Frank Thomas Quotations

Doing something the right way is something I take pride in.

When you're going into a game, you're not expected to hit a home run every game. You're just doing everything proper with proper swings.

I think there is a lot of good in making the All-Star Team. People look at your career a little bit differently.

In the South, the food is outstanding. Down south, we eat to get full, and the people up north, they don't do that.

I come from good stock. Both of my parents are big - my dad is a big guy; my mom is a big lady.

A Home Run Derby is fun. It's just like taking batting practice, and you just want to go deep. Guys do it every day. Yes, there's a little more pressure when they pull that cage back, but if you practice properly, it shouldn't affect the second half of your season at all.

At the Home Run Derby, you're expected to hit home runs. You're up there trying to hit home runs.

I got snubbed about eight times for the Mid-Summer Classic, and I know what type of career I had, and I know that I'm a true All-Star. The selection process is not very accurate.

We're finished talking. There's nothing else to talk about. As for love lost, basically there was not much love there the last five years. We'll just move forward.

We're finished talking. I mean, there's nothing else to talk about. Actual love lost I mean, basically there's not much love there over the last five years. So, you know, we're just moving forward.

We're not going to worry about results. We'll worry about the approach.

There are no hard feelings with my teammates over there. They're friends and family forever. That won't change.

One of deciding factors in coming here was that I've always liked playing here. When you've had success someplace, it's nice to make it your home park. I think it will be a quick timetable to get home-field advantage here.

Rich was lights-out until he hurt himself. We're all hoping he's OK.

I was shocked. It wouldn't have been about money with me this year. It would have been about closure in Chicago. ... They brought in Jim Thome, and he was more injured than I was last year.

I grew up in the Boys & Girls Club. That's where I really started playing all sports, and that's why I'm a big advocate for the work they do.

I don't feel behind compared to any time in my career. My first month is always slow until I start playing back-to-back games and stuff. Once I'm at 100 at-bats, everything will be clicking.

I'd like to play every day, but that's not going to happen. Last week, at the end of spring training, (Macha) told me that I'd probably get a third day off here and there, but with Bobby (Crosby) hurt, and the Yankees in town, I wanted to be in the lineup.

Idiot? Selfish? There's nothing there worth a response. ... It's childish. It's time to move on. It's all a bunch of noise to me. ... As far as love lost, there was not much love there, anyway.

If I'm in a cast, I can't do it. We'll see how it works out, but I'll be around.

I felt great. It was what I expected. That's my goal, to be ready for opening day.

I felt good. My timing was a little off. But there wasn't any pain. That's the main thing. It was nice to see someone throwing at me and having to react.

We talked. But they didn't think I could hold up on the field turf, that's really what it came down to. With an injury like this, it's not ideal playing on an artificial turf surface.

We've got to try and do something with this, because it's getting to the point where it's getting really frustrating. This is excruciating. After I run, it's just really, really sore. I ran the other day (Friday), and I ran hard, and it was really sore. I don't know what we're going to do now. Hopefully, we'll come up with something.

He was saying how loaded this team is and how tough it is finding at-bats for everyone. The guy who's swinging the hot bat will probably decide things a lot, but I told him that playing two out of every three games or something like that is fine with me. Whatever he needs to do to keep guys fresh.

He knows how to pitch to the fat part of the ballpark.

I want to thank these guys for pulling my big butt across this finish line.

I was a little rusty. Wash had a little quicker tempo than I'm used to having. But we're ahead of the curve right now. The goal is still April 1.

Last year, I came back too early. This year, I'm following orders and taking it one day at a time. I want to be ready on April 3.

I saw a couple of pitches and slowed everything down and hit the ball hard. I was embarrassed my first time up, but the nice thing about baseball is you can turn it around the next time.

My mechanics felt strong, the ball was jumping off the bat. That was encouraging. ... I didn't feel any pain.

Like I've always said, it's all about timing. I'm ready now. I feel comfortable. It's close. It was good to see a little more movement on the ball.

It feels real good to do what I do. That's why I was happy in there. I'm very encouraged.

I think he's become a better pitcher. He really concentrates on spots more than just blowing you away.

That would be a tremendous career achievement. If batter does that, he enters one of the elite groups of baseball.

You know, it was a heated discussion. Lasted for a while. But, I think everything that needs to be said was said.

Volunteering gives balance to my retirement. You can only play golf and tennis so many hours in the day.

You don't need a special talent. You just need to be a good listener. It is so simple and can make a big difference in a child's life.

We don't need these kinds of distractions, and we won't have these kinds of distractions.

The passion on this team is like I've never seen before in my 15 years here,

There are great young pitchers, guys who can go the distance. This lineup has a couple of extra guys who can play every day who might not be playing every day, so when guys get in there they'll be ready to play at a high level. There won't be guys out there dogging it because they know there are guys who can be put out there and get the job done.

Fifteen years now. I think of all the great teams we've had, and if we'd had this pitching, you never know how many rings we'd have won. But I'm just happy to be around and be a part of this.

Everything is working out well right now. I just can't do what I used to do. I'm not going to run just to be running. I'm not going to continue to pound the thing in and let it flare up. I'll do what's necessary.

I send him a list of the cards I need.

I see the same exact type of team. Great closer. Great starting pitching every night. Great core of hitters. Can score runs every night.

I've always said great things about the fans. I love the fans. They did a lot for me over a 16-year period. They gave me a lot of love and respect and that's never going to change.

They don't have sense enough to move that before it starts rotting.

This means everything to Chicago. If they want a World Series championship, they've got it.

It was a strange year. It happens to one team each year, where everything goes your way. It was a good team last year, but we had a lot of things go our way. We had so many one-run victories. In years before, we always lost those games, or we'd lose half those games.

It's a good moment, but not in the middle of a four-game losing streak. I missed a lot of baseball the last two years. Thank God I'm back playing.

I totally forgot but that's a good sign. I could go a couple more days (in the minor league camp) and then not be afraid to do it. I'm not experiencing any pain, only a little soreness from running.

It's a little empty. I fought so hard my whole career to get here, and the year I'm not able to play we're here. I'm just really happy for the team, though. This is a special moment in the game and you can always cherish this moment because you never know when it's going to happen again.

It's been a slow start, but it's only 17 games.

Swish is a real good kid and he likes to have fun. He has a pleasant attitude and he's just a refreshing piece of energy. I tell him, 'Don't think, just react, and let your talent take over.

It's always special to see that. It doesn't happen very often. I've been in the middle before but not on successive pitches.

I've got nothing to say about the White Sox. Frank has left the building.

It was good to go back and forth, seeing a lot of pitches. After the second at-bat everything felt normal.

Once I go on the field, things will be in place.

I'm not prone (to injuries) at all. I had an unfortunate injury and I was surgically repaired. I chose to come back maybe a month too soon. Now it's feeling a lot better. The point I'm at now is a little better than it was when I returned last year.

I'm not going to kill anyone with my speed, anyway. But if I can go first to third and score from second, that's the main thing.

I'm real close to ready now. I can get in there with the big boys now.

I'm not as far away as people think I am.

I'm just happy to be sitting right here in Chicago and right here at U.S. Cellular Field, holding my Hall of Fame press conference. I'm proud of that.

I normally get no more than 35 at-bats during spring so I'm really on target as far as that goes. I've been playing for a long time, so stepping up from Triple-A to the big leagues is no big deal. It's all about focus.

I relished the '58 game because I was voted in by my peers. I think that age will always go down as the greatest era in baseball history.

I'll finally get some real work in. It will be great to see live pitching for a change.

I put a lot of stress on the front foot when I hit. If I'm healthy, you're going to have a special player.

I just think I deserved better, some closure, in Chicago. If they'd just said they were going in a different direction, it would be fine, but no one gave me any heads up about what was going on.

I don't know how the Angels just let him go.

Chicago should really appreciate this and understand what this is all about. This is the pinnacle.

Hopefully, I'll get hot and make it hard for him to take me out.

He said, 'Just put the bat on the ball and let it happen. Robin got to the point where he walked up there knowing he'd get out.

I do feel I was overshadowed by some of those guys (who took steroids) . . . I had a diminished-skills clause written in after I hit 29 home runs and drove in 92 RBIs, and I think those (steroid-aided home run hitters) are partly to blame.

I always wanted to be the strongest man on the field. Most of the time, they said I was lifting too much but I didn't believe in that at all.

You just can't wake up out of bed and think you can figure out a gym. You definitely need some personal training.

I always took my workouts serious because I have a football background. I came from football, so when I got to baseball, I continued my football workouts in the offseason.

I think the body responds to more reps better than heavier weight. As long as I got those reps in three or four sets, it didn't bother me and I could come down on the weight. Teams didn't want me to do it as much, but that's just the way it is.

As you get older, it gets harder to get rid of that belly but I do a lot of cardio to try to stay in shape.

I'm not cocky. But I'm very confident.

My maturity level is rising. I think there are certain situations that I'm handling better than in the past.

I take a lot of pitches. Some guys hate to do that.

I just have to be myself, and not worry about everyone looking at me and watching.

My focus is on a ring, and giving the best individual performance I can.

I just don't feel like I'm old. I still feel like I've got a lot of years, a lot to give in this game, and I'm able to do it because I love to work.

A lot of guys are free swingers, but I'm up there looking for a specific pitch.

Money doesn't motivate, but stats do.

As you get old, you live and learn.

I always try to overachieve. I feel I have something to prove every day.

The Big Hurt describes me perfectly-not as a person, but as a player. It's what I do to a baseball.

Observe Everything. Communicate Well. Draw, Draw, Draw.

You know, I went through a very public divorce. He helped me out in a spot there, of course. But it was nothing loaned. It was more of my contract.

All I can tell you is that I don't have much to tell you.