Frank Thomas

In July of 1996, Thomas was injured for the first time, ending his consecutive games played streak at 346. It would be the beginning of some rocky times for Thomas, who in 1997 began to let disputes over his contract and outside interests in developing recording labels interfere with his concentration. Additionally, according to Gerry Callahan of Sports Illustrated, there was speculation that Thomas and his wife, Elise Silver, were going through some tough times in their marriage. Thomas, who tends to keep to himself and doesn't bother people with his brooding, told Callahan that, "All I'll say is, I'm a grown man with grown-up problems." His problems increased when he started putting on weight, and though he still compiled impressive statistics, they weren't the numbers Thomas was known for. The shadow of the outstanding player he had been loomed large. He wanted to, and would, get back to that spot.

The tough final years of the 1990s came to a head during spring training in 2000 when a shouting match erupted between Thomas and Sox manager Jerry Manual, involving, among other things, Thomas' refusal, due to a sore heel, to participate in the team's "shuttle run" drill. Though fans worried about what the argument might bode, Thomas and Manual let off some necessary steam, and Thomas went on to compile the numbers he was known for (.328, 43 home runs, 143 RBIs, 114 runs and 191 hits).

In the 2002 off-season, the White Sox exercised a "diminished skills" clause in Frank Thomas' contract. His 2001 season was riddled by injury, and to many, it looked as if the man who had a contract with the Sox through 2006 would now be a free agent. As fall wore on and winter approached, Thomas talked to several teams. But in early December, Thomas and the White Sox came to an agreement, albeit a rather complicated one.

The contract is chock full of options that, according to Scott Gregor of the Daily Herald, sound as if they were concocted "in an economic think tank." Thomas, who has been in the spotlight for over a decade, intends to remain in that spotlight, but this time for the right reasons—gaining his former prominence at the plate and putting up the numbers he's known for.