Frank Thomas, 1B/DH, Oakland Athletics

February 6, 2006 @ 14:29:34

By Steve Ungrey
Edited by KFFL Staff

You had to look closely to see him during the on-field celebration following Game 4 of the 2005 World Series, but Frank Thomas was there. The next minute, he was gone – literally.

Thomas was an off-field presence for most of the season thanks to continuing foot and ankle problems. It was those injuries that ultimately contributed to his exit from the Windy City following 15 tumultuous yet productive seasons as a member of the Chicago White Sox.

When he was in his prime, Thomas was a hitter people paid to see at Comiskey Park. Chicago radio stations reminisced the day following Thomas's acrimonious departure, saying he was a hitter that stopped the vendors dead in their tracks. No one left their seats when Thomas stepped to the plate, because they feared missing a gargantuan blast off his bat or a play that resulted in the White Sox gaining the edge.

Now Thomas is headed to the west coast, where he will join the Oakland Athletics for the 2006 season in a deal that made people blink in disbelief when they saw it. Did the Athletics just sign Thomas for $500,000? Yes, they did. There are incentives, which we'll get to later, but for now let's recap the saga of Thomas in Chicago.

Drafted in 1989 as the seventh overall pick for the White Sox, Thomas made a rapid ascent through the minor leagues and came to Chicago in the summer of 1990 for a cup of coffee that turned into a 60-game tryout for the remainder of the season. Thomas batted .330 in that short stint, displaying little of the power that he would prodigiously show off in future seasons (only seven homers in 191 at-bats). It was his steady presence at first base that helped Thomas quickly snag a starter's spot and keep it for the next decade.

If 1990 was the appetizer, 1991 was the main course, and it was delicious. That year, Thomas' batting average sunk to .318 (if you can call that falling), but every other statistic rose. He scored over 100 runs for the first time, beginning a string of eight seasons with 100 or more runs. Another string started that year, as he hit 32 homers and would hit 20 or more homers each year until 1999. Soon, Thomas became one of the most feared sluggers in the game, the face of a Chicago White Sox team that languished behind the resurgent Cleveland Indians and struggled to draw fans in Chicago who were beholden to the Cubs.

Looking at his 1999 totals (.305-15-77), one might think that's where his injury troubles began. That wasn't the case, as the 1999 season was simply an aberration after eight seasons of wonder and awe staring at what Thomas could do on the field. He followed that lackluster 1999 with a booming 2000 campaign, hitting .328-43-143 as the White Sox won the American League Central Division championship (its first title since 1993) and lost to the Seattle Mariners in the American League Division Series. Thomas was back, seemingly on top of his game, and the possibilities were endless.

Then came 2001.

Twenty games into that season, Thomas tore a triceps muscle in his arm while sliding into a base. The injury, thought not to be serious at first, instead cost " The Big Hurt" the remainder of the season. That nickname, given to him by former general manager and current Sox broadcaster Ken " Hawk" Harrelson, soon stuck... but not for the reasons Thomas wanted.

A couple of stronger seasons followed, as he hit .252-28-92 in 2002 (his walk year before free agency) and then followed that up with another strong campaign in 2003 (.267-42-105). Once again, it looked like Thomas was headed back up the charts. The sad truth was yet to come, as left-ankle problems hobbled him throughout 2004 and sapped his prodigious power. He tried returning to the field midway through 2005, but foot problems sent him to the sidelines.

Thomas's departure was all but a foregone conclusion following the offseason events, which included first baseman Paul Konerko inking a five-year, $60 million contract that ended Konerko's testing of the free-agent market. The capper came when the White Sox pulled off a surprise trade that sent outfielder Aaron Rowand to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for first baseman Jim Thome. Thome's own injury history, with back problems costing him power through the 2005 campaign, suggested a move to designated hitter was in order. The reality? Thome and Konerko can play both positions and interchange. Guess who was odd man out?

Thomas's move to the free-agent market didn't attract too many takers at first, as teams shied away from the slugger due to his injury history. Enter Athletics general manager Billy Beane, a GM unafraid to take risks as long as the cost wasn't too prohibitive. Thomas's deal pays him a set $500,000 salary for 2006 with incentives. Thomas can earn $1.4 million in roster bonuses if he is on the active major league roster or not on the DL related to a left foot injury. He would get $325,000 each on May 1 and June 15, and $375,000 apiece on July 15 and Aug. 15. He also can earn $1.2 million in performance bonuses: $200,000 each for 300, 350, 400, 450, 500 and 550 plate appearances. Incentive to stay healthy? Indeed.

From a salary standpoint, Beane hit the jackpot. This is a low-risk deal that doesn't cost the Athletics an arm and a leg if Thomas' foot and ankle don't cooperate. From a fantasy standpoint? Ahh, there's the question that Meredith Vieira might ask you for a million dollars. Which Thomas will show up – the slugger who plastered pitching with his power in the 1990s, or the hitter who hobbled down to first grabbing his ankle in pain?

With Dan Johnson hitting .275-15-58 during the 2005 season while at first base, the odds are good Johnson will keep his spot in the lineup come this year barring injury. Thomas may spell him occasionally at first if healthy, but he is more likely to serve as a designated hitter. Considering 11 different players took turns at designated hitter for Oakland a year ago, Thomas could see some significant playing time there if he stays out of the trainer's room.

There is no question Thomas wants to parlay that small contract into something larger. He's 52 homers away from 500, something he realistically won't reach this season but could hit in 2007 if his bat cooperates. Do you sense a lot of usage of the word " if" ? That's the magic word on a lot of people's minds right now. Thomas is not worth a pick high up in any draft due to that sketchy history, but he might be worth salting away on your roster once you've filled first base and designated hitter with more durable players.

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Steve Ungrey

Steve Ungrey has been playing fantasy baseball since 1994. An avid baseball nut, he may be one of the only people who starts the spring training countdown immediately after the final out of the World Series. If there's a fantasy baseball or baseball preview magazine for 2003, chances are he has it. A sportswriter at The Grand Rapids Press, Steve has written for KFFL since 2001, concentrating on improving the site's baseball coverage but also helping the site with its unparalleled football coverage.

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