ESPN Insider's view on Frank Thomas in the HOF

[cbrownson13]

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=gillette_gary&id=2049770


Just five years ago, White Sox first baseman Frank Thomas seemed a certainty for the Hall of Fame. Winner of the American League Most Valuable Player awards in 1993 and 1994, "The Big Hurt" had, through the 2000 season, hit 361 home runs and compiled a .321 average.

Thomas was a thoroughly modern two-way offensive threat – his run-producing ability endeared him to the old guard, while his extraordinary on-base percentage made him a favorite of the new breed of analysts.


Mod edit: Please do not post entire articles from other websites

[maurice]

Making an argument against Thomas' being a future Hall of Famer isn't as easy

Then why try? The rest of the article proves that he should be in on the first ballot.

The Juan Gonzalez thing is a stretch. Isn't .308 / .429 / .567 (Frank) better than .295 / .343 / .561 (Juan Gon)? The OPS difference alone is almost 100 points! Besides, a couple mediocre seasons would put Frank's counting numbers well into the elite catergory. If Juan Gon stayed healthy enough to have a couple more real good seasons (and avoided credible steroid allegations), he would have been a HOF lock also.

[MIgrenade]

The steroid thing is what bothers me. If Canseco really wanted to help the game he should put out a list of hitters he knows didn't use steroids.

[StepsInSC]

The steroid thing is what bothers me. If Canseco really wanted to help the game he should put out a list of hitters he knows didn't use steroids.

I think you mean it would help Thomas, that's for sure. But I'm not convinced it would help the game. It would create a greater suspicion about players not on that list, and help tarnish the image of the game even more.