Hurts So Good
Well, at least one of the 2005 White Sox will be going to the postseason this year.
Snarkiness aside, there is no one happier than me for Frank Thomas; I've been loving watching his terrific season. After all of the injuries and controversies over the past few years, it's great to give everyone a reminder of what a great, great hitter Thomas is.
That said, I fully agreed with the decision to let Frank go after last year, and to bring in Jim Thome to replace him. Well, ok, I had reservations, based on Thome's injury-plagued 2005 season, but as for replacing one injury-prone slugger with another, I felt it was a good swap.
And I still do. If Kenny Williams had to go back and do it again, I'd still advise him to. Both have been great, but the Sox (a) needed to remove the distraction that Thomas was (rightly or wrongly) accused of being, and (2) break up the right-handedness of the lineup with a lefthanded power threat.
Who has had the better season?
AB R H 2B HR RBI BB SO BA OB SLG
Thomas 431 73 121 10 38 105 75 73 .281 .425 .568
Thome 462 103 132 23 40 101 97 135 .286 .412 .595
Thome, I would say, although it's close. The kicker are the 13 more doubles and 30 more runs scored, showing that Thome, while not exactly Carlos Beltran on the bases, is much more mobile than Thomas, who once was pretty good running the bases but now moves no better than a cement block.
Mobile or not, Thomas has been great. Anyone still doubt that he's a first-ballot Hall of Famer?
Snarkiness aside, there is no one happier than me for Frank Thomas; I've been loving watching his terrific season. After all of the injuries and controversies over the past few years, it's great to give everyone a reminder of what a great, great hitter Thomas is.
That said, I fully agreed with the decision to let Frank go after last year, and to bring in Jim Thome to replace him. Well, ok, I had reservations, based on Thome's injury-plagued 2005 season, but as for replacing one injury-prone slugger with another, I felt it was a good swap.
And I still do. If Kenny Williams had to go back and do it again, I'd still advise him to. Both have been great, but the Sox (a) needed to remove the distraction that Thomas was (rightly or wrongly) accused of being, and (2) break up the right-handedness of the lineup with a lefthanded power threat.
Who has had the better season?
AB R H 2B HR RBI BB SO BA OB SLG
Thomas 431 73 121 10 38 105 75 73 .281 .425 .568
Thome 462 103 132 23 40 101 97 135 .286 .412 .595
Thome, I would say, although it's close. The kicker are the 13 more doubles and 30 more runs scored, showing that Thome, while not exactly Carlos Beltran on the bases, is much more mobile than Thomas, who once was pretty good running the bases but now moves no better than a cement block.
Mobile or not, Thomas has been great. Anyone still doubt that he's a first-ballot Hall of Famer?
posted by Jim at
6:33 PM
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