He started the season slowly, but ended the season as the team leader in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage. "I've got a lot of respect for Jerry Reinsdorf, I do. And it sure will be a fitting tribute. Later in Thomas's career, a variety of foot injuries and minor ailments reduced his productivity and often limited him to a designated hitter role. Harold Baines provides one example of this when he returned to the White Sox multiple times. A five-time All-Star, he is the only player in major league history to have seven consecutive seasons (1991–1997) with at least a .300 batting average, 100 runs batted in (RBI), 100 runs scored, 100 walks, and 20 home runs. Buehrle did all that without a blazing fastball. "He was fun to be around—always smiling, always bright-eyed." Thomas appeared in the 1992 film Mr. In 2005 manager Ozzie Guillén led the White Sox to a World Series victory, their first in 88 years.
On June 17, 2007, Thomas hit his 496th career home run, giving him his 244th home run as a DH, breaking the record previously held by Edgar Martínez. Buehrle recalled watching Thomas growing up, then becoming his teammate. Thomas finished second in MVP voting that season, behind Jason Giambi of the Oakland Athletics. Thomas appeared as a guest analyst during TBS's coverage of the 2007 MLB playoffs. The 'Chicago White Sox retired numbers' quiz; He also co-founded the record label Liger Enterprises with former Priority Records executive Ron Spaulding. "[citation needed] Thomas credited Harrelson with coining the "Big Hurt" nickname.[11].
Wearing a suit and sunglasses in case he teared up, Buehrle spoke with his wife and children at his side. After the ceremony, Buehrle's son sang the National Anthem and his daughter threw out the first pitch. disclaimer be placed on the ad. It is very rare for a team to reissue a retired number, and usually requires a special circumstance, such as the person for whom the number was retired returning to the team in a player, coach or manager role. He said he's happy shuttling his kids to their sports events, knocking items off the to-do list at home and playing on a beer league softball team. A banner covering Buehrle’s No. But his power and ability to get on base and drive in runs were still in his offensive arsenal. Now, his number will be retired — just like The Big Hurt's. A similar warning was placed on teammate A. J. Burnett's commercial. In 1995, a baseball video game titled Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball was developed by Acclaim Entertainment and released for various platforms, with All-Star Baseball '97 Featuring Frank Thomas following in 1997. Buehrle joked that he thought the White Sox were offering a contract when they called to tell him they were retiring his jersey. He won with guile, by mixing pitches and changing speeds. In 1991, Thomas finished third in MVP voting with a .318 batting average, 32 home runs and 109 runs batted in, as well as walking 138 times. On October 7, 2006, he finished behind Jim Thome, his replacement as the White Sox's DH, in the voting for the AL Comeback Player of the Year Award.
[25] During the same press conference, the White Sox, for whom he played the first 16 seasons of his career, announced that they would retire his No. On September 17, 2007, Thomas hit three home runs in his team's 6–1 win over the Red Sox. In another 30 years, we may be talking about Frank Thomas in the same way we talk about Ted Williams. “I’ve never seen him overreact. On May 22, 2006, Thomas homered twice in his first game against his former team. But with a two-run lead and two men on, the White Sox turned to Buehrle to get the final out in the 14th inning. View all player numbers on the franchise uniform history page; Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free.
[33] He was the first player inducted into the Hall of Fame who played more games as a designated hitter than as a position player. The establishment closed in 2016 but reopened the next year under a new name (35 Sports Bar and Grill). He will become the 12th player to have his number retired by the White Sox, joining former teammates Paul Konerko and Hall of Famer Frank Thomas. “Emotions and trying to breathe deep and don’t start crying, tearing up,” Buehrle said. You don’t see too many guys with the same heart.”. He was distraught from the combined impact of both personal and professional strife. The left-hander was 161-119 with a 3.83 ERA for the White Sox and 214-160 with a 3.81 ERA during a 16-year career that included time with Miami and Toronto. Adding together 2004 and 2005, he had fewer than 350 total at bats because of injuries, but hit 30 home runs and drew 80 walks. He was unable to play in the post season while the White Sox won the World Series that year.
"So, reliable, consistent, dependable, winner, good guy, unflappable," White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said.
The team presented Buehrle with a new truck, a baseball collage put together by Ron Kittle, a four-seat All-Terrain Vehicle -- much to the enjoyment of his duck hunting club seated on the 400 level -- as well as the flip-through-the-legs ball from Opening Day 2010. He said his speech will be short — no surprise for a guy known to work fast on the mound. The first project released under the company was Kenny Lattimore's 2017 album, Vulnerable.[40].
Thomas was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014 with 83.7% of the vote in his initial year of eligibility, and was inducted as a member of the White Sox on July 27, 2014.
Pressed by the media to comment on his accomplishments—and his future—Thomas downplayed his own significance, telling the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "I'm not into being known as the best by fans or the media. Do not try this at home." With a .301 lifetime batting average, he became the seventh player in history to retire with at least a .300 average and 500 home runs. The Chicago White Sox selected Thomas with the seventh pick in the first round of the June 1989 Major League Baseball draft.
The White Sox announced that they would honor Thomas with a life-size bronze statue. Thomas was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014 in his first year of eligibility—the first White Sox star to achieve that distinction. He pitched more than 200 innings in 14 consecutive seasons. He played for three American League (AL) teams from 1990 to 2008, all but the last three years with the Chicago White Sox.
Just try to go out there and soak it in.". The contract included an option for 2009 contingent on his reaching 1,050 plate appearances over the next two seasons or 525 plate appearances in the second year of the contract.[18]. But just looking up there and seeing that. Also in 1995, Premier Technologies created a pinball machine (marketed under the Gottlieb trade name) titled Frank Thomas' Big Hurt;[34] Thomas made an appearance in the documentary The History of Pinball in which he discusses the similarities between playing baseball and pinball.