicrous and laughable.Kinda like how people got angry back in the days when someone came along and had the nerve to say the world was not flat.Yeah the Cubs suck,Kenny Williams is not one of my favorites,I dont think Dusty should be Scapegoated and Frank Thomas along with Jim Thome are great players,so where the race card comes in I dont know, and believe me,there are people out here who have it played on them every day of their lives,don't insult them,so man up and realize that the world IS NOT FLAT!whether you say so or not.

Frank Thomas was and had been "clubhouse poison" for many years, long before Ozzie Guillen got there. Lets be honest folks, the guy had been a shadow of his "great" self of the early to mid nineties for many years.. I'll go one further and say his poor leadership was one of the reasons the Sox of the late nineties and 2000 didn't do better...he was too selfish to be the main leader that the younger players looked to for leadership...and what leadership he did give was usually poor and misguided. Lets not delude ourselves that Frank did any big favors for the Sox...if anything, they should have traded him years ago. They definitely made the right move...

Hey Coxworth... While you were in the locker room witnessing this "poison" and lack of leadership maybe you should have pulled Frank to the side and asked him to step it up a little. You know be that leader that You wanted him to be. Lets get serious for a second. FT on steroids. I think not. If anyone knows anything about weight lifting, steroids or watched FT’s growth through the years, steroids is a none issue with this guy. Lets get serious for another second. NONE of us know what it takes to run a Pro franchise. Furthermore NONE of the people on this board know anything about Frank Thomas other than what we have read (positive or negative). How many times have we heard about a team that is looking for one of its players to step up and lead. Facts are there aren't many leaders in the world let alone in MLB. Most people, like Coxworth, are sheep who just follow the masses. If everyone was saying, We miss Frank. Than that would be the sentiment of the masses. "Fans" are quick to criticize these athletes because they make millions and are greedy, selfish, disloyal and whatever other standard statement people make about them. The fact is, FT should have never worn another uniform. Show cheer you "leader" affectionately known as PK and enjoy your cup of hate toward the "poison" that was the face of this franchise, put this franchise on the map and racked up those three “bad� years out of the 15 spent in your uniform. Also when Frank enters Cooperstown don’ t go the ceremony. As a matter of fact don’t even watch it on TV because I wouldn’t want you to be poisoned. Or can’t you see past the end of your own nose?

Giambi on sauce = Thomas AL MVP 2000

If you want to win, you have to do what's best for the team, not for the individual. I agree the situation with Frank being dropped was probably not handled as well as it could have been, but life is about relationships and Frank apparently didn't work too hard at having a good one with Kenny. I personally try to have a pretty good relationship with the guy who can fire me. One of the other things I noticed was that nobody in the dugout seemed to mind the move, which speaks volumes to me. I didn't see Aaron Rowand bitching about how he was handled, which is one reason he is still beloved by White Sox fans. Frank was one of the best White Sox players of all time, and Barry Bonds is one of the best home run hitters of all times. Just because your good doesn't make you loved.

So, it's now racist to believe that Jim Thome is currently more valuable than Frank Thomas??? ARRRRGH!!! That is as delusional a comment as the ones I frequently see/hear from all the Frank apologists about him being a first ballot hall of famer. Single dimensional (non-pitchers) ballplayers with surly attitudes toward the media don't make the Hall. Want proof? Go talk to Jim Rice. Once the most feared slugger in the game, the only time he'll see Cooperstown is if he flies over it. Of course, this comment can easily be dismissed since Jim Rice is an African-American, so it must be a racist opinion.

Is Frank Thomas the greatest hitter in Sox history? No doubt about it. Is he the best overall ballplayer in Sox history? Sorry... but I'll opt for somebody who puts a glove on every day and contributes in the field as well as the plate.

So, the Sox disrespected Frank Thomas by not telling him in person that he was going to be released. Cry me a river. Something about a pretty substantial buy-out should have helped soothe Frank's feelings. I also hear that it was disrespectful of the Sox to have invoked the diminished skills clause in Frank's contract several years ago. Frank signed the contract. Why did he sign it if it had this most disrespectful of clauses? Don't tell me it was because he is just a dumb athlete, because that would be racist. Loyalty? I seem to recall Frank shopping himself around after the clause was invoked. Result: No takers. Based on that, I'd have to believe that there was more reason than simply "disrespecting" Frank for invoking the clause.

One of the previous posters made a very salient point: the best season in recent Sox history was accomplished with little contribution from Frank. I have heard it said that without Frank's 2005 abbreviated midseason "home run or nothing" at bats, we never would have made the playoffs. Those comments further demonstrate how delusional the Frank apologists are.

I hope the fans stand and cheer loudly for Frank upon his return to the south side (this, assumes, he won't be on the DL and stay back in Vegas). I hope it is as loud as the cheers given to Robin Ventura, the kind of leader that Frank would never be (and whom, if one can operate from the "Where there's smoke, there's usually fire" point of view, Frank helped push out of town - how's that for disrespect?), upon his return in a Yankee uniform in 2001. Oops, there I go again with another blatantly racist remark.

If you don't want to support the Sox because they released Thomas, then fine. But, be consistent. Hate the Bears because they have no interest in resigning Gale Sayers. Hate the Bulls because Michael isn't suiting up for them again. Hate the Blackhawks because Bobby Hull hasn't been approached about returning. Hate Notre Dame because Ara Parseghian didn't even get a sniff of interest when they hired Charlie Weis.

I could go on, but it's late and I need to put on my sheet and head over to the Klan meeting.

Come on, the media inflates stories. We ALL know this. Thomas was hurt with how he was treated. Yes, he was hurt and could not play much over the last 2 years... But look wat he has done for the club. Maybe if he was like Bonds, Sosa, Palmero, Conseco, etc... he would have recovered faster form injuries. Want to talk about a class act??? You have never heard his name in steriod talks. NEVER. yet he has always had solid numbers. had we not had the stike shortened season then maybe frank would have brought a Series to Chicago sooner. Seems to me that his 'attitude" changed when we had the "White Flag tradeds" becuase he WAS a team player and felt his friends were wronged!
Also, he was a HUGE positive in the dug out throughout the playoffs! His knowledge of oppsing pitchers is of the best in baseball. While Thome is my favorite current Sox player, Thomas is my all time favorite. Both sides of the situation were worng. I just wish Thomas was wearing a Sox uniform as a hitting coach this year. I hope Big Frank hits his 500th and a place with in the Sox is waiting for him.
I hope Thome gets the game winning hit in the last game of the 2006 World Series. not becuase I think he is better than Frank, but because that would mean we won 2 years in a role! I am a sox fan that appreciates Thomas and all he did! I will be att he game Monday and cheer as loud as I did in October!

Frank Thomas lifetime is twice the player Jim Thome is. How many world series rings does Thome have? 0

Yeah, well, that Williams guy got lucky. I'm still the boy genius, damn it!

It appears that Bob is the master of the obvious. But the fact remains that Thome has out produced Thomas. I can not beleive that this is still an ongoing topic of discussion.

Now, Gavin, let's not pick on Bob about his well thought out position. Based on his logic, it would appear that a ballplayer is an order of magnitude better than another ballplayer for every world series ring the first ballplayer possesses more than the comparative player. The flaw to his comment is that I think he meant to say that Frank must be an "infinite" times better lifetime player than Jim Thome (Remember your grammar school math, Bob - zero goes into one an infinite number of times!). Of course, in his justification of his opinion of Frank's lifetime value vs. Thome's, Bob might have neglected that Geoff Blum must be the equal of Frank (arguably, Geoff did a lot more heavy lifting towards that 2005 championship than Frank). That's a bit of a head-scratcher for me, Bob. And even I'm having a hard time accepting that Bert Campaneris is three times the player Frank was lifetime (three rings vs. one), and obviously I am not Frank's number one fan.

Hey Bob - how many rings did Thomas EARN? 0 When you say Thomas is twice the player Thome is, is that based on weight? Congratulations...you've just been named President of the Baseball Stupid Society.

Gavin, well said. John, I thank you for effort in trying to quantify my statement, while illogical, it was a thoughtful attempt to dummy it down to laymen terms. Keep in mind this blog strictly compares FT and JT.

Here are few other criteria we should consider in making this analysis.

MVP's
FT-2
JT-0

AL Batting Titles
FT-1
JT-0

Just becasue JT is white and from Illinois doesn't mean he should be glorified and loved by Sox fans. He has played less than 40 games in a Sox uniform and we think he means more the organizaiton than Frank Thomas.

If I left my employer after 15 years of being the star employee and I didn't get so much as a phone call from my boss. I would raise hell as well. KW is classless, but a very good GM.

I will be in attendance when Oakland comes to time and I will be booing Jim Thome.

Bob,
When did baseball become a hugs and kisses business. Baseball,like most types of businesses are what you have done for me today. Harsh as it may sound, its reality.
Also Bob, who is to say that he was the star employee for 15 years, did you work for the organization? Were you there when he signal-handedly tore the clubhouse in two? Also were you present when he repeatedly disrupted just about every spring training that he attended.
And finally I am sure if you bitched and moaned for 15 years, your employee sure would have thrown a party……a Jim Thome party.

All i have to say is this is the season that the sox would have had if they had given frank thomas up 3 years ago. Sorry to have to lay it out for the big hurt lovers but ever since he turned into the big skirt (not too long after the strike season), he blew his own legacy. Yeah statwise he's the greatest sox player ever but hey statwise barry bonds is the greatest giants player ever. Both had attitudes and both whine and complain and make reporters (and sometimes fans) life miserable. I used to like frank thomas, before he started whining and crying. How many people were on frank's side when he was mad cause he was only making 10 mill. Didn't think so. Thome on the other hand was one of GM Williams many good moves this offseason. People will say "what if thome didn't hit 14 homers" but the fact remains that he has and it's obvious that frank is still the same frank of the last two years and not the frank of the first 13 years. Times change...get over it. Sorry we had to send you off with a phone call but heck you got a ring buddy stop your crying. Frank is a multi-millionaire that has a world series ring. If he is to be mad at anybody he will need to build up his anger towards the hall of fame committee that by my prediction will NOT induct him into the hall of fame. Anybody wanna go against that?

Do you want to talk numbers, Bob? Well, here's one for you: $3.5 million. That's what the Sox gave Thomas upon his release. You ask whether I would be upset if, after 15 years as the "star" employee I were suddenly released (I'm playing along here, because everyone with a lick of sense knew Thomas was not coming back) by my boss without a face to face. Well, if said boss were to give me a $3.5 million severance, I think I could find it within my ability to shut my mouth and cash the check. And I don't want to hear anything about that being the Sox contractual obligation. Of course it was, but it was a contractual obligation negotiated out of "respect" for this player. Not everyone who gets released walks away with that kind of scratch, Bob.

Here's some more numbers for you, Bob: $500,000. That's what the A's are paying Thomas this season (there are some incentive bonuses, but something tells me Big Frank isn't going to meet them). In essence, Bob, the A's are paying Thomas $3 million less to play than the Sox paid him not to. Who's being disrespectful? And, for the sake of speculation, can you imagine the outcry Frank, you and all your fellow Frank lovers would have created had KW "insulted" Frank with an incentive laden contract guaranteeing him "only" half a mill for 2006?

As has been pointed out by several very astute posters, the game of baseball is about what you've done for me lately... not what you did for me 5+ years ago. By that measure alone, Thomas was expendable. His mouth and petulant attitude made him burdensome. My God, if you had been in a coma all through the World Series, and you had woken up just to see the Sox city celebration, you would have thought Thomas had hit the game winning HR in every single game! What more should the team have done for him?!

By the way, if the Sox - out of sentimentality - had kept Thomas on the roster in 2006, what pitcher or utility role player would you suggest be sent down or released to accommodate a broken-down DH? Think about it, Bob. The reality of the situation kind of renders the whole sentimentality argument moot.

And, now, the race card again... Apparently we are lionizing Jim Thome because he is white and he's from Illinois. Bob - I am very pleased with the Thome acquisition because he currently leads the AL in HR and RBI, and he has been an integral part of the most formidable 3-4-5 hitting combination in the big leagues right now. You dismiss his performance as merely "two hot months". Well, thank God he has had two hot months, because the Sox have the best record in baseball in large part because of his performance. Race has nothing to do with it!

Oh, and go ahead and attend next Monday's game and boo the living daylights out of Jim Thome. I am sure Uncle Jerry will appreciate your contribution to his gate. Besides, your statements reflect that you are not a Sox fan. Real fans root for the team, son, not just an individual player. I'd be willing to bet that I've been rooting for the Sox since before your parents were born, and never in that time have I chosen to give more significance to a single player than I have to the whole team. It's about the team, Bob, and right now, the team is the best in baseball.

I can bet that if the White sox had not won the World series the powers to be would be ready to run Williams and Ozzie out of town ,look at the controversy that was manufactured when he did not go to the white house when the Team was invited and all the snide things said about him bringing the trophy to his Birthplace.Ozzie claims things like that dont bother him.but he is only human.Bottom line you win you're celebrated ,lose and you will have people abandoning ship like the titanic(Cubs).

Bob - and you wonder why white people tend to roll their eyes at legitmate claims of racism? It's because guys like you make race an issue in silly arguments like comparing baseball players. I left my company after 14 years and had no problem at all in completely severing ties. You forgot another comparison between the two: Number of years as a complete pain in the butt: FT - 12; JT - 0.

Bob - and you wonder why white people tend to roll their eyes at legitmate claims of racism? It's because guys like you make race an issue in silly arguments like comparing baseball players. I left my company after 14 years and had no problem at all in completely severing ties. You forgot another comparison between the two: Number of years as a complete pain in the butt: FT - 12; JT - 0.

CJ,

Sounds like you have a personal axe to grind. To that I say, losing BFT was an excellent move...it shouldn't have been handled as it was, but there has been plenty of bad behavior from both sides.

Hey Bob,

What were Frank's hitting stats in the World Series. Last I checked Carl Everett was getting the big hits in the DH spot. Frank got a ring while observing from the bench.

Bob,
Are you even from Chicago? Not that it matters, it just sounds like you have something against the way people do business in this city.
And pulling the race card, well all i have to say to that its very ignorant of someone to say that.

Gavin and John,

Lets not turn this into a geography quiz, where I am from does nothing to further the discussion of why FT, over the course of his career, is a much better ballplayer the JT.

Looking at this years statistics alone, which is what most of you FT haters(John)base your arguement on, albeit exteremely shortsighted, reveals that the White Sox are a net +3 home runs due to the acquisition of JT. For all you math hacks out there, the number is derived by taking Jim Thome's 16 home runs less Franks 7 and Aaron Rowand's 6 homers. Not to mention several of Jim Thomes home runs were during garbage time (i.e. last nights home run while down 9 runs).

So to say the Sox are better off both as a baseball team and financially for getting rid of Frank is erroneous.

John, Frank's 3.5 million dollar buyout is what some call a sunk cost. A cost that is incurred irregardless of any events that occur after the 2005 season. So his 3.5M shouldn't be considered. Paying Frank $500K as well as Aarons salary (3.25 M), in sum, is far cheaper than paying Jim Thome one years salary (14M +).

Notwithstanding the above comments, history shows, at least for the WhiteSox, a power lineup does not equal success, hence the reason we got rid of Maggs and El Cabayo.

Lastly, John, the way Kenny W. and Jerry treated Frank is similiar to the way Cubs management ran Sammy Sosa out of town. Unfortunately, with respect to this issue, we put the Sox in the same sentance as the Cubs.

Go A's

I promised myself I wouldn't let Bob drag me back into this ridiculous argument. I must be a man of very weak will power...

Let's get a few things straight
1. The $3.5M buyout the Sox gave FT was negotiated with him out of respect for his years as a Sox player. As I tried to point out, not every player gets that kind of money to walk away from a club. Whether you regard it as a sunk cost or not is not germaine to the argument.
2. If the Sox had picked up Frank's option, he would have cost them $10M this season, not $500K. While you have no use for him, I tend to believe KW when he says there is no way FT would have accepted the kind of money from the Sox that he accepted from the A's. Would the Sox have attempted to renegotiate a new deal with FT? I doubt it, primarily because his presence in 2006 added little to no value (except to you, Bob, who would have liked to have him out of sentimentality - that will surely win a bunch of games)... but even if they wanted to, FT pretty much bombed any bridge between himself and the organization (and then set whatever ruins remained on fire, to boot). By the way, the money the A's offered FT was the best offer he got. I think that says something, Bob, unless you happen to believe that Jerry had his fellow owners collude against FT (I have it on good info that Jerry was spotted at the grassy knoll on 11/22/63, so you FT-loving conspiracy theorists may have something there). Bottom-line: FT's salary with the A's, and what it would have been with the Sox are not comparable.
3. The Phillies are picking up better than half of Jim Thome's contract (they are covering $22M of the $43.5 due him over the next three seasons). KW should win GM of the millenium for pulling off this kind of deal. For argument's sake, this makes Thome's out of pocket cost to the Sox around $7M for this season - 30% less than what the Sox would have had to pay FT had he stayed on board.
4. The net HR argument is dumb, and forgive me for even addressing it, but why don't Brian Anderson's 4 HR factor into this equation on the side of the Sox? Wouldn't that make the net difference 7, Bob? Isn't the quantity of 7 equal or greater than the contribution either FT or AR has currently individually contributed to their respective teams?

Finally, no self respecting FT fan should diss another player for hitting garbage time HRs. When FT didn't hit an HR in his first at-bat (which, admittedly, would often get the Sox out to an early lead), you could almost bet that he'd homer when the Sox were either 5 or more runs ahead, or the same amount behind. I know you will regale me with the story of FT's homer against the Twins in 2003, but, unfortunately, such clutch HR hitting seemed to be the exception for FT, not the rule.

I'll say one thing, Bob, the way you play fast and loose with the facts and twist the numbers, you have an excellent future in politics. Someday, I can tell my grandkids that I had an email joust with President Bob.

To compare the ways that Sosa and Thomas were "run out of town" is no comparison. Sosa bailed on the last game of the season before the game was even close to being over. Fans instantly turned on him.

Thomas in the month of October had his moments of glory. Throwing out the first pitch, dressing with the team, comparisons of him and Bagwell by Fox during the series, being in the dugout during the games, speaking at the parade, etc. He was virtually put on a pedestal and allowed to be a part of the festivities.

To say that they had similiar endings to their Chicago stints would be erroneous.

John,
I think you have Bob all wrong, the way he plays with the facts and numbers he should be an accountant cooking the books for some large corporation. As far as the JT, FT argument, Bob is there some reason that you have so much loyalty towards FT. And I am not sure if this has already been said, are you just a FT fan or a White Sox fan. So do you still wear your FT jersey to the games or do you wear some other gear like a shingo shirt or something. By the way does anyone know what that flash in the pan is up too?

Well as far as frank goes as being a nice guy when i was a 10 year old kid in 1990 and went to 30 whitesox games that year and gotten plenty of autographs from fisk, ozzie and others frank came out the cab before a game i cant remember what he said when i asked him for one i think ti was like get out my way and i was only ten frank will never be nice in my eyes as a true sox fan and i loved ozzie always was nice to fans so was fisk

Besides Thomas' comments regarding Thome, what did he say to make Kenny Williams so angry?

Frank signed alot of autographs. I have a picture, ball & bat signed by him. I remember I took my kids to spring training in Sarasota. They were asking the sox players & the Yankee players before the game for autrographs Almost all of them said "after the game". Well only one player came over after the game & signed for probably 45 minutes, that player, Frank Thomas. I wiil always root for Frank but I am a White Sox fan foremost.

Are you seriously kidding me?? Am I really reading the comments that say good riddens to FT?
He is and always will be the greatest white sox player of all time and actually he is by far the greatest player of the 90's. I don't have to pull up stats but unfortunately if I must I will.
Frank has had the best eye in baseball for the past 14 years and if you remember correctly his numbers when he was playing in the field were a lot greater than those when he was DHING, was that his request...NO that was the retarded management and execs that were trying to salvage him for at least a hitter however really hurting his average and numbers offensively in the process...HOW hard is it to play first base?? not that HARD it's probably the easiest position to play on the field. Jim Thome 3 Frank Thomas 10...those are the number of seasons that they have hit 300+ BA. So Thome is having 1 good year out of the last hmm 5 but yet that makes him better than frank over the past 5 UMM NOPE dont think so. Both are getting old and the salary thing does get the nod as for releasing Frank but GOD DAMNIT Ozzie STICK UP FOR YOUR FRIEND! You talk about everyone else...
Classy have you ever heard of Jim Thome doing anything in society, fund raisers, charity events, autographs. By the way don't look now but the A's are in first place of the Division OOOOHHHH boy I would love to see the White Sox and the A's square off in the playoffs...I have been a sox fan since 1990 when Frank first started, he was and still is one of the most intimidating hitters OF ALLLLLLL TIME!
CASE IS RE OPEN!

What happened to all the Frank Thomas bashers now that the BIG HURT is starting to heat up.In addition to that he is a major factor for the A's being in 1st place. Frank Thomas is the come back player of the year! 24 Home Runs in less than 300 at bats case reopened.

With his new totals of 35 homers and 97 RBIs, Thomas has, incredibly, almost caught Jim Thome, whose presence in Chicago had unleashed the Big Hurt's resentment earlier in the season. Thome has 39 homers, and also 97 RBIs.

Thomas has run one of the best races on the track considering, entering June, he had 11 homers and 28 RBIs to the 20 homers and 49 RBIs of the man whom had replaced him as the White Sox DH.

"Case closed?" *Harumph*..... As we near the end of the season, it's interesting just how close the numbers are for The Big Hurt and Jim Thome.

Thomas is batting .281 with 37 HRs, 102 RBIs, .391 OBP, .566 SLG.

Thome is batting .287, with 39 HRs, 99 RBIs, .410 OBP, .593 SLG.

Thomas' 2006 salary: 500,000 + incentives

Thome's 2006 salary:
14.16 million

But then, I suppose 2 extra HRs are worth the extra 13.5 million base salary that the White Sox are paying Thome. Good job guys.

Wow this post looks silly now...

Sox out, A's in, Thomas arguablly the MVP on a weak hitting squad, he carried the team to the West crown.
Thome had a fine year too, but the case was/is hardly closed.

Thomas
Avg HR RBI Runs
.270 39 114 77

After All star break
OPS- .957

Thome
Avg HR RBI Runs
.288 42 109 108

After All-star Break
OPS- .942

Hmm, one more example of just how long a baseball season actually is, and how quick to judge we all are.

And this isn't even mentioning the Salaries...you can see the post above for that.

I loved how Frank Thomas sngle handedly killed the sox's chances to make the playoffs in their last series against each other. With the weekest hitting suppoting cast in baseball, Frank Thomas was clutch in the end of the season. Jim Thome wasnt even the third best hitter on his team. If Frank Thomas was surrounded with the sox line up this year he would have seen alot better pitches to hit and would have put up even better numbers. ken Williams Sucks!!!!!!

HA-HA!!!!!!!

i THINK THOMAS IS STILL BETTER THAN THOME.

Big Frank is way better than Thome!!! Thome is a POS Indian and will be for life. How can you say Thome is better!?!? Right now, Thome is batting about .205 and couldn't be much less of a clutch hitter. He's garbage and getting paid 12.5 Million to sit on his ass and strike out two or three times a game. Thomas has brought his average up to .260 and has more RBI's than Thome while playing nearly a fraction of what thome has on the season. Look at the stats, Frank Thomas is much better and getting rid of Thomas so we could get Thome was a joke (lets not forget we also lost one of the best center fielders in baseball in Arron Rowand). And to all you moron thome fans, get a grip. I dont care if thome is such a great guy, I want my team to win games and stop overpaying players that are past their prime. Also, since we have aquired Thome we have done nothing but get worse. Before we were the MLB Champs, and last year we were pratically the joke of the AL Central. This season has been great, but you can't attribute that to Thome, he's done nothing but hurt the team by batting .200. Dont get me wrong, I love my white sox, but I HATE Jim Thome. The man has given it to the sox on the chin for years, whether it was when he played well in Cleveland, or when he came to chicago and started to suck. Great move Kenny, atleast Rowand didnt turn out to be good, right?? (sarcasm).