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Frank
Thomas
Exclusive
interview by Harold
Friend
Website: Suite101
Editor's Note: Joe Gillespie from
NbO
Baseball has been kind
enough to help us get in touch
with some of baseball's greatest
players. This month we talk to
Mr. Frank Thomas. Like Mr. Virgil
Trucks (Feb. interview) Ronnie
Joyner and Bill Bozman are
currently working on a book about
"The Original". Stay tuned for
official release and ordering
info in future issues.
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Name:
Frank
Thomas "The
Original"
Position:
Outfield,
Third Base, First
Base
Born:
June 11,
1929, Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania
Career
span: 1951-1966
Teams:
Pittsburgh
Pirates, Cincinnati
Reds, Chicago Cubs,
Milwaukee Braves, New
York Mets, Philadelphia
Phillies, Houston
Astros
Career
highlights:
Thomas
hit 30 home runs in
1953, his first full
major league season with
his hometown Pirates. He
followed with 11
straight years with
double-figure home runs,
his best campaign coming
in 1958 when he finished
second in the National
League to Ernie Banks
with 35 HRs and 109
RBIs.
Major
awards: All-Star
outfielder in 1954-55
and was the NL's
starting third baseman
in the 1958 All-Star
Game.
Click
here for complete
Baseball-Almanac.com
bio.
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Frank "The
Original" Thomas was a fine
hitter and versatile defensive
player who played in the 1950s
and 1960s. He is a fascinating
individual who made the National
League All-Star team three times
and who holds many baseball
records, including hitting six
home runs over a three game span,
a mark that Shawn Green recently
broke when he hit seven home runs
in a three game span. I recently
had the pleasure of speaking with
Mr. Thomas.
Mr. Thomas, you
made your major league debut in
1951. What is the most
significant difference between
the game in the 1950s and the
game today?
(One
word) Money
That is a great
answer and says it all. There is
no need to elaborate. Anyway,
your first year as a regular was
1953 when you hit 30 home runs
for a Pirates team that hit only
99 home runs. The only other
Pirate to have a home run total
in double figures was Cal Abrams,
who was not a slugger. How
difficult was it for you as a
hitter without anyone in the
lineup to protect you?
It
was tough but I did the best I
could and let the chips fall
where they may. I hit 30 home
runs and had 102 RBIs in 1953,
which are still records for a
rookie center fielder.
I bet not too
many fans know that. I certainly
didn't, and the fact that Mickey
Mantle and Willie Mays were
rookies just two season earlier
makes the record even greater.
What are some other records that
you hold?
I
started at third base for the
National League All-Star team in
1958 and hit 35 home runs that
season, which is still a record
for a Pittsburgh Pirates third
baseman. When I was with Braves
in 1961, we hit 4 home runs in
the same inning. Mathews, Aaron,
and Adcock hit home runs. I
followed with a home run and we
set the record which Minnesota
and Cleveland later tied. I was
the first player to hit the
FOURTH home run in an inning. In
1962 I was hit by a pitch twice
in the same inning but not too
many people know that I made the
last put out in the Polo Grounds
against the Giants in 1957 and
hit the first Mets home run in
the Polo Grounds in 1962.
Being a rookie is
always difficult. Who on the
Pirates influenced you the most
when you first joined the
team?
Lenny Levy, who
was a coach with the Pirates,
gave me good advice and always
kept after me to keep improving.
Frankie Gustine was like a father
to me and Ralph Kiner told me to
watch how they pitched to him
because that would be the way
they would pitch to
me.
I read that you
used to challenge other players
to measure a distance of 60'6"
and then to throw a baseball as
hard as they could and that you
told them you would catch it
barehanded - and you always
did.
I
never lost. The toughest was Don
Zimmer because he knew that
holding your fingers across the
seam wouldn't produce movement on
the ball so Zimmer would throw me
a spitter but I still caught it.
You see, as a kid, I played fast
pitch softball without a glove
and I got used to catching
barehanded. The whole thing about
catching fastballs barehanded
started down in Waco, Texas in
1949 when a guy from Brooklyn,
Bill Pierro, dared me to catch
his fastball without a glove. I
caught his first three and he
said he hadn't warmed up, so he
warmed up and I caught his next
five. One time when I was with
the Mets, we were playing the
Giants. Richie Ashburn, who was
our centerfielder, bet Willie
Mays $100 that I could catch his
hardest throw bare handed. Willie
took the challenge and I caught
his first throw but he said it
didn't count because he hadn't
warmed up. Then he said the bet
should be for $10, not for $100.
Willie warmed up and I caught his
throw. Willie is
great.
Mr. Thomas, you
played in an era of superstars
and you were an All-Star three
times. Whom do you consider the
greatest player of your
era?
Willie Mays
because he could beat you so many
ways. He could hit, hit with
power, run, steal bases, field,
and throw. It was a pleasure to
play against him.
Who were the
three or four greatest pitchers
you faced?
Don
Drysdale was the toughest pitcher
for me. Bob Gibson and Sandy
Koufax were outstanding. I could
always hit Don
Newcombe.
You and Yogi
Berra. Mr. Thomas, you were
originally an outfielder but were
moved to third base and started
at third base for the 1958
National League All-Star team.
Alex Rodriguez has been moved to
third base this year. What will
be some problems that he will
face?
Well, I think he
will be fine. One reason is that
he is an infielder. A third
baseman either makes the play or
he doesn't because it is mainly a
reaction position. The toughest
play is the swinging bunt which a
shortstop doesn't see much. As a
shortstop, Jeter is great on that
play. I don't think Rodriguez
will have too much trouble at
third base.
The 1953 Pirates
won 50 and lost 104 while the
1962 Mets won 40 and lost 120.
You hit 30 home runs for those
Pirates and 34 home runs for the
Mets and led the Mets in runs,
hits, doubles, homers, RBIs,
total bases, and slugging. How
did those teams compare to each
other?
Well, the 1962
Mets were a good club but they
had no pitching. The Mets could
score runs but we lost a lot of
games in the seventh, eighth, or
ninth inning. I wonder how we
would have done if we had a
closer like Mariano Rivera.
Veterans like Richie Ashburn, Gil
Hodges, Gus Bell, Charlie Neal,
Gene Woodling and I could do some
damage. The 1953 Pirates were a
young team that would develop. If
the Pirates today had stayed with
the youngsters they had six or
seven years ago, they would be a
tough team today.
In 1964 the Mets
traded you to the Phillies, who
were leading the league, in
August. You were doing quite well
for the Phillies, batting .294
with 7 home runs when you broke
your thumb. The Cardinals went on
to win the pennant by one game
over the Phillies and Reds. What
are your thought about what might
have been if you had been able to
play the last month of that
season?
Gene
Mauch was the Phillies manager
and he told me that cost us the
pennant. I was really hot that
August and I was hitting
everything they threw me. I was
on second base and when I tried
to get back to the bag I slid
headfirst. My thumb hit the pin
that anchors the base and that
was it. I put ice on the hand,
stayed in the game and got two
more hits. I went back to the
hotel after the game and kept
icing the hand but the ice melted
and the hand blew up. At the
hospital I wanted the doctor to
give me Novocain so I could play
but he refused. They put the hand
in a steel cast which stopped me
from playing.
You played for a
number of teams, including the
Pirates, Mets, and Phillies. Do
you identify with any one team
more than the others?
No.
I am grateful to have put on a
major league uniform and to have
been a major league
player.
Thank you very
much Mr. Thomas for taking the
time to speak with The
Highlander.
You're very
welcome.
Editor's Note:
Mr.
Thomas is currently attempting to
replace a baseball card
collection that was lost in a
fire. Everyone who sends Mr.
Thomas cards from the sets listed
below, will receive a
hand-written letter (that will
probably be of more value than
the cards). Email us and we will
put you in touch with Mr. Thomas
directly. Here is a list of sets
that he is interested in
replacing:
2004 Fleer Tradition - 2004
Donruss - 2003 Upper Deck Vintage
- 2003 Upper Deck Sweet Spot
Classic - 2003 Heritage Bowman -
2003 Fleer Premiere - 2003 Fleer
Platinum - 2003 Flair Great -
2003 Leaf Certified - 2002 Fleer
Premiere - 2002 Upper Deck MVP -
2001 Fleer Tradition - 1990 Fleer
- 1952 Topps (high numbers)
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