Frank Thomas

The Big Hurt: A two-time MVP and Hall of Famer, Frank Thomas is one of the greatest right-handed hitters in MLB history.

Frank Edward Thomas Jr. (born May 27, 1968), nicknamed "the Big Hurt," is an American former baseball designated hitter and first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for three American League (AL) teams from 1990 to 2008, all but the last three years with the Chicago White Sox. 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. Thomas also won the AL batting title in 1997 with a .347 mark. Thomas is a two-time AL MVP and won a World Series in 2005 although he was injured during the regular season and World Series. Thomas is widely considered one of the greatest right-handed hitters in MLB history.

Quick Facts

Position: Designated hitter; First baseman
Bats: Right
Born: 27 May 1968
Birthplace: Columbus, Georgia, U.S.
Debut league: MLB
Debut date: August 2
Debut year: 1990
Debut team: Chicago White Sox

Lore & Background

Drafted seventh overall by the White Sox in the 1989 MLB draft, Thomas made his major league debut the following year and immediately impressed with his hitting ability. Thomas was named the AL's Most Valuable Player (MVP) by unanimous vote in 1993. That year, he became the first White Sox player to hit 40 home runs and led the team to a division title. He repeated as MVP in the strike-shortened 1994 season, batting .353 and leading the league in slugging percentage and runs.

Following two sub-par seasons, Thomas lost a close MVP vote in 2000 despite posting career highs of 43 home runs and 143 RBI. Still, he was named AL Comeback Player of the Year, and Chicago finished with the AL's best record. 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. In 2005, his final season in Chicago, he was limited to only 34 games after starting the year on the disabled list and then fracturing a bone in his foot close to where it was surgically repaired the previous off-season.

He was unable to play in the post-season while the White Sox won the World Series that year. After leaving the White Sox, Thomas spent his last three years playing first for the Oakland Athletics and then the Toronto Blue Jays, with whom he hit his 500th home run, before returning to the A's for part of 2008, his last stop as a player. He signed a one-day contract with the White Sox in 2010, then announced his retirement.

Reader's Guide

By the end of his career, Thomas was tied for eighth in AL history for home runs (521), ninth for RBI (1,704), and sixth for walks (1,667). Among players with at least 7,000 at bats in the AL, he ranked eighth in slugging average (.555) and ninth in on-base percentage (.419). 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. He holds White Sox franchise records for career home runs (448), RBI (1,465), runs (1,327), doubles (447), extra base hits, walks (1,466), slugging average (.568) and on-base percentage (.427). The White Sox retired Thomas's uniform number 35 in 2010 and unveiled a statue of him at U.S. Cellular Field in 2011. 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.

Did You Know?

Thomas was one of the few major league stars who never fell under suspicion during the performance-enhancing drugs controversies of the late 1990s.
He was an advocate for drug testing as early as 1995 and was the only active player who agreed to be interviewed for the Mitchell Report in 2007.
In 2000, Thomas was named a member of the inaugural class of the Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Frank Thomas?

Frank Edward Thomas Jr., known as "the Big Hurt," was a Hall of Fame power hitter who spent the majority of his career with the Chicago White Sox. He played from 1990 to 2008 and is widely considered one of the greatest first basemen in baseball history.

How many MVP awards did Frank Thomas win?

Thomas earned American League Most Valuable Player honors twice during his career in the mid-1990s. These accolades came in 1993 and 1994, solidifying his status as a dominant offensive force of that era.

Was Frank Thomas part of a championship team?

He served as a vital veteran leader for the White Sox during their 2005 World Series run, helping the team secure its first title in decades. This championship victory capped off his tenure with the organization before he retired three years later.