Frank Thomas Wants To Hit a Home Run So Bad, It's Driving Him To Tears

Since coming over to the Athletics from the Blue Jays, Frank Thomas has been hitting a lot better than he was in Toronto, though he's not tearing the cover off the ball or anything. In fact, after his first twelve games back in Oakland, the Big Hurt has more triples (1) than home runs. Something tells me that the A's didn't sign Frank for his speed, though, and generally wanted some power production (though any team that allows their players to wear those uniforms probably deserves what they get).

Frank hasn't provided any, but it's not for lack of trying. In fact, Frank even admits he's basically been trying to do nothing but hit home runs, even passing up on off-speed pitches he knows he can hit because he knows he won't be able to poke it over the fence.

"I'm trying to go deep," the A's designated hitter said before batting practice Tuesday. "I really am. I have a good swing right now. I have a good approach, it's just the results aren't there."

He's been trying so hard, in fact, that after flying out to the center field warning track on Monday Thomas said, "I try not to show emotion, but I wanted to cry."

Unfortunately for the A's and Thomas, the harder Frank tries to go deep, the less likely he's going to be able to hit one. In all the years I watched Frank on a daily basis with the White Sox, he went on his biggest long ball tears when he wasn't trying to do to much at the plate. He was just so strong that sometimes that outside breaking ball he was just trying to go the other way with would keep on going for about 450 feet.

If he wants to start hitting the long ball again, he'd be better served to swing at those pitches he's passing on and just think up the middle, and those home runs will come back a lot quicker than expected.