Jay Bird Watching Podcast

Frank Thomas lays a hand on his own bronze statue at its unveiling outside Plainsman Park in Auburn, Alabama, on Saturday, April 8, 2023. Thomas arrived at Auburn in 1986 intending to play football — three catches as a freshman tight end — before an injury in the fall of 1987 pushed him to focus on baseball, and one of the great hitting careers of all time was born. From 1987 to 1989 he was a three-time All-SEC selection and consensus All-American, leading the conference in hitting in back-to-back years and setting a then-school record with 49 home runs. Drafted seventh overall by the White Sox in 1989, "The Big Hurt" went on to 521 home runs, 1,704 RBIs, five All-Star nods, and back-to-back American League MVP awards in 1993 and 1994, reaching Cooperstown in 2014 as the only SEC baseball player ever enshrined. On a rainy April morning, as fans chanted "War Eagle" and Thomas helped lift the covering himself, Auburn gave him the honor he said completed the trifecta: "This is where it all started for me." ⚾ From Auburn tight end to the Hall of Fame. Where does the Big Hurt rank among the great right-handed hitters? ⚾ 👇️