Thomas, Frank (1968-…), ranks among the most dominant hitters in baseball. He combined home-run power with a high batting average. Thomas was a first baseman and designated hitter who batted and threw right-handed. While playing for the Chicago White Sox of the American League, he was named the league’s Most Valuable Player in 1993 and 1994.
Frank Edward Thomas was born on May 27, 1968, in Columbus, Georgia. He played football at Auburn University in 1986 and baseball from 1987 to 1989. The White Sox took Thomas as the seventh player in the 1989 free-agent draft. Thomas played in the minor leagues in 1989 and split the 1990 season between the White Sox and minor league teams. He joined Chicago as a full-time player in 1991.
Thomas led the league in batting in 1997 with a .347 average. He had five seasons in which he hit 40 or more home runs. In 2007, Thomas became the 21st player in major league history to hit 500 career home runs. He ended his career with 521 home runs. As one of baseball’s most feared hitters, Thomas received many bases on balls, leading the league in walks four times. During the 2000 season, Thomas set career highs with 43 home runs and 143 runs batted in. In 2003, he hit 42 home runs and had 105 runs batted in. Thomas became a free agent after the 2005 season and played with the Oakland Athletics in 2006. He played with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2007 and part of the 2008 season, when Toronto released him. Thomas then rejoined Oakland for the rest of the 2008 season.
Thomas did not play in 2009 and announced his retirement in 2010. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.
