BY DANIEL LOCKE
FOR THE OBSERVER
AUBURN —
It has been 24 seasons since baseball legend Frank Thomas has suited up to play for the Auburn Tigers, but the unveiling of a statue outside of Plainsman Park this Saturday made it feel not so long ago.
“To see that statue, it really brought a tear to my eye because it is perfect,” Thomas said. “Absolutely perfect. They nailed it. And it looks like me in college, not in the pros.”
Many people braved the weather on Saturday morning, not just to gather under what few dry areas there are in Jordan-Hare Stadium to watch the culminating event of Hugh Freeze’s first spring as the head coach of the Auburn football program, but to witness one of Auburn’s historic baseball players be enshrined in greatness for many years to come.
The likes of these people included Auburn fans, Chicago White Sox fans, many of Thomas’ former teammates and coaches, as well as his family and more.
“The Big Hurt” is a nickname Thomas is often referred to by, meaning that Thomas caused a lot of pain to those he played against because he was so gifted on the baseball field. There was no hurt going around on Saturday, quite the opposite in fact, as people gathered to celebrate the occasion.
There was no shortage of stories about Thomas to go around during the ceremony that proceeded the unveiling. Many notable representatives of Auburn University, such as president Dr. Chris Roberts, head baseball coach Butch Thompson and more shared the impact that Thomas has had on them.
Roberts talked about scraping change together to take a train into Chicago to watch Thomas play for the White Sox during his time as a Ph.D. student at the University of Notre Dame.
“Frank Thomas was the standard bearer for me when it came to Auburn University,” Roberts said. “You [Thomas] were the person who put in my mind that Auburn stood for excellence.”
Auburn athletics director John Cohen, who played against Thomas at Mississippi State, listed some of Thomas’ accolades and compared them to other achievements people have made.
“We got to witness a generational level of excellence that rarely exists in college athletics,” Cohen said, including that Thomas is one of four players in MLB history to reach 500 home runs, 1,600 walks and post a .300 batting average. “Only 12 people have ever walked on the moon. In my opinion, in so many ways, Frank, you’re our Neil Armstrong. Thank you for going to the moon and thank you for taking Auburn University with you.”
Hal Baird, a legendary Auburn baseball coach who led the program during Thomas’s time, made some remarks about how special Thomas was to the team.
“His competitive spirit and his will to win,” Baird cited as characteristics that set Thomas apart. “Winning was very important to him and when he was at Auburn, we won. His mind worked in a way like no young baseball player I had ever seen.”
Thompson mentioned how beneficial it is to have a player like Thomas for the current Auburn baseball players on the team to look up to.
“To get to a day like this marks exponential growth and I know the best is yet to come,” Thompson said. “Our players, through their highest of highs of Omaha and through their grind of tough days, have examples. Frank, you’re another example for us all. For our student-athletes, for our university, for our future generations.”
Thomas was quite successful in the MLB. The two-time MVP, four-time Silver Slugger and five-time All-Star is currently the only SEC player in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Thomas has undoubtedly left a legacy, both at Auburn and in baseball as a whole, that will never be forgotten. The first-ever statue outside of Plainsman Park will remind fans of that legacy every time they come to a game.