ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Toronto Blue Jays, you might say, have a slightly different perspective, being that Frank Thomas was hitting .167 with more angry puffs of smoke coming out of his ears (many) than homers (three) when they released him on April 20.
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| Thomas is looking for smiles and success in his Oakland reunion. (Getty Images) |
The view from Thomas?
"Business took me away, and business brought me back," he said before the opener of Oakland's three-game series here Monday night. "It was a no-brainer for me to come back when things didn't work out in Toronto."
Just call him the Big Businessman.
Maybe you've heard, but things "didn't work out in Toronto" because Thomas' batting average was among the lowest of any regular in any American League lineup, and the Blue Jays had this thing going where they just wanted to, you know, win.
And they didn't feel like sitting around and playing Scrabble or something while waiting for Thomas to start swinging the pole. So manager John Gibbons removed him from the lineup, the Big Hurt went into a Big Rage, he wasn't around to shake his teammates' hands after the next day's game and, well, that's how you get out of the remainder of a two-year, $18.12 million deal.
The Blue Jays were funny in that they didn't want a glowering, unhappy guy around to poison their clubhouse, so they ate the rest of the salary and told Frank goodbye.
"I felt like I was never used properly there," says Thomas, who slugged 39 homers and collected 114 RBI in Oakland in 2006 to position himself for that big Toronto offer. "I had a big year here, and then I went there and it didn't seem like I was brought over there to be the main RBI guy.
"Their future was Vernon Wells and Alex Rios, and they batted them fourth. I never hit out of my comfort zone for so long. I was in the five hole, six hole most of the year ... I've never been in that position my whole 18-year career.
"There were so many different people hitting behind me. I've been in the game too long, and if you don't protect me ... last year, our offense was bad and they didn't use me in the fourth or fifth spots. Only a few times."
It should be noted that Thomas was the Jays' cleanup hitter on opening day, 2007. Another slow start last year -- he hit .250 in April with four homers -- led to other things.
"After having so many big years, you've got a situation where you're grooming guys who are going to be stars but they've never done it," Thomas says, continuing his assessment. "Don't get me wrong, they gave me a couple of opportunities at the end of the year in the four hole, and that's when I took off.
"But in spring training this year, it was back to fifth and sixth."
Don't get him wrong, Thomas says. It's not that big a deal.
Except, his patience wore out and he did everything he could to punch his ticket out.
"The rebound is good," Thomas says. "At least there's an opportunity here. There are no demands for me. I'm happy.
"Billy (Beane, Oakland general manager) said he would give me an opportunity. He knows what I can do."
In '06, Thomas' numbers helped push the Athletics all the way to the American League Championship Series, where they ran into a hot Detroit club.
But two years later, at 39 (he turns 40 on May 27), is Thomas' sluggish bat an indicator he's washed up?
"It's still early, it's only April," he says. "I normally don't get going until mid-May. That's been my thing the last four or five years. I don't know why that's the way it is. Survive early, then get going."
Though the Athletics haven't exactly set an alarm clock for the Big Hurt, it's difficult to believe this is an open-ended tryout. If he persists in not producing, well, sweet memories of '06 won't be enough to keep him in the lineup.
Early in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, the A's have gotten surprisingly good pitching from Dana Eveland and Greg Smith, two arms they acquired from Arizona in the Dan Haren trade, and arrived in Anaheim tied for first place with the Angels.
They've got a lineup full of talented kids -- first baseman Daric Barton, outfielder Travis Buck and catcher Kurt Suzuki among them -- and they already had a designated hitter, veteran Mike Sweeney.
Sweeney earned a roster spot this spring, was pleasant enough that he became a veteran magnet for the youngsters in the clubhouse and opened the season figuring maybe he'd remain the go-to guy.
But his surgically-repaired knee has been acting up and the Athletics' bats have been sleepy (12th in the AL in hitting, 13th in both homers and slugging percentage and first in strikeouts). And given that the Angels have been without starters John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar, and Seattle has stumbled out of the gate with Erik Bedard on the disabled list (he returned Saturday), and the A's are tied for first with nearly a month of the season gone ... well, who's to say this opening in the AL West won't remain there awhile longer?
"Are we trying to develop a young team? Yes," Beane said after signing Thomas. "But we're also not running an Instructional League. We're running a professional sports franchise."
To that end, the first Sweeney heard that his DH job might be in jeopardy was ...
"I found out when I saw Big Frank come into the clubhouse one day last week before a day game," the affable Sweeney says. "But I've played against him since '05.
"I gave him a big hug and said, 'Bro, I'm excited to have you.'"
"Frank's a great influence on the young guys," says third baseman Eric Chavez, who saw Thomas in action during that '06 run to the ALCS, but who now is on the disabled list following offseason back surgery. "It's always nice to have a Hall-of-Fame presence, and this team was lacking that.
"It really hasn't been that weird at all. And that's a testament to Mike, too. If anything was weird, it would be with him."
Sweeney says the A's really haven't defined his role now that Thomas is aboard, though it's pretty apparent Thomas will get an extended look at DH and most of Sweeney's time will be at first base (he wasn't in the lineup for Monday's series opener).
"I haven't spoken with the skipper yet, but that's fine," Sweeney says. "The reason I came back to play this year is to be a part of a winning team. I have no control over the lineup. I'm going to encourage my teammates, be a leader and be ready when called on.
"We built too good a thing this spring training to ruin it. And I'm thrilled to play with a future Hall of Famer."
Manager Bob Geren, charged with finding enough at-bats for everyone (already, the A's have been tempting fate this season by playing Jack Cust in left field), says he'll piece things together day-by-day.
"If there's a bad matchup with Frank, we'll let Mike DH," Geren says.
Of course, if Thomas' bat doesn't come around ... heading into Monday's game, his .164 average was the fourth-lowest in the AL. Since landing in Oakland last Thursday, he was 2-for-13 (.154) with four walks and two runs scored in four DH starts.
But the smile has returned to his face, he's back in his customary four hole and he's just sure it's only a matter of time before the baseballs start flying and the runs start scoring.
"I worked too hard this offseason for it not to work out," Thomas says.
Hey, business takes you away, and sometimes business brings you back.
"I'm running great, I'm quicker ... I'm going to go out and get hits and drive in runs," Thomas says. "That's what I do, produce runs. That .300 stuff is overrated. I'm a production guy."
This from a guy with a lifetime .303 batting average coming into this season? From a guy who batted .300 or better in 10 of 11 seasons for the Chicago White Sox between 1990 and 2000?
"That's when I was younger," Thomas says. "Since '03, I've been a production guy."
