By Tom Green
MY EYE’: While fans roared “War Eagle,” Frank Thomas helped lift
covering to reveal his statue at Plainsman Park.
Frank Thomas’ prolific career was already immortalized with a plaque in Cooperstown and a statue in Chicago. The Auburn legend completed the trifecta Saturday morning on the Plains.
Almost a year after Auburn’s Board of Trustees voted to approve a statue honoring the Tigers great, the program unveiled the finished product of The Big Hurt outside of Plainsman Park.
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“I just want to say, I’m so humbled and grateful, and thankful, for this distinct honor,” Thomas said during a ceremony before the unveiling. “I’m bragging here — but having two statues at two stadiums recognizing my college and pro career means the world to me. It just blows me away. I never imagined any of this when I started chasing my dream at Auburn University.”
A native of Columbus, Ga., Thomas’ goal growing up was to go to college and “do something special as an athlete.” He accomplished that and more during his time at Auburn and his prodigious MLB career.
Thomas, the only SEC player currently in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, was a three-time All-SEC selection during his Auburn career and a consensus All-American as a junior in 1989. He led the SEC in hitting in back-to-back seasons, batting .385 as a sophomore in 1988 before following it up with a .403 average as a junior. Prior to that, he led the SEC with 21 home runs in 1987.
Thomas remains the only player in Auburn history to win the team Triple Crown honor twice, leading the team in batting average, RBI and home runs during his final two seasons. He led the Tigers in RBI and home runs in all three of his seasons.
After making his mark at Auburn, Thomas was selected seventh overall by the Chicago White Sox in the 1989 MLB Draft. It was the first step in a career that spanned nearly two decades in the majors, as Thomas played 19 seasons in the MLB, 16 of them with the Chicago White Sox. He finished his career with the Oakland A’s and Toronto Blue Jays but will forever be associated with the Chicago and Auburn.
Thomas was a five-time All-Star from 1993-97 and was the American League MVP in back-to-back seasons (1993-94). He also won the American League battling title in 1997 after hitting .347 for the season. He’s the only MLB player in history to hit at least .300 with 100 RBI, 100 runs scores, 100 walks and 20 home runs in seven straight seasons, doing so from 1991-97.
After retiring in 2010, Thomas’ No. 35 jersey was retired by the White Sox that season. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014. His career numbers include 2,468 hits, 521 home runs, 1,704 RBI, 1,484 runs scored while hitting .301 with an OPS of .974. He’s one of only four players in MLB history to hit .300 with 500 home runs, 1,500 RBI, 1,000 runs scored and 1,500 walks in a career, joining Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Mell Ott.
“This day means everything to me,” Thomas said. “This is where it all started for me. Walking through that tunnel, it was surreal. This journey started as a football player and ended up being a Hall of Fame baseball player. Just never know this was going to happen, but God has a plan for everyone, and I’m so proud of what has happened in my life and career.
“Throughout all the ups and downs, I’ve been a very prideful man, thankful man and a very humble man. This is a very important day for me and my family, and I thank God it happened.”
