Watch this Frank Thomas HOF speech. One of the best I've seen.

TheMoneyShot · 07-28-14, 05:28 AM

The Big Hurt wasn't ever on any PED's? Uhhhhhhhh...

This guys traps were SO BIG at times... usually a key sign when someone is taking PED's.

TheMoneyShot · 07-28-14, 05:31 AM

I/O · 07-28-14, 06:14 AM

Money

I believe the White Sox (when Thomas played), as a team, WANTED all of baseball to be tested. I can't remember the exact guidelines, but the team intentionally triggered testing, as per the rules involving PED's at the time. I think if so many players on a team didn't show up or missed a certain number of tests (or something similar??), then the whole team got tested instead of a couple random guys by random tests. So the players did what they had to.

I/O · 07-28-14, 06:19 AM

Also, I don't know if you were aware of this, Auburn gave Thomas a scholarship for FOOTBALL.

Cuse0323 · 07-28-14, 06:22 AM

Frank was no juicer. Fck that nonsense.

Video didn't work for me, another link just in case. Absolutely great speech from a great hardworking man.

http://deadspin.com/heres-frank-thomass-emotional-hof-induction-speech-1611751909

TheMoneyShot · 07-28-14, 06:46 AM

It's ok for me to take some heat on this one. He played during the years of Canseco... Bo Jackson. etc. Similar body structure. Like a tank. And please don't anyone say Bo Jackson never took roids. Growing up as a kid looking at these players... I was brainwashed into thinking eat your Wheaties and drink your Milk. What a dumb fuk I was.

jjgold · 07-28-14, 07:27 AM

Bo Jackson was a bull as a kid

We're starting to get into the habit now anybody that cries during the Hall of Fame speech it's the greatest speech both times

Please let's all stop that way of thinking

jose21_us · 07-28-14, 07:29 AM

I missed those days seeing him and Griffey hitting those bombs!!

jjgold · 07-28-14, 08:10 AM

everyone does not take steroids

man some guys are real dumb here

MoneyIsWater · 07-28-14, 08:22 AM

Instead of criticizing what may have happened. EMBRACE his greatness, IF he did take them, you can fully accuse him because there is no evidence.

I firmly believe Thomas and Bo never took any PEDs/Roids.

It is said that any time an Athetle reaches greatness now, he is accused of doing it the wrong way.

El Nino · 07-28-14, 08:45 AM

Originally posted by TheMoneyShot

It's ok for me to take some heat on this one. He played during the years of Canseco... Bo Jackson. etc. Similar body structure. Like a tank. And please don't anyone say Bo Jackson never took roids. Growing up as a kid looking at these players... I was brainwashed into thinking eat your Wheaties and drink your Milk. What a dumb fuk I was.

Bo didn't lift weights...steroids wouldn't have done him any good. Guy was a freak of nature. Thomas was clean, HOF wouldn't have let him in if there was the slightest hint of PED use (see Bagwell).

BennyBigNuts · 07-28-14, 08:46 AM

To even mention Bo and frank Thomas in the same sentence is a joke.
Thomas was just a mammoth of a man his whole life.
He was Never in steroid talk once and consistently hammered steroid users his entire career.
Guy was just a hard worker and a gym rat.
If you try and say this guy did roids, the whole steroid talk should be retired and put to rest. There weren't many big names who didn't do roids anyways, but this guy was one of the few who did it the right way, and despised ppl cheating to match his talents.

BatemanPatrickl · 07-28-14, 08:51 AM

So all of the white guys had everything handed to them is that correct Benny? You're a joke and a biggest fool on SBR.

eidolon · 07-28-14, 12:58 PM

If Frank was on PED's he would have hit 60 HR every year.
But he wasn't, that is why he hit 50 doubles every year.
The guy was a beast of a man with a great swing.

jjgold · 07-28-14, 02:18 PM

Guy was one of the most talented hitters in the last 30 years

Strong and powerful and a very quick bat

k13 · 07-28-14, 05:37 PM

Bo didn't lift weights.....lol

Yeah he just got out bed one day ripped and big.

There all juicers including griffey but that's Ok .

El Nino · 07-28-14, 05:53 PM

Originally posted by k13

Bo didn't lift weights.....lol

Yeah he just got out bed one day ripped and big.

There all juicers including griffey but that's Ok .

Yep, all his former teammates dating back to high school and college and his coaches must have been lying. Griffey took roids

stevenash · 07-28-14, 06:17 PM

Joe Torre a trust fund baby
Too funny

StackinGreen · 07-28-14, 06:23 PM

White Sox fan here, followed him all my life, from the beginning. Look at his stats: He was a great avg. and OBP guy, led the league in BA and didn't hit many bombs until 2000, which was the only year near the era of real suspicion. His greatness had nothing to do with HRs. End of story. Possibly the greatest right handed hitter of all time. Pujols under much greater suspicion now and Cabrera hasn't been caught or implicated.

SG

No coincidences · 07-28-14, 06:26 PM

Originally posted by StackinGreen

White Sox fan here, followed him all my life, from the beginning. Look at his stats: He was a great avg. and OBP guy, led the league in BA and didn't hit many bombs until 2000, which was the only year near the era of real suspicion. His greatness had nothing to do with HRs. End of story. Possibly the greatest right handed hitter of all time. Pujols under much greater suspicion now and Cabrera hasn't been caught or implicated.

SG

I love Frank Thomas, but WTF?

stevenash · 07-28-14, 06:44 PM

Originally posted by StackinGreen

Possibly the greatest right handed hitter of all time.

SG

Joe D.
Willy Mays
Hank Aaron all say hello.

Hell, I'm not even sure if Thomas was a better right handed hitter than Vlad was.

I/O · 07-28-14, 06:54 PM

Originally posted by stevenash

Joe D.
Willy Mays
Hank Aaron all say hello.

Hell, I'm not even sure if Thomas was a better right handed hitter than Vlad was.

If you don't count walks

jjgold · 07-28-14, 06:57 PM

Bo was big as a Freshman in college

pretty much seals he did not do roids

stevenash · 07-28-14, 07:04 PM

Originally posted by I/O

If you don't count walks

That's just it, Vlad never met a pitch he didn't like, saw him once hit a double off a pitch that bounced in the dirt four inches from the plate.

stevenash · 07-29-14, 09:12 AM

Oh, and if the OP wants to watch epic HoF speeches, he needs to watch Andre Dawson and Goose Gossage.

StackinGreen · 07-29-14, 09:53 AM

Originally posted by stevenash

Joe D.
Willy Mays
Hank Aaron all say hello.

Hell, I'm not even sure if Thomas was a better right handed hitter than Vlad was.

The Greatness of Frank Thomas

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-greatness-of-frank-thomas/

All the great players in the Hall of Fame have stories about them, anecdotes that capture glimpses of how they were exceptional, even among the already exceptional. Anecdotes developed in part out of…

He created more runs than anyone you mentioned. Pure hitter, he was better than all 3 (in his prime).

stevenash · 07-29-14, 01:04 PM

So now, based on a RC27 stat, Thomas was better than Mays, Joe D, and Aaron.

Good bye.

TheMoneyShot · 07-29-14, 01:38 PM

For all the people who are so conclusive about athletes who never took roids... do a cycle for yourself... I don't care if you're 5'8 and 210 with a 40 inch gut before you cycle. Go to the batting cages... watch how precise, fluent, and crisp your swing is. Watch how dramatic your hand eye coordination is. You're almost like a robot.

Played softball for a year about 5 years back... never hit a home run in my life. Did a cycle... my first 7 at bats 4 were home runs. They finally decide to pitch me differently. Yes, it's only softball. But mind you... I never hit a home run in my life... and I've always lifted weights since age 16 off and on. And no... that bat wasn't shaved or rolled.

That's why I know anything that's PED gives you an extreme advantage. Why the sport of baseball??? Compared to Football, hockey, or basketball? I don't know??? But steroids do something for a hitter. Gives you more focus... more confidence. The ball looks probably 3X bigger than a normal baseball coming to home plate.

So after you guys cycle... then come back to me... and tell me if these players didn't take roids or not. I bet you... it will change your thinking process.

TheMoneyShot · 07-29-14, 01:42 PM

These guys play 162 games a season. Traveling from state to state. Away from their families... they hardly have time to lift weights. You think steak dinners on airplanes get you ripped? Fatigue would be a HUGE FACTOR. It's a supplement that's doing it. There's no way you can go from ball park to ball park.... with hardly any rest... and put up 60-70 HR's. It's unhuman like.

I/O · 07-29-14, 02:56 PM

Originally posted by TheMoneyShot

For all the people who are so conclusive about athletes who never took roids... do a cycle for yourself... I don't care if you're 5'8 and 210 with a 40 inch gut before you cycle. Go to the batting cages... watch how precise, fluent, and crisp your swing is. Watch how dramatic your hand eye coordination is. You're almost like a robot.

Played softball for a year about 5 years back... never hit a home run in my life. Did a cycle... my first 7 at bats 4 were home runs. They finally decide to pitch me differently. Yes, it's only softball. But mind you... I never hit a home run in my life... and I've always lifted weights since age 16 off and on. And no... that bat wasn't shaved or rolled.

That's why I know anything that's PED gives you an extreme advantage. Why the sport of baseball??? Compared to Football, hockey, or basketball? I don't know??? But steroids do something for a hitter. Gives you more focus... more confidence. The ball looks probably 3X bigger than a normal baseball coming to home plate.

So after you guys cycle... then come back to me... and tell me if these players didn't take roids or not. I bet you... it will change your thinking process.

I'm gonna say it's cuz your eyes are also just muscles

Cuse0323 · 07-29-14, 11:57 PM

Originally posted by TheMoneyShot

These guys play 162 games a season. Traveling from state to state. Away from their families... they hardly have time to lift weights. You think steak dinners on airplanes get you ripped? Fatigue would be a HUGE FACTOR. It's a supplement that's doing it. There's no way you can go from ball park to ball park.... with hardly any rest... and put up 60-70 HR's. It's unhuman like.

Your softball analogy was very compelling. Frank put up 40 or more 5 times in a 19 year career so not sure what you're even saying with 60-70 HR's. I don't need to do a cycle to believe that one of the biggest advocates against steroids didn't juice. It still bugs Frank today and continues to talk about it when he really should just let it go. It's crazy that it has come to this where it's impossible to put up HOF numbers without using in the eyes of many. Just sad.

Maybe most of them, but if Frank juiced his numbers would be so much better.

StackinGreen · 07-30-14, 09:42 AM

Originally posted by stevenash

So now, based on a RC27 stat, Thomas was better than Mays, Joe D, and Aaron.

Good bye.

No, sir. He was better according to many statistics. Not overall player. Offensively. Open your mind up a bit. He had historically great statistics.

stevenash · 07-30-14, 04:17 PM

^
My mind is open.
As far as hitters goes, without considering defense, (he doesn't know the defininton of the word) and speed, an amputee could get around the bases faster, he was the best OBA+OPS guy of his era.
I'm big OBA guy, and he was the best at getting on base and combining that with power, of, like I said, his generation, his era.
If he played defense, do you think his offensive numbers would have been the same?

OK, let' stack Frank's numbers against others of his day.

Was he head and shoulders better than the hitters of his era?

Vladimir?
Gridffey Jr.?
Bonds?
Albert Belle?
You can throw Bagwell in there if you want.