"Big Hurt" Frank Thomas released by Toronto; Updated Numbers

[bobskube]

Just reported.

 

Here it is. I have no doubt he will be scooped up by an American League team shortly.

 

http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/story/?id=234740&lid=headline&lpos=topStory_mlb

 

EDITED: Subject for clarity after bump from April...

[Brewer Fever]

Too bad he's not left-handed and capable of playing in the field.

[burniebrewer]

Kind of makes you wonder if there were some real fireworks behind the scenes after Thomas found out about the benching.

[rluzinski]

Toronto just wanted to make sure Thomas did get his $10 mil in 2009. I guess that this is one way to do it.

[BrewCrewForever]

I smell the Yankees signing him.

[twobrewers]

Good for Toronto

[tomwopat]

Can he pitch? We could use another reliever.

[mls4]

I don't know if Toronto made this decision for monetary reasons or what, but it's hard for me to believe that Frank Thomas is not someone who can help that team win this year. He is a future hall of famer that put up good numbers last year. So he's starting slow this year and is in a slump- do they really think he is too old to break out of it? They are going to replace him with a platoon of Matt Stairs and Rod Barajas. Seriously. To me that is a joke and I can understand his frustration.

[Invader3K]

Matt Stairs? I didn't realize he was still even playing. I don't know about Barajas, but there's no way Stairs is an upgrade over Thomas.

[craigharmann]

Can he pitch?

He was a tight end in college....the Packers are in the market for a tight end....maybe he's thinking about a career change?

 

[rluzinski]

Here's what Thomas has done since joining the A's:

 

.319/.417/.516/.933 (91 AB)

 

How stupid does Toronto look after dumping him after 60 bad AB? Even if they were trying to save themselves from having to pay him $10 mil next year, they are still paying him $8 mil this year to rake for another club! The whole situatiuon is just silly.

[TooLiveBrew]

But John Gibbons is a cowboy! He don't take no crap offa nobody!

[rluzinski]

Opps. He's been hurt the last week. But still! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

You made check out Gibbons' Wikipedia page. I thought this was funny:

 

"On May 28, 2005, Gibbons chastised former Toronto starter Dave Bush in the dugout after the right-hander showed his displeasure on the mound about being removed from a game. The next day Bush was sent to the minor leagues. ^{[2][/sup]. After the season, Bush was traded to the Brewers, where the former 2nd round draft pick became one of their top 3 starting pitchers and doubled the number of wins he had achieved in either season as a Blue Jay. [3]"}

[/sup]

[TooLiveBrew]

Of course, let's not forget these two classics!

 

 

"Gibbons was again involved in controversy in July 2006, after his feud with Shea Hillenbrand came to a head. After the former Blue Jays infielder and designated hitter wrote negative comments about the team on a display board in the Blue Jays clubhouse, Gibbons confronted him in a closed team meeting and allegedly challenged him to a fight. Hillenbrand, who has a history of clashing with officials from several teams, was upset about his lack of playing time and that no one in the Blue Jays front office had made an attempt to congratulate him on recently adopting a child. Three days later the Blue Jays traded Hillenbrand, who was hitting .301 at the time, to the Giants.[4]

 

Gibbons was involved in more controversy on August 21, 2006, when he got into a confrontation with another of his players -- Blue Jays pitcher Ted Lilly -- after Gibbons walked to the mound to remove Lilly in the third inning of Toronto's game against Oakland. Visibly frustrated at his own performance (having given up 7 runs in that inning to erase an 8-0 lead), Lilly initially refused to surrender the ball to Gibbons. He ultimately left the mound and headed for the clubhouse. [5]When Gibbons returned to the dugout, he followed Lilly into the clubhouse tunnel where, according to eyewitnesses, Gibbons confronted the pitcher about his insubordination. The two exchanged shoves, and a number of players and Blue Jays staff rushed in from the dugout to break it up.[6] Following the confrontation, both men considered the matter resolved, and there were no apparent tensions thereafter."

 

 

Even classier! Yeah!! U WAANNA FITE MEE!>?

 

(also from Wikipedia)

[sbrylski]

I would guess the Red Sox would be interested, with Ortiz's wrist is it?

[Braminano]

I would guess the Red Sox would be interested, with Ortiz's wrist is it?

Oakland brought Thomas back into the fold there shortly after Toronto released him.

[TooLiveBrew]

Perhaps sbryl thought the thread had meant that Oak released him too?

[samwise]

I think a major part of being a manger is (pardon the pun) managing personalities within the clubhouse. John Gibbons has this "my way or the highway" attitude that seems to create so much conflict. It has hurt his team this year and in previous years. Butting heads with players will not produce good results.

 

I look at Ozzie Guillen and see someone who will attack anyone or anything except the guys on his team. When the guys on his team were not hitting, he went after the GM, not his players, and now they have run off seven in a row. He is so good at the us against the world strategy. Gibbons should take some notes.

[sbrylski]

Perhaps sbryl thought the thread had meant that Oak released him too?

Ah, whoops, correct.

I must not have read this thread at the time, the posts all came up as new.

[dadofandrew]

TOR has a nice cheap team, but has made some odd moves based on $, Thomas and Reed Johnson being two. Whenever money is a major focus, some strange transactions will take place.

[Glennron]

Gibbons definitely seems old-school. Aside from the "my way or the highway", every time I check the Blue Jays box score ( I have a couple players on my fantasy team) it seems like the pitcher throws 120+. I know Halladay is a workhorse, but geeze.

[endaround]

I think a major part of being a manger is (pardon the pun) managing personalities within the clubhouse. John Gibbons has this "my way or the highway" attitude that seems to create so much conflict. It has hurt his team this year and in previous years. Butting heads with players will not produce good results.

 

I look at Ozzie Guillen and see someone who will attack anyone or anything except the guys on his team. When the guys on his team were not hitting, he went after the GM, not his players, and now they have run off seven in a row. He is so good at the us against the world strategy. Gibbons should take some notes.

You must have missed Guillen saying his offense stinks this year and getting into a fight with his shortstop over scoring of plays