Frank Thomas is a man who means a lot to the city of Chicago–especially if you are a White Sox fan. On Sunday, his former team honored him by hosting “Frank Thomas Day” at U.S. Cellular Field before the finale of a three game series against the Yankees. The Sox retired Thomas’ number and unveiled his picture in the outfield. I’ve never had my number retired, but I imagine it’s an emotional day for a player who is getting one of the highest honors that a former team can provide. They are forever immortalizing you in their organization and I see it as the biggest way a team can say “thank you.”
This isn’t the first time this year we’ve seen emotional speeches in Chicago. Lou Piniella gave an emotional retirement speech a week ago and Jeremy Roenick welled up after the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup victory. If you missed it, here’s the Big Hurt’s speech from U.S. Cellular Field:
I don’t believe anyone can judge Thomas or any other athlete for getting emotional at something this important in their career. In fact, every time I’ve witnessed emotional speeches like these, it reminds me that these guys are just human after all. As a Sox fan, I got emotional watching Thomas’ speech and I’d like to say thank you to the Big Hurt for all the amazing talent and passion he brought to our team. I don’t think anybody deserves it more.
Source:
White Sox honor all-time great Frank Thomas [CSN Chicago]
