Frank Thomas (No Name On Front)

Frank Edward Thomas, Jr. (May 27, 1968-) was a multi-talented hitter and one of the Major League’s greatest stars of the 1990s, and in 2007 became the 21st member of the 500 Home Run Club. Nicknamed “The Big Hurt” for his powerful swing, the Chicago White Sox selected Thomas in the 1st round (7th overall) of the 1989 amateur draft, making his first appearance for the team the following season. As a member of the White Sox (1990-2005), Thomas was selected for five consecutive All-Star Games and won four Silver Slugger Awards (in the process becoming the first player to capture two such awards at two different positions). He also was a two-time American League MVP and won the 1997 AL batting title. In a remarkable 1993 campaign, Thomas batted .317 with a club-record 41 home runs, plus 128 RBI, 106 runs scored, and 112 walks. He joined Hall of Famers Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmy Foxx, and Ted Williams as the only players in baseball history to eclipse .300 with more than 20 homers and more than 100 RBI, runs, and walks in three straight seasons. After taking home his only World Series ring for the 2005 White Sox, Thomas played for the Oakland Athletics (2006, 2008) and Toronto Blue Jays (2007-2008). He retired with 521 home runs, 2,468 hits, 1,704 RBI, and a .301 batting average. Frank Thomas was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.