Frank Thomas had some widely reported, unkind words for his former team of long standing, the World Series Champion Chicago White Sox. Apparently, he and General Manager, Kenny Williams, didnt see eye to eye, and Big Frank, coming off ankle injuries, and a season in which he mostly warmed the bench, was bought out by the South Siders. I think, for all of the savvy that the Sox showed to earn the title, and then to make some good off-season trades, they erred big time in not keeping the slugger aboard. Heres my reasoning: (1) The Sox pitching staff looks great, now, but if they lose a starter or two to injuries, their staff is going to look about the same as any decent team in the Majors. (2) Jim Thome, while a good pickup, is no sure thing having come off of injuries of his own. (3) Crede is solid when he plays, but a bad back can plague you at the worst of times. (4) Konerko, now that he has his big-score of a contract, may become a regular multi-millionaire flake, and phone it in this year. (5) Did you notice how Big Frank performed when he was in the lineup? At that rate, had he been healthy all season long, he probably would have contributed over 40 homers. The Oakland As, Franks new employer, have, arguably the smartest GM in the business in Billy Beane. He saw what the Sox didnt; that theres a lot of motivation left in the slugger, especially to reach 500 homers for his Hall of Fame, first ballot selection. Im a Sox fan, but Ill be cheering for him, and just hope he doesnt give the As the edge theyre obviously looking for. |
