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Here are some tremendous stats for a tremendous ball player

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Frank Thomas
Position: 1B
Number: #35
Bats:R
Throws: R
Height: 6-5 Weight: 257
Birthdate: May 27, 1968

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1998 SEASON Reached the century mark in runs (109), RBI (109) and walks (110) despite hitting a career-low .265 (155-585) … it marked the eighth consecutive season he has hit at least 20 home runs (29 in 1998), with at least 100 runs scored, RBI and walks … eight successive seasons with at least 20 home runs is a club record … his 585 at-bats and seven stolen bases were career highs … now ranks among the Sox career leaders in: average (4th, .321), runs (4th, 894), hits (8th, 1,416), doubles (4th, 281), home runs (1st, 286), RBI (3rd, 963), total bases (4th, 2,575), walks (2nd, 989), slugging percentage (1st, .584), strikeouts (4th, 675) and extra-base hits (3rd, 577) … connected on his fifth career grand slam on 7/31 at Texas … hit a game-winning, three-run homer off Rick Aguilera in the bottom of the ninth inning on 7/14 vs. Minnesota … hit safely in a season-high 10 straight games from 6/18-28 (.310, 13-42) … had one two-homer game and collected a season-high 10 total bases on 4/18 at Toronto … multihomer game was the 15th of his career (14th two-homer contest) … hit his 250th career double on 4/5 at Tampa Bay … scored his 800th run on 4/27 at Cleveland … drew his 900th career walk on 5/4 at Anaheim … homered in back-to-back games twice … hit four irst-inning home runs (66 in career)

1997 SEASON Thomas had another spectacular season, winning the American league batting title with a .career-best 347 average, becoming just the second White Sox player and first since Luke Appling in 1943 to do so....Had 35 home runs and 125 RBI to become the only player in Major League history to hit .300 or better with 20 or more home runs and more than 100 RBI, runs scored and walks in seven consecutive seasons. ...Was ranked baseball's top player by The Elias Sports Bureau, receiving a score of 97.5 out of a possible 100 points. ...Was named to his fifth consecutive All-Star team. ...Moved into 10th place on the club's all-time hit list, passing Carlton Fisk on Sept. 25. ...Reached base in 15 consecutive plate appearances in May, one short of the Major league record held by Ted Williams. ...During the streak, he went 10-for-10, tying a club record set by in 1926 and again in '38. ...Is third on the Sox all-time RBI list with 854. ...His 31 July RBIs tied a monthly career high. ...Batted at least .319 in every month of the season. ...Drove in a season-high five runs on May 21 against Boston. ..Put up the spectacular numbers despite missing 13 games while spending time on the 15-day disabled list in June. ..Is the Sox All-time home run leader with 257. ... Signed a six-year contract extension through 2006 on Sept. 30.

1996 SEASON "The Big Hurt" once again spent his summer months embarassing American League pitchers and doing his part in making fans more involved in the game - he sent 40 individuals home with souveneir projectiles. As each season goes by, Thomas' performances push him further away from modern ballplayers and call for his true peers in comparison to be fellows such as Ruth, Williams, Gehrig, etc. In 141 games played (he spent time on the disabled list with a stress fracture in his left foot) he hit 40 home runs, drove in 134 runs, scored 110 times, walked 109 times, and hit .349. His batting average was 41 points higher than 1995, and his home run total was one short of his club record set in 1994. He reached 100 RBI in only 106 games and also recorded his 700th career walk May 28 against Toronto. With his 100th free pass on September 10 against Baltimore, he became only the second player in Major League Baseball history (Roy Thomas - Philadelphia-NL 1899-1904) to record 100 walks in their first full six seasons. Don't believe that his numbers are fattened by poor pitching - he hit .448 (26-58) with six home runs and 17 RBI against the American League's top winning pitchers (15 wins or more).

1995 SEASON In his sixth Major League season hit .308 with 40 HR and 111 RBI in 145 games for the White Sox...in the American League finished among the Top 10 players in 7 of the 12 major offensive categories, including HR (T2nd) and RBI (T5th)...led the league with 136 walks...tied an AL record for righthanded batters with 29 intentional walks...reached base safely in 136 of 145 games (93.8%)...made his third consecutive All-Star Game appearance and second straight start at first base...became the first White Sox player ever to homer in an All-Star Game...his performances ranked among the club's all-time single-season Top 10 in 6 categories.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Frank Edward Thomas was selected by the White Sox in the first round (7th overall) of the June 1989 free-agent draft...has spent his entire career in Chicago...from 1991-95 put together the most impressive stretch in baseball history by averaging .323 with 35 HR and 113 RBI in his first 5 full Major League seasons...during that period became the first player ever to hit .300 or better with at least 20 HR, 100 RBI, 100 walks and 100 runs scored in 5 consecutive years...Hall of Famers Lou Gehrig and Ted Williams are the only players to reach those each of those levels in 4 consecutive seasons...over the last 5 seasons, Thomas' .323 BA ranks second only to Tony Gwynn's .349, his 175 HR rank second only to Albert Belle's 186, and his 564 RBI lead all Major League players in that span...was the AL's Most Valuable Player in 1993 and 1994, becoming just the 11th player ever to win an MVP award in consecutive seasons...in '93 became the 10th player to win the award unanimously...is a 3-time All-Star Game selection (1993-95)...has played in 259 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in the majors behind Baltimore's Cal Ripken...had 170 HR at the 5-year mark of his career, seventh-most in history...his HR totals of 41 in 1993, 40 in 1995 and 38 in 1994 are the top 3 single-season marks in the club's history...his slugging percentages of .729 in 1994, .607 in 1993 and .606 in 1995 also are the top 3 single-season marks in franchise history...also ranks first among the club's single-season leaders in extra-base hits (77 in 1993), on-base percentage (.487 in 1994), walks (138 in 1991) and walk average (.216 in 1995)...ranks among the White Sox' career leaders with a .593 slugging percentage (1st), .323 BA (3rd), 182 HR (3rd), 595 RBI (9th), 661 walks (3rd) and 375 extra-base hits (6th)...ranks among baseball's all-time leaders in on-base percentage (.450, 5th) and slugging percentage (6th).

Miscellaneous/Personal Married Elise Silver (now divorced) … has three children: Sterling Edward, Sloan Alexandra and Sydney Blake … started Chicago business, Big Hurt Enterprises, after the 1994 season to handle fan mail and his Foundation’s efforts … established the Frank Thomas Charitable Foundation in 1993 to improve the lives of Chicago-area residents … activities have included a golf tournament, dinner gala, memorabilia auction, autograph event and Big Hurt merchandise sale … created “Big Hurt’s Buddies” program to supply hundreds of free tickets to fans … donates $50,000 annually to the Leukemia Society of America in memory of a younger sister who passed away from the disease when Thomas was 10 years old … Big Hurt Toys & Book Drive collected holiday gifts for Chicago Boys & Girls Clubs in 1996 and 1997 … is a member of the Kids ’N Computers Foundation … produced public service announcements for the Chicagoland Safe Kids Coalition and the National Spit Tobacco Education Program … participates in the United Way Crusade of Mercy Home Run Night program … is Sox spokesperson for MLB/NEA “Give School a Major League Effort” program … member of the Leukemia Society of America’s national sports committee … has acted as spokesperson for the StreetWise/Chicago White Sox Charities clothing drives (1995-98) … joined Detroit’s Cecil Fielder in a tour of Asia during the 1995 offseason … introduced his own candy bar, the “Frank Thomas Bar”, in February 1996 to assist fund-raising efforts of schools, various youth groups and community organizations … signed a football scholarship with Auburn University in 1986 … played only as a freshman, catching three passes for a total of 45 yards as a tight end … played baseball at Auburn and holds the school record for career home runs (49) and single-season record for walks (73) … named Southeastern Conference’s MVP in 1989 and was All-SEC Tournament selection … selected to The Sporting News 1989 All-America Team … led SEC in batting (.403) and RBI (83) and finished second in home runs (19) …was named First-Team All-SEC first baseman in 1988 … led SEC in batting with a .385 average … was named the designated hitter on Baseball America’s Modern Era College All-Star Team … during summer was member of U.S. National Team … hit .339 (21-62) with 13 runs scored, two home runs, 15 runs batted in and four stolen bases … selected member of Baseball America’s Freshman All-America Team as first baseman and first team All-SEC in 1987 … set Auburn single-season home run record with 21 homers … member of the U.S. Pan-Am Team … a graduate of Columbus (Ga.) High School … All-State and Bi-City Player of the Year in baseball his senior year … made a cameo appearance in the 1992 film, “Mr. Baseball”, starring Tom Selleck … appeared in an episode of “Married…With Children” in November 1994 … was the grand marshall of the 1994 Brach Holiday Parade in Chicago.
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