Frank Thomas Retires from Baseball
Posted on February 12, 2010
Frank Thomas of the Oakland Athletics sits in the dugout during a game against the Cleveland Indians at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, CA on May 4, 2006. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Chicago White Sox great Frank Thomas announced his retirement Friday following a 19-season career in which he hit 521 homers and won two American League MVP awards during a news conference at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. Thomas did not play last season so this announcement did not come as a surprise.
Bobby Kielty and Frank Thomas of the Oakland A’s celebrate after defeating the Minnesota Twins in Game 3 of the ALDS at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, CA on October 6, 2006. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Thomas will always remembered for his great career with the White Sox, but I enjoyed photographing him in 2006 when he had a real nice season with the A’s here in Oakland. Thomas hit .270 with 39 homers and 114 RBIs during the A’s division-winning season in 2006. Frank’s great year put him in 4th place in the American League MVP balloting and made him a fan-favorite in Oakland. It was fun to see such a great player like Thomas still be able to play. Unfortunately he was a different player when he came back to Oakland in 2008 to finish his career. By then it was pretty much over when Thomas took his final big league at bats wearing the green and gold.
Frank Thomas of the Oakland A’s bats against the Detroit Tigers during Game 2 of the ALCS at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, CA on October 11, 2006. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Thomas broke into the majors with the White Sox in 1990 and finishes his Hall of Fame career with 521 home runs and earned over $104 million in his career. He will be a first ballot Hall of Famer four years from now and undoubtedly earn Sox team photographer Ron Vesely his first trip to Cooperstown to document the historical weekend.
Frank Thomas Retires – Images by Brad Mangin
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