GiantsRule
Footballguy
I'm not a huge baseball fan by any means, but I always closely follow two things: The New York Mets and my favorite player, Frank Thomas. "Big Hurt" is just one of those guys that doesn't get the same recognition as his contemperaries (Griffey, Piazza, Bonds) but has been every big as impressive without the help of performance enhancing drugs (unless chesseburgers and pizzas qualify!)
Thomas could have finished his career five years ago and had stats that should have qualified as a first ballot Hall of Famer. But there were always detractors who felt he's "on the cusp, but not quite there yet."
His numbers are mind boggling: He should finish his career in the Top 10-15 of almost every offensive category. He has one of the best eyes at the plate of any power hitter in history and is a far more impressive "walker" than Bonds because he doesn't have nearly as many intentional BBs. Yet, he didn't have the personality of Griffey or the demeanor of Bonds so he's treated like an afterthought by most of the media (outside of Chicago) despite having won 2 consecutive league MVPs in the 90s.
But if hits the 500 HR mark "naturally" (unlike the most recent 500 HR clubbers: McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds), that should make him a shoe-in. Add in his .300+ batting average, 1,500 RBIs, 1,500 Runs, 2,000 walks, and 2,500 hits that he'll likely finish his career with, and the HOF shouldn't even exist if he's not in it.
Fellow fans and haters can chime in throughout the season (although I'm expecting more of the latter.)
Other milestones within reach this year:
1,500 Runs (92 to go)
500 doubles (42 to go)
Thomas could have finished his career five years ago and had stats that should have qualified as a first ballot Hall of Famer. But there were always detractors who felt he's "on the cusp, but not quite there yet."
His numbers are mind boggling: He should finish his career in the Top 10-15 of almost every offensive category. He has one of the best eyes at the plate of any power hitter in history and is a far more impressive "walker" than Bonds because he doesn't have nearly as many intentional BBs. Yet, he didn't have the personality of Griffey or the demeanor of Bonds so he's treated like an afterthought by most of the media (outside of Chicago) despite having won 2 consecutive league MVPs in the 90s.
But if hits the 500 HR mark "naturally" (unlike the most recent 500 HR clubbers: McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds), that should make him a shoe-in. Add in his .300+ batting average, 1,500 RBIs, 1,500 Runs, 2,000 walks, and 2,500 hits that he'll likely finish his career with, and the HOF shouldn't even exist if he's not in it.
Fellow fans and haters can chime in throughout the season (although I'm expecting more of the latter.)
Other milestones within reach this year:
1,500 Runs (92 to go)
500 doubles (42 to go)
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