Baseball Writers’ Association of America voted for the players to join the Hall of Fame in 2014 and they focused mostly on Greg Maddux. He was on the verge of being the first player ever to be inducted in the prestigious group by unanimous decision, with a single baseball writer refusing to add him on the list. He had his reasons and explained them briefly in a statement given after the game, but the vast majority of those who casted their votes were completely behind Maddux.
Tom Glavine was also inducted into the Hall of Fame but besides these two remarkable pitchers, the writers’ community also included a prolific slugger. Frank Thomas scored a total of 521 home runs over 19 years and won two MVP awards, so it makes perfect sense for him to be heading to Cooperstown. His admission marks a premier, because Thomas is the first player to have played in the Southeastern Conference to be voted for the award.
He began his career as a first baseman for Auburn and it is virtually impossible to find another hitter that played for this team who can compete with Frank. In Major League Baseball, he made a significant contribution to the Chicago White Sox’s success, where he played for 16 years. He scored a total of 448 home runs and had a .427 on-base percentage, which led to the American League MVP Award being awarded to him in consecutive years 1993-1994.
While the number of pitchers admitted to the Hall of Fame recently greatly surpasses the number of sluggers who won this award, Thomas will be in select company. Pat Williams, Babe Ruth and Mel Ott are the other three players who belong to this elite group and have scored in excess of 500 home runs, more than 1000 runs and 1500 walks and the same number of runs batted in. The ceremony will take place on July 27 in Cooperstown and plenty of White Sox fans are expected to participate.