If you do base your opinions by being led by the media, then your take is understandable. You have people here who know some of the principles first hand, and the stories behind what the media puts out to get higher ratings, first hand. Guffaw all you wish, believing the media is just plain naive.
What wrist? Thomas didn't slide last season on two occassions because of a surgically repaired triceps muscle, not a wrist, and anyone who'd ask a player to risk reinjury for a meaningless game is absurd. Surgeries heal enough to play, but take much longer to be as strong as new.
I know Frank Thomas, he is a good friend. He is a very intelligent man. If you watched and listened to his interview last year about the drug testing, you'd have seen that. Thomas is a very trusting person, and gets caught off guard when someone tries to set him up for a 'big' story. He's an athlete, but didn't know the history of racial prejudice in the game and when asked about Jackie Robinson, didn't know. Frank never experienced racial issues until he was an adult, and up in the Majors, and still then only a bit. His experiences are almost ideal, and at least as they should be. The reporter then lambasted him. The ARod thing was the same, the reporter asking a loaded question, Thomas trusting, saying the truth, and getting creamed for it. Did anyone then, or do you now think ARod was worth $16 million more than Thomas, or anyone else in 2000? That was the issue, not that Frank wanted more money, he was happy with his money.
Last summer, at the trade deadline, Ken Williams tried to trade Thomas. He had a deal made, ready to go, with Boston. When several of us heard about it the screaming from the offices was heard in the stands. Some who post here heard the yelling. JR was not aware of the trade, but upon having his friends, supporters and stockholders screaming, he stopped the deal. Williams was PO'd. He and I have not had a civil word since. He vowed he'd get rid of Frank, and Thomas was crushed. JR assurred him he would stay here. I made it perfectly clear what would do if Thomas was allowed to leave the Sox. There is a 'right of first refusal' to Einhorn and Reinsdorf in all outstanding stock agreed to by all the stockholders from the Veeck ownership. It was the only way the sale would go through as they wanted all the shares, no other partners, and we liked 'owning' our favourite team. I made no secret that the first person I'd call was Steinbrenner and sell to him. Both he and I could easily spend the legal fees to irritate someone, George to bust JR's balls, and me to make my point. High level games are fun.
When Thomas' agent died in the plane crash, he did not hire a new one. For all those years, including through the ARod thing and the surgery up until last fall, Frank's 'agent', confidant,close friend and advisor was and still is Jerry Reinsdorf. When have you ever in your life heard of a player who had his owner as an advisor/agent? Those of us who know both men personally understand it perfectly. But it's not something they necessarily want blabbed to the media. Nonetheless, Thomas, who had gotten to camp early in 2000, "slimmed down and with his glove, ready to play" as Manuel said, got bushwacked by the reporter. Thomas didn't know what to do, how to control the mushroom cloud of contoversey, and fled camp, still before the reporting date, and guess where he went? Straight to Reinsdorf. The 'spin' decided in JR's office was to tell the media that Thomas was not going to get any revisions in his contract, and they ran with that. Frank was told, and I witnessed this first hand, I was there and heard it with my own ears, that the 'clause' would be 'taken care of'. Both Frank and I understood that to mean it would be taken out. Up to that point only 4 total people had even seen Thomas' contract, and one of them was dead. Reinsdorf, Thomas' agent, Thomas, but only for his signature, and myself. The contract was kept in JR's office, away from all the rest of the team's contracts. Thomas reported to camp on time, and was advised not to talk to the media.
Last fall, when Einhorn needed transplant surgery, JR's only thought was of Eddie. That's when Williams went into JR's office, technically OK, but morally not, and took the contract and invoked the clause. Thomas was shocked, I was pissed. We were lied to. The 'spin' on that was to call it something other than the 'diminished skills', so 'RPR' was put out, and, technically, Thomas and I were not lied to. It is a business thing, some understand, but most call it playing games. It is, but that's another story. Anyway, Einhorn goes through surgery, is looking good, JR knows he will take care of his friend, and try not to upset his G.M., that's Jerry, and keep me out of his hair, because I'm not always so nice. When KW went to the Dominican to scout, JR got together with Thomas' new agent, a friend of JR's and recommended to Frank by JR, and they made certain that KW's flight back was in the air before they did the new deal. When Williams landed, he got a call from his assisitant, was livid, and called into JR's office. Thomas was on one line, speaker phone, and KW on the other, with JR, Frank's agent and me in the room. Williams, screaming, said "I will trade his ass by the break". JR looked to me to shut my mouth, and no one else said a word. That's where that stands now, though Williams is G.M. in name only. He crossed Einhorn, and that deal is done, I believe HSC has told you all about that. Frank got an offer of more money than his old contract from Danny Evans to play for the Dodgers, but Frank decided to stay here, be closer to his kids, and with the asurrance from JR he'd be taken care of. He was.
That's the gist of the story, there's always more, but the important info is there to help understand that much goes on behind the scenes the fans and media do not know. When it harms my friends, I talk about it. I think both Thomas and JR are fine people, and real Sox fans would love them both if they knew all the truth.
That is a really interesting post. I am going to have to take some time and digest that one. It also fits right into the KW is gone theory too.
