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Big Hurt Countdown to 500 Thread


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Frank Went Deep last night to record his 1st Dinger ( Grand Slam)of 2007.

 

Career # 488

 

 

 

 

 

12 Left to Go!

 

:cheers

 

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=3019742

 

Big Hurt's Monstrous Slam Lifts Jays

Big Hurt Hits Career Homer No. 488, a 453-Foot Grand Slam That Helps Jays Beat Devil Rays 8-5

 

By FRED GOODALL AP Sports Writer

 

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. Apr 7, 2007 (AP)— Frank Thomas hit career homer No. 488, a majestic 453-foot grand slam off Casey Fossum, to help the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 8-5 on Saturday night.

Vernon Wells, Troy Glaus and Reed Johnson also drove in runs for the Blue Jays, who staked right-hander Tomo Ohka to an early 7-1 lead that he was unable to convert into a victory.

 

Tampa Bay, which rallied to win its previous two games, scored four runs in the fourth inning to cut it to 7-5. Ohka was lifted with the Devil Rays threatening again with one out in the fifth.

 

Blue Jays reliever Shaun Marcum (1-0) struck out five of the seven batters he faced in 2 1-3 perfect innings to get the victory. Jason Frasor pitched a scoreless eighth and B.J. Ryan got the final three outs for his second save in three opportunities.

 

Thomas, who signed with Toronto as free agent after spending last season with Oakland, hit a 3-1 pitch from Fossum (0-1) in the second inning for his ninth career grand slam.

 

Reed's RBI double put the Blue Jays up 7-1 in the fourth.

 

Fossum, who missed the final month of last season after having shoulder surgery, allowed seven runs and eight hits in 3 2-3 innings. He walked one and hit two batters before being replaced by Gary Glover.

 

Ohka gave up a first-pitch, leadoff homer to Carl Crawford in the first inning, then held the Devil Rays in check until Delmon Young singled for Tampa Bay's second hit with one out in the fourth.

 

From there, things deteriorated quickly for the Blue Jays starter.

 

Akinori Iwamura walked and one batter later Brendan Harris hit a three-run homer that trimmed Tampa Bay's deficit to 7-4. Ohka made matters worse when he walked B.J. Upton, gave up a double to Crawford and allowed the fourth run of the inning to score on a wild pitch.

 

Toronto manager John Gibbons went to his bullpen when Ohka, clinging to a 7-5 lead, gave up one-out singles to Young and Ty Wigginton. Scott Downs walked Iwamura to load the bases, but the Blue Jays escaped the jam when Downs struck out Dioner Navarro and Marcum fanned Harris to end the inning.

 

From there, things deteriorated quickly for the Blue Jays starter.

 

Akinori Iwamura walked and one batter later Brendan Harris hit a three-run homer that trimmed Tampa Bay's deficit to 7-4. Ohka made matters worse when he walked B.J. Upton, gave up a double to Crawford and allowed the fourth run of the inning to score on a wild pitch.

 

Gibbons went to his bullpen when Ohka, clinging to a 7-5 lead, gave up one-out singles to Young and Ty Wigginton in the fifth. Scott Downs walked Iwamura to load the bases, but the Blue Jays escaped the jam when Downs struck out Dioner Navarro and Marcum fanned Harris to end the inning.

 

Toronto's bullpen allowed one hit over the last five innings.

 

"You get a big lead, and you cough it up sometimes," Gibbons said. "It's tough to stop that momentum, but we were able to do that."

 

Notes:@ Glaus left the game in the fifth inning with pain in his left heel. Gibbons said he wasn't sure if the third baseman would be in the lineup for Sunday's series finale. … Crawford set a Devil Rays record with the sixth leadoff homer of his career, one more than Rocco Baldelli and Randy Winn. … Saturday was the 30th anniversary of the first game in Blue Jays history, a 9-5 victory over the White Sox in Toronto. … Baldelli, who has been bothered by a sore right hamstring, started in center field. He was the designated hitter in Tampa Bay's first three games. … Thomas' grand slam moved him into a tie with Al Kaline for 32nd on the career RBI list with 1,583.

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He destroyed that ball last night, I'm REALLY glad all parties kept quiet this offseason and I can openly root for Frank here in 2007. Hopefully Frank stays healthy, as he'd hit another 40 this year playing 81 at that ballpark if he does. It'll be nice when Mr. White Sox gets his statue at The Cell and gets into the HOF that i'll be able to tell my kids I saw him play.

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QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Apr 9, 2007 -> 06:41 AM)
My favorite player of all time is Frank. However, let me play the devil's advocate. Why is everyone 100% sure that he is "clean". Did he provide Soxtalk a urine sample that I was not aware of?

No one can be 100% sure of anything thanks to Mr. Selig. But Thomas does have a few things working for him. First, he was either the first or one of the earliest people in the game to be out front and saying a lot of people were dirty and it was time for some amount of testing. Back around 2000 IIRC he was saying that, which is an awful lot more than anyone else was doing.

 

Secondly, there's the whole body type thing. Frank was big when he was a rookie. You look at Bonds, Giambi, Palmeiro, Canseco, McGwire...the big sluggers who benefitted so much from the juice...all of them have gigantic body type changes. I mean, come on:

giambi.jpg

 

Instead of having his biceps explode, Frank's athletic shape gradually worsened with time. He gained weight around the midsection, instead of exploding muscles. He did not get better with time, he didn't have insane seasons after age 35 that were historically good, he didn't suddenly start hitting home runs that were 100 feet longer than he was hitting them the year before.

 

It's not an airtight case, but if I had to make it in court, Frank would be walking away. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he admitted he'd taken a drink from the leaded coffee pot at some point, but so many of the lines of evidence people use to make the allegations against other hitters just bounce off of Frank.

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Anybody know what Toronto's Main newspaper is, and a number/address that I could obtain to be able to call in order to purchase a newspaper when he hits number 500? I have over 700 different Frank Thomas baseball cards, and The Suntimes paper when he hit number 400. Also, still have a VHS tape of the game when he hit number 400. Would like to add Toronto's paper when he hits number 500 to the collection someday. I'm sure he'll be on their front cover. Thanks!!!

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QUOTE(Rooftop Shots @ Apr 9, 2007 -> 10:39 PM)
Anybody know what Toronto's Main newspaper is, and a number/address that I could obtain to be able to call in order to purchase a newspaper when he hits number 500? I have over 700 different Frank Thomas baseball cards, and The Suntimes paper when he hit number 400. Also, still have a VHS tape of the game when he hit number 400. Would like to add Toronto's paper when he hits number 500 to the collection someday. I'm sure he'll be on their front cover. Thanks!!!

 

http://www.thestar.com/

 

The Toronto Star,

One Yonge Street,

Toronto, Ontario

M5E 1E6.

 

The main telephone number is 416-367-2000

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QUOTE(Texsox @ Apr 10, 2007 -> 07:22 AM)
It would be a very sad day if it was proven that Frank had taken a steroid. Balta makes a great case, but if I was prosecuting I would point to a couple unique injuries. Who actually tears a bicep?

 

Isn't it a common injury among football players that they can play through?

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QUOTE(Jenks Heat @ Apr 10, 2007 -> 02:05 PM)
Isn't it a common injury among football players that they can play through?

 

Not certain with football players, but it's the first time I can remember a baseball player sidelined. I'm just offering a theoretical counter to Balta's comment. I will say if Frank played is career for the Cubs, Twins, Indians, Yankees, Red Sox, or A's tongues would wag here.

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QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Apr 9, 2007 -> 09:43 PM)
http://www.thestar.com/

 

The Toronto Star,

One Yonge Street,

Toronto, Ontario

M5E 1E6.

 

The main telephone number is 416-367-2000

Thank kind You Sir!!!!May the next greasy wheels that comes into your possession be ones that have a fully restored and tricked out "67" Chevelle SS attached to them!

 

QUOTE(Rooftop Shots @ Apr 10, 2007 -> 04:27 PM)
Thank kind You Sir!!!!May the next greasy wheels that comes into your possession be ones that have a fully restored and tricked out "67" Chevelle SS attached to them!

Note! It would help if I read my reply before hitting the ADD REPLY button! I'll try again....................

Thank You Kind Sir!!!!May the next greasy wheels that comes into your possession be ones that have a fully restored and tricked out "67" Chevelle SS attached to them!

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QUOTE(Texsox @ Apr 10, 2007 -> 12:28 PM)
Not certain with football players, but it's the first time I can remember a baseball player sidelined. I'm just offering a theoretical counter to Balta's comment. I will say if Frank played is career for the Cubs, Twins, Indians, Yankees, Red Sox, or A's tongues would wag here.

I don't know about that. I think that there are specific guys who I can say with some confidence juiced, because I can present evidence in the form of either a body type shift (Bonds, Giambi), a massive surge in power (Brady Anderson, Bonds, Palmeiro), or at least a quasi-competent allegation from a teammate (McGwire). Or a positive test of course (Betancourt, Rincon, Bonds).

 

I'm sure there are a lot of other people out there I should be angry with but can't be. I wouldn't be terribly shocked if I learned that a current or former Sox player juiced (although I'd be really angry). But I think in Mr. Thomas's case, the evidence is such that barring a positive test, I would see no way to convict him, even with the injury.

 

I will grant you the torn bicep is a bit wierd, but it's also worth questionning how many people around baseball even start off with anything close to Frank's body type. But yes, that is one I always found disturbingly similar to the exploding tricep of Mr. tetrahydrogestrinone

Edited by Balta1701
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QUOTE(Texsox @ Apr 10, 2007 -> 07:22 AM)
It would be a very sad day if it was proven that Frank had taken a steroid. Balta makes a great case, but if I was prosecuting I would point to a couple unique injuries. Who actually tears a bicep?

How about another former Sox 1B... Kelly Paris. I vividly recall him having the injury while playing first base, catching a throw to his left, arm extended, as the runner hit him. Hyperextended his elbow, tearing the bicep.

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