Frank Thomas has a torn muscle in his right arm, and the White Sox said Thursday he probably will miss the rest of the season. The 32-year-old Thomas will have surgery next week.
Here are your thoughts on the impact of Thomas's injury:
Bad fortune continues
Thomas's injury is a big blow to a team who really needs his bat, but when two of the starting pitchers (Cal Eldred and Jim Parque) are down and Jerry Manuel continues to let players like Royce Clayton and Julio Ramirez bat, this team didn't have a chance anyways.
David Hains
Indianapolis, Ind.
Sox will grow up quickly
While it sounds like a complete disaster on the surface, it may be an important obstacle for our youngsters to have to negotiate. If they can pull themselves together win some games, get over the .500 mark and maybe even make a run, it will just show them how good they can be on their own (without Frank). This could be a great building block for the team. Let's just hope we can keep these guys together for a couple more years.
Matt Spears
Norman, Ill.
We have no chance anyways
I would be taking this a lot harder if the White Sox were in first place having the type of year they had in 2000. But since they are 10 games out and not playing well, it just doesn't matter.
Sander Falzone
Burlington, Vt.
You know our motto well
I'm a diehard Sox fan and I do not think you will hear Thomas make any complaints about being
underpaid after this season. A tremendous talent worth about a nickel in playoff games. No doubt the Sox may miss his run production and the younger guys will have to step up. The pitching worries me more than the run production. As for the playoffs, being a true Chicago fan, the City motto is " Wait Until Next Year."
Manny Marek
Ellijay, Ga.
Nobody compares to Frank
There's no way you can replace Frank. His effect on the entire lineup is a major factor. The Sox can still score runs, but they'll have to get a strong contribution from someone from Triple-A.
Rich Russell
Washington, D.C.
Thomas is still a voice in dugout
I don't think the Chi Sox's loss of Thomas will make that significant of an impact. While they lose his bat, he will still be in the dugout and clubhouse to continue his leadership. With Thomas out of the picture, it may also ease tensions in the clubhouse due to the Wells/Thomas "feud." In the end, it comes down to this question: Can one man, regardless of his reputation, really boost a team with one of the worst records in baseball into a contender's position?
Kevin Guertin
New Milford, Conn.
"I" in team, Frank
Unfortunately, I believe the White Sox are better off without Thomas. The White Sox are actually one of the few remaining TEAMS in baseball. They won the division as a team last year without a "superstar" to rely upon. Thomas doesn't appear to be a team player unless his numbers are where he wants them to be.
Scott R. Shaw
Crown Point, Ind.
Makes room for Baines' bat
Yeah the Big Hurt is out for the season. I really feel sorry for the Big Guy. The weird part about this injury is that I think the White Sox will still be all right the rest of the year. Now Harold Baines can get some good at-bats the rest of the year.
Mark Murphy
Chicago, Ill.
Thomas loss could be a blessing
The Sox were not winning with Frank Thomas in the lineup. Maybe this will light a fire under the rest of the Sox to step it up and play to their potential. This is a bad situation initially for the Sox, but they will learn how to contend as a group without depending on Frank all of the time. I see a run to the Wild Card or possibly a division title.
Kyle Morgel
Imlay City, Mich.
Good luck Frank
Well I do believe that the White Sox have an outside chance of getting back. But Frank Thomas was such a key to the team ... probably the best all-around batter in modern history ... pretty big pill for the team to swallow... I am a huge Frank Thomas fan and have been for years. I hope he recovers soon.
Mike
Puyallup Wash.
Rest of team must pick it up
It will definitely hurt to have Thomas out of the lineup. The Sox are already in a hole, which means the rest of the team will have to play that much harder. However, as a diehard Sox fan, I believe the rest of the lineup (if they hit like last year) can overcome this. It also helps a lot to have David Wells pitching.
Jeff Welty
Goshen, Ind.
With Baines hot, we can win
This could hurt the team's run production this year. It might not be that bad though, because the White Sox have Paul Konerko to play first base every day. They also have Harold Baines who could heat up and be a team leader in the DH spot. They will have other options for RBI like Magglio Ordonez or Carlos Lee, so they still have a chance to make the playoffs. They are on a four-game winning streak without him, so maybe they can continue to win without him, with good pitching and clutch hitting.
Ben Dill
Almond, Wis.
Grab Castilla!
The Sox without a doubt will struggle. But if they can find another veteran to fill in, that is the real question now. They must find another good hitter to keep their runs up on the board. A good pick up would be Vinny Castilla, since he has been waived by Tampa.
David Khoury
S.D.
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