To Chicago White Sox fans, Frank Thomas is an absolute legend. But according to a new book that quotes former teammates, Thomas was a diva, “a selfish prick” and a “douchebag.”
Thomas was an “intimidating presence” in the locker room, according to an excerpt from Jeff Pearlman’s new book, “The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson,” posted by Jon Greenberg of The Athletic. To begin the excerpt, Pearlman explained that the Chicago White Sox clubhouse “was a riveting mix of personalities,” and that’s when the bombs about Thomas started to drop, featuring quotes from former teammates of the legend calling him a “douchebag.”
Big Hurt catching strays in Jeff Pearlman’s new Bo Jackson book. pic.twitter.com/l8NSpp9TYT
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From 1990-2005, Frank Thomas suited up for the Chicago White Sox, with Bo Jackson joining the team prior to the 1993 campaign. In the timeline that Pearlman is referring to, Thomas was 25-years-old, a two-time All-Star and was fresh off back-to-back seasons with 100 RBIs, according to ESPN. Pearlman described the young Thomas as “the biggest enigma.”
“Thomas was one of the best players in the game, but a selfish prick of a teammate,” wrote Pearlman. “At 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, he was an intimidating presence who moped with the best of them. ‘Frank was a douchebag,’ said one Chicago standout.”
“‘I judge people by how they treat those they don’t need to be nice to. Frank treated the clubhouse guys like garbage.’”
Lance Thomas, who is a former center fielder for the Chicago White Sox, labeled Thomas as “just a baby” and made the claim that Thomas complained to coaches about where he was batting in the lineup, saying the coaches wanted to protect the other players.
Johnson is quoted in the book as saying: “He refused. Just said, straight up, he wouldn’t hit fourth or fifth. I heard that and thought, ‘There goes our shot at the World Series.’ Because everyone would just pitch around him. Which they did.”
Pearlman would then go on to say that Bo Jackson didn’t get the full experience of Frank Thomas, because they played both baseball and football at the University of Auburn in separate eras. (RELATED: Bo Jackson Says He’d ‘Be Averaging 350-400 Yards A Game’ In The NFL In 2020)
“Jackson knew Thomas well enough to regularly say, with authority, ‘Frank, seriously, shut the f–k up,’” wrote Pearlman.
First base coach Doug Mansolino stated in the book, “Bo was the best thing for Frank.”
Frank Thomas, himself, has yet to make a comment about the book.