After a one-year absence, Frank Thomas couldn’t be more pleased to return to the White Sox as a special consultant to business operations.
The Hall of Fame first baseman announced late Saturday afternoon that he has rejoined the club and would work closely with vice president of sales and marketing, Brooks Boyer.
Thomas -- a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 2014 -- had previously left his ambassador role in the White Sox front office when he became a national television analyst for Fox and Fox Sports 1. Though the Big Hurt, who lives locally in the northern suburbs, will continue his work with Fox, he also realized he had enough time and desire to rejoin the White Sox.
“I’m really happy to be back here and to come back with a role to the team that, a place that I spent my entire life it seems like, and to be a help anywhere I possibly can,” Thomas said. “It’s a good role for me because I’m back and forth still with the TV stuff. So when I’m not in L.A., I’ll be here at the ballpark helping out and doing things.
“I’m happy to be back with the team. I always want to be around this team. You guys knew that and I never wanted to leave this place. So many memories, so many years. Just come back now and watch what’s going on, my ex-roommate is the manager. It’s a good thing.”
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The White Sox lost two key ambassadors last season with the deaths of Minnie Minoso and Billy Pierce. While Boyer said Thomas would handle some ambassador duties, he would have a number of expanded duties and a significant role.
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“There will be a corporate hospitality piece to this, where he’ll be Frank Thomas,” Boyer said. “But he’s talked about going on sales calls. He has talked about entertaining at the ballpark. He’s going to sign stuff for charities and a lot of stuff the ambassadors do. But he’s going to talk to season ticket holders, and to be able to put him in front of what’s going on out on the field. There’s no one better than Frank Thomas to talk to him about what’s going on there. He’s going to be a significant part of the marketing department.”