The Frank Thomas Drinking Game

Steve Stone is on vacation, so Frank Thomas is filling in as Ken Harrelson's television broadcasting partner, while the Sox are in Kansas City.

Mind you, I'm not suggesting people drink and if you do, it is of your own free will. Some people will find a way to drink, so here's to you.

Every time Frank says, "No doubt about it", take a drink. Every time Frank says, "Definitely", take a drink. Every time Frank something to the effect of, "I was just about to say that", take a drink.

Following just the first line, you will be lucky if you don't succumb to alcohol poisoning.

Anyone under 21, please do not drink alcohol. Substitute with a carbonated beverage of your choice. By the end of the game, you will feel like you are about to explode.

Anybody who only drinks occasionally, do not drink anything more powerful than domestic U.S. beer. This should still bring the desired effect of the porcelain gods beckoning you to their will.

Anybody who can be classified as a certified drunk, feel free to indulge in the hard stuff. With your reputation, you'll get there anyway. Why not make a game out of it?

This is definitely (if I were Frank, you'd have already swigged one back) not an endorsement to drink or get drunk. It's just another variation of the "Hi, Bob" game.

Saying Goodbye To The Big Hurt

It's about to go down tomorrow. We all knew this day was coming. I held out a sliver of hope that Frank Thomas would appear in a White Sox uniform one last time, during the September call-ups in 2009.

Frank Thomas will officially retire on Friday. His number 35 is expected to be retired, but we all know how important that ceremony actually is, right Omar Vizquel?

Frank Thomas made me believe in this team. After the dreadful teams of the late 80s, Frank and other new and young blood, made the White Sox respectable. I can't even count how many times I saw Frank's big grin adorning any number of products back in the early nineties. It was definitely more noticeable in Chicago, but I'd see his face while traveling too.

Frank gave me thrills that only a pure line drive hitter can give. He was deadly with a rope to any part of the field and sometimes, over 500 times in his career, those line drives would get elevation and fly majestically.

Frank made me a fan of the walk. He certainly drew enough of them. Some were intentional. Most were not. All of them, he earned. Frank was a rare creature, who would find any and all ways to beat you on the diamond. He just didn't get along with the press very well.

Don't Believe The Hype

If I'm not mistaken, that is the advice that was given to him by his family. He lived by that motto in the early days, even going as far as displaying it prominently at his locker. At times, it looked as though Frank had lost his way, but he always found his way back.

I'll never forget his magical seasons in the early to mid-nineties or his improbable run at a third MVP in 2000, which he should have won. Is it too late for a recount, Giambi? I will always feel bad that Frank won his only World Series ring by cheering on the sidelines. In a perfect world, he would have been the one leading the way. His earnest speech at the victory parade still makes me tear up a little. It was a speech well earned for sticking with the White Sox for so long. It meant the world to him and to the fans.

Goodbye, old friend. I will always cherish those special memories that you gave Chicago.

Unconventional Wisdom

Jim Thome's (possibly temporary) departure from the South Side of Chicago opens the door to many possibilities. Podsednik could be spared the embarrassment of the outfield and be placed as DH, based solely on his bat prowess. Yeah, I can't believe I typed that either, but it's true.

The Sox could also see how Tyler Flowers responds to Major League pitching, while still appeasing A.J. The outfield can get a rotating rest, which everyone but Rios seems to need. Konerko could slip in at DH and the Sox could try Dye at first base, if any such thoughts of that were in store for 2010.

Let's face it. The Sox are still technically in the race, but are in third place. They actually have to win games to win the division. Unless the mother of all miracles happens, the Sox aren't going to take the Central Division. Everything would have to go right, in order for this underachieving team to finish first.

Now that we've assumed that the Sox are effectively out of the race, let's explore one more possibility. Frank Thomas.

The pros:
- Frank and the White Sox can give the fans a great big thank you.
- Frank can finish his career in a White Sox uniform.
- The Sox have nothing else to play for, so why not a nostalgia tour.

The cons:
- Frank hasn't played in months.
- Frank could endanger his superb lifetime batting average.
- Frank was in a grumbling clubhouse that wouldn't let Minnie Minoso play.

OK, so the last con was more of a personal gripe, but all the cons don't outweigh the pros of having Frank Thomas suit up one last time. The White Sox really need a positive boost for the fan base. This could be that boost.

Cards That Never Were #2

One of the true crimes of 1990 was that Frank Thomas didn't get an Upper Deck card. The two early cards were Topps and Score. Those were followed by Leaf and Classic. Fleer missed out on the Thomas bonanza, but rectified that by including Frank in the update set.

Donruss was the only other major company to miss out on Frank Thomas in 1990. Even Bowman had a nice rookie card of Big Frank. Upper Deck's rookie was expected in the update set. When it didn't happen, people started to question Upper Deck. How could they miss out on something this big?

Instead Upper Deck decided to give a card to Tom Drees in the base set. Tom made the majors in 1991 and was quickly gone after that season. I can understand why Tom Drees got a card. He threw three no-hitters in his 1989 minor league season. Upper Deck gambled and lost. They had a chance at redemption in the update set, but didn't bother. Even while Frank was earning his jump from AA to the majors that year, Upper Deck looked the other way.

Here is the Upper Deck High Numbers card that could have been, but never was.

Frank Thomas Love

I ran across this on this on YouTube and got a big kick out of it. It was made by David Crivello. I'm guessing David's from Canada.

I'm thinking someone might have too big of a man-crush on Frank Thomas. Seriously, the Barry White song is funny and disturbing at the same time. Still, it's nice to see Frank getting the "love" he rightfully deserves.

Mailbox Joys: An Early Frank Thomas

I saw this card on eBay last month and had to have it. It only cost $1.00, which is book value, and it had super low shipping. I did originally get this around the holidays, but it got pushed aside from family obligations and illness. But here it is, in all its glory.

A 1991 Score Rising Star #78 Frank Thomas in mint condition. You can tell that this picture was taken right after Frank's call up in August 1990. Shortly after Frank was called up, the Sox started wearing their new uniforms. They weren't supposed to be worn until the new stadium opened in 1991, but I guess the Sox couldn't resist. The classic pinstripe uniforms look much better than the cursive writing uniforms ever did.

If I had to take a guess, I'd say this picture was taken on either August 10th or August 11th of 1990 in Chicago. On August 10th, Frank played in the first game of a double header, but not the second game. Frank also played on August 11th. Those two dates are the only time the Rangers played the White Sox in Chicago after Frank had been called up from AA. I know, my powers of deduction amaze no one.

It's nice to see Frank in the late 80's White Sox uniform. It reminds me of innocence and youth. Not Frank Thomas and not that monstrosity of a uniform, but put them together and you've got nostalgic feelings. I feel like I'm about to enter high school when I look at this card.

Mailbox Joys: Wish You Were Here?

OK, I know I missed out on a lot of cards after the 1994 strike. I'm still taken aback by this card that I ran across. A card made up to look like a postcard. That's a new one to me.

I'm all for interesting cards, but this even stretches my limits. It's not even an insert card, It's part of the base set for 1999 Skybox Premium. It smells like a Fleer card from the 90's and gee whiz, it is a Fleer card from the 90's.

I can't imagine too many people getting excited about this card for more than two seconds. Well, maybe kids, but not too many adults. Scratch that. Not too many people over the age of 10. It has an interesting "kid from camp" feel to it. I can just imagine little Frankie writing home from camp.

"Ma, things are so cool here! I'm the biggest kid here and everybody wants to play with me. I'm always the first one picked. I sure miss your home cookin'. Today I hit the ball all the way to the trees! I felt just like Superman! I never want camp to end! Some of the other kids are eatin' Pixie Stix to help give them extra energy. But I remember what you always told me. There are no shortcuts in life and anything worth doin' is worth doin' well by eatin' healthy and practicing. And like Pa always said, just cuz you're doin' well, don't believe the hype. It'll always mean trouble if you believe the hype. I can't wait to come home but I wish I could stay here forever! Send my love to everyone back home. Frankie"

I have no idea if Frank Thomas ever wrote a letter home like that. It's kind of fun to think that he might have though. That's what this card makes me think about. No, I'm not seeing anyone professionally, but the advice is noted.

Tales Of eBay

Some people on eBay are strange. This card on the left is one that I picked up with at least 6 other Frank Thomas cards, that totaled $1.75 all together, that cost me over $13.00 in shipping. This shipping charge was not anywhere on any of the card pages. The seller also claimed to combine shipping. His version of "combining" meant that he knocked off the shipping cost for one card, but charged full shipping price for each card. I hate to deal with sellers like this. I swallowed everything and moved on. Another lesson learned, but I take notes and know which sellers manipulate like this.

Beware of sellers with a lot of items at a Buy It Now price of 1-25 cents. If the card is really worth that, that's one thing. But if it's too good to be true, it probably is. The cards I did get were the only examples I had seen for sale, so it wasn't all bad. I'm definitely not purchasing from that seller again. No, I'm not naming names, but I've given you enough information to figure it out if you really wanted to know. This is why I have one of the lowest shipping costs on eBay and combine shipping. People still bitch, but I suppose you can't please everyone.

Another type of person I love is the one who tries to keep getting a better deal out of you. Yes folks, that was sarcasm. I have no problem cutting deals when it's possible. I'll throw in freebies when I can. One woman e-mailed me about some Marlins cards asking me if I could sell her what was in my store for no more than 20 cents a card. I wrote back that it was fine for the commons.

She wrote back that these were for her son. I forget the age, but it was under 10. He really liked 3 star players on the Marlins. He was collecting some type of card but she couldn't recall what it was. He liked all the Marlins cards in my store. She again offered a maximum of 20 cents a card. Most of the cards that "her son" liked were between $2 and $5. Some were less, some were more.

I scanned through my back stock and took out players that "her son" specified and other Marlins cards. I countered with, "for every dollar you spend in my store, I will throw in 8 additional cards of your son's favorite players and other Marlins cards". I sent her a list of specific cards that would really wow any kid who's a fan of these stars and a fan of the team. They were everything from 2007 Topps commons to one of those Predictor cards from Upper Deck this year. They were all cards that I was too lazy to individually scan and sell or ones that I thought would sit there for an eternity if I put them up. Never heard back from her.

You can bend over backwards for people and some will never be satisfied. This still doesn't sour me on being helpful or being open to suggestions. I just don't let these people get to me. They aren't worth it. Plus, for every one like that, there are at least 10 who are wonderful to do business with.

I've sold cards to Joe Bisenius' father, Matt Stairs' cousin and one of Carlos Quentin's relatives to name a few. Joe Bisenius' father is a wonderful man. He's very approachable and wrote back a few times with information about his son. I even suggested that his son consider the White Sox as an alternative to the Phillies, if he should ever find himself on the outs.

Everyone else has been nice too. Some volunteer the information and some I inquire about if they have the same last name or live in the same small town or both. They are always pleasant about it. The good people on eBay tend to not stand out as much as the bad ones and that's a shame.

Card Spotlight 11-23-07

1991 Arena Holograms #3 - Frank Thomas

I look at this card and I see possibilities. Look at that swing. Look at that face. This is a great card! This would have been my holy grail of the 1991 cards had I obtained it in 1991. It's like Frank Thomas is looking into his own future.

The first thought that popped in my head the moment I saw this card was how much Frank reminded me of Hank Aaron here. Call me crazy, but something about the swing and the look on Frank's face reminds me of Hammerin' Hank.

I've never run into a card of Frank that looks quite like this. I am amazed this can take me back to the feelings I had when I first saw Frank in the big leagues. It's a sense of awe and wonderment. A sense that Frank is going to be a monster of a player and he's going to be in a White Sox uniform until he gets to the Hall Of Fame. Well, like Meatloaf sang, two outta three ain't bad. I'm almost certain that Frank will be enshrined. I'm about 99.99% on that. I'm 100% sure that he'll have a White Sox cap on when he goes.

It's cards like these that make me grateful that I collect cards. Any card that can evoke a positive memory is definitely a keeper.

Blame Gandhi?

Contrary to popular belief, Ozzie Guillen didn't manage the White Sox until 2004. Ozzie was hired in the 2003 off-season, when he was a third base coach for the Florida Marlins. Before that, Ozzie had a bitter ending to his White Sox career in 1997 and wanted nothing to do with the team until enough time had passed. Jerry Manuel was the Sox manager before Ozzie Guillen from 1998 to 2003.

Jerry "Gandhi" Manuel couldn't control a clubhouse. He had too many players at the DH position. Frank Thomas, Jose Canseco and Harold Baines at various times. Frank Thomas was coming back into his early 90's form at this point. Not even Gandhi sits Frank. Harold Baines is a man whose uniform number was retired in 1989 by the White Sox. Although he didn't actually retire until 2001. There's not many places for Canseco to fit in.

There's no room for Frank Thomas at his natural position because Paul Konerko is there. There's no room for Jose Canseco in the outfield because Magglio Ordonez was in right, Carlos Lee was in left and the Aaron Rowand and Chris Singleton are in center. I don't even want to think about Jose pitching. Besides, if he's pitching, Jose is not going to bat. You'd have to get rid of the DH position for the game and no one in their right mind sits Frank Thomas when he's on fire.

But wait, what if Frank gets injured? What do you do then? Well, first you switch fan favorite Harold Baines from pinch hitter to full time DH. What happens when that fails to excite nothing but the fan base? You sign Jose Canseco from the Newark Bears.

Jose debuted in a White Sox uniform on June 21, 2001. Appropriately the first day of summer. He played all the way to the last game in October, mostly as a DH. He subbed for Maggs in right field for two games in July and pinch hit a few times. He played consistently after he arrived in Chicago. Ultimately, he ended up batting .258 with 16 home runs. Not bad, but not setting the world on fire either. It sure beats playing for a minor league team after being cut by the Angels in spring training that year.

Jose did his job for the time the Sox needed him. By 2002, Frank Thomas was back and healthy. Frank played 148 games in 2002. Jose chose to sign with the Montreal Expos in 2002 and was released in spring training. Canseco retired in May 2002.

It's my opinion that the stars aligned for Jose Canseco in 2001. He got consistent playing time for a team that needed him. I think that says a lot about the character of Jose Canseco and the organization of the White Sox.

2006 Topps 52

I still think 2006 Topps 52 is a great set. This set does retro well. Topps has used their 1952 design to overkill the past decade. This set doesn't show it though. For some reason this seems fresh and new, yet old school.

Although, the Boone Logan card looks absolutely goofy. I don't really want to know what he's doing. If I had to speculate, I'd say maybe he's making faces at children. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check eBay for it. I won't dignify the blog with that unique pose.

Anyway here's the checklist of this fantastic set of White Sox cards. Yes, I included the Debut Flashbacks card too.

72 - Boone Logan
100 - Sean Tracey
127 - Brian Anderson
151 - Agustin Montero

DF18 - Frank Thomas

The Frank Thomas Debut Flashbacks looks nice. It shows him in the 1990 uniform, right before the change to the pinstripes. Sean Tracey looks nothing like the man that Ozzie Guillen made cry. Brian Anderson looks like he's trying to turn his back on the White Sox out of frustration. Agustin Montero seems like he's being very cautious for some reason. Maybe he got wind of what was going to happen to Sean Tracey when he wouldn't throw at a batter in retaliation.

Now, the interesting news. Topps 52 is coming out in 2007. Same design. Hopefully different players. This is what causes collectors to cry overkill. Shouldn't it be Topps 53? Maybe even Topps 51. Like I said, it's a great looking card, but two years in a row? I suppose everyone in the major leagues will have a 1952 Topps card in their own image eventually. I guess I could live with that. Originality suffers the more one goes back to the well. It's great to look back. I enjoy doing it, but there's also something to be said about living in the present.