Former Auburn Tigers, Birmingham Barons and Chicago White Sox slugger Frank Thomas today joined Atlanta Braves legends Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine in the Baseball Hall of Fame’s class of 2014.
Maddux, a four-time Natioinal League Cy Young Award winner and arguably the best pitcher of his generation, lead the way with 97.2 percent of Hall of Fame voters casting a ballot in his favor.
Glavin, a two-time Cy Young award winner, followed Maddux with 91.9 percent of the vote.
With 83.7 percent of the vote, Thomas was the only position player selected to The Hall this year. He won back-to-back American League MVP awards in the mid-90s.
Here are a few other Frank Thomas career highlights:
- 5× All-Star (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997)
- 4× Silver Slugger Award winner (1991, 1993, 1994, 2000)
- 2× AL MVP (1993, 1994)
- 1997 AL batting title
- 2000 AL Comeback Player of the Year
- 1995 Home Run Derby champion
- Chicago White Sox #35 retired
After high school, Thomas initially accepted a scholarship to Auburn University to play football. He decided to also join the baseball team and promptly hit .359 and led the Tigers in runs batted in during his freshman year. An injury early on in the college football season compelled him to make baseball his primary sport. It paid off. The Chicago White Sox drafted him seventh overall in the 1989 draft. He spent some time playing first base for the Birmingham Barons before going on to star in the majors with the White Sox and later the A’s and Blue Jays.
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