Auburn University will honor its alumnus baseball legend and former member of its football and baseball squads with a statue. The statue which will be installed in front of Plainsman Park will be unveiled this Saturday.
Considered a legend in Major League Baseball, and one of only 28 players in MLB history to hit 500 or more home runs, Thomas will now have a statue of him in front of the college’s baseball venue, Plainsman Park. Thomas attended Auburn on a football scholarship in 1986 before he was scouted by famous coach Pat Due to play baseball.
Frank Thomas is no stranger to honor and recognition. The Chicago White Sox had unveiled a bronze statue of him at their stadium 12 years ago, but he told AuburnTigers.com how humbled and honored he felt.
“It put tears in your eyes,” said Thomas, “Thinking when you’re dead and gone, you’ll still be here in a ballpark and people will be able to remember you.”
“It was a double whammy. I just wanted to play football and baseball when I grew up and be the best I possibly could be. Never thought it would end up being in Cooperstown and with statues in two ballparks.”
“I’ve been blessed,” Thomas said, AuburnTigers reported, “to have a career that people always remember.”
Thomas retired with a batting average of .301, winning four Silver Slugger awards and back-to-back MVP wins in 1993 and 1994. He retired in 2008 after a 19-year active career, 15 of which were spent at the White Sox from 1990 to 2005. He also had brief stints at Toronto Blue Jays and Oakland Athletics.
