DETROIT — Frank Thomas still believes there was sound logic to his approach last spring. It just didn't work. So now, as the 2007 season winds down, the Toronto Blue Jays' designated hitter is talking about doing things differently next March.
He would like to have his own "mini-camp" with hitting guru Walt Hriniak. A young Thomas adopted Hriniak's front-foot style when Hriniak was hitting coach with the Chicago White Sox. And there will be none of this nonsense about using minor-league games to see pitches and only gradually working in against major-leaguers, as Thomas did this year.
"I did what I did this spring after playing a full year, but in my mind I realize now that as you get older, you need more at-bats to be sharp to start the season," said Thomas, who will make $8-million (all figures U.S.) next season, plus bonuses. And he can guarantee himself a $10-million payday in 2009 with a total of 1,000 plate appearances in 2007 and 2008, or 525 plate appearances in 2008.
"I've been a little better the last three months," he added, "but the first three? I scuffled. The more at-bats, the more comfortable you get, the timing gets better. This season, I've never been comfortable."
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- Chicago White Sox
- Detroit Tigers
- Oakland Athletics
- St. Louis Cardinals
- Luis Castillo
- Carl Crawford
- Troy Glaus
- Travis Hafner
- Aaron Hill
- Adam Lind
- David Ortiz
- Lyle Overbay
- Alex Rios
- Kenny Rogers
- Sammy Sosa
- Matt Stairs
- Frank Thomas
- Vernon Wells
Going into last night's makeup loss against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park, Thomas was fourth among designated hitters in runs batted in with a team-high 82 (one behind Sammy Sosa, five behind Travis Hafner and 14 behind David Ortiz) and was sixth among DHs in home runs (21) and seventh in on-base percentage. Last year, Thomas slugged 39 homers and had 114 RBIs for the Oakland Athletics. He saw limited duty in spring training in 2006 because of an injury, and it worked so well, he thought he'd try it this past spring even though he was healthy.
Thomas, who hit his 500th career homer on June 28 in Minnesota, talks with Hriniak on a semi-regular basis. But he did not work with him last winter.
"I've thought about getting together with Walt and maybe having him break me down a little bit, get my mechanics right," Thomas said. "It would just be five, maybe seven days before spring training. I've been fighting my mechanics all year. I'm fighting them now."
Thomas will have a different hitting coach than Mickey Brantley, who is expected to be fired, when the Blue Jays report to spring training next year, but the team needs to make actual changes to their lineup in 2008, too. General manager J.P. Ricciardi is convinced — rightly, it says here — that Vernon Wells and Lyle Overbay won't underproduce as they did this year. Alex Rios and Aaron Hill aren't going anywhere. Neither are Troy Glaus, Wells or Thomas.
So what can he do? First, scrap those silly suggestions that he channel Whitey Herzog's St. Louis Cardinals and play "whippet ball." That won't happen.
Ask manager John Gibbons whether the answer lies in importing a track team or whether it lies in simply giving the lineup more balance and he won't waste a second. The Blue Jays are heavy with right-handed, pull-conscious hitters. They need more punch from the left side, whether it comes in the form of a Luis Castillo type of switch hitter, a lefty-hitting catcher or maturity on the part of Adam Lind. Matt Stairs has been the Jays' most authoritative lefty bat, and while it means he'll get the contract he wants from the Blue Jays, ideally Stairs would be an option off the bench.
The Jays went into last night's game against Kenny Rogers with a 22-15 record against lefties and the second-best batting average in the American League against southpaws (.295).
Given the choice of speed or more balance, Gibbons chooses balance hands down. (Actually, he'd probably like both in the person of, say, Carl Crawford.)
Having Overbay healthy and productive would be a big start, but it says here that Ricciardi must at least consider trading a pitcher for another lefty bat so the Jays can regain their footing against the nibbling right-handers who give them so much trouble.
As for Thomas? He'll be back, which means Gibbons will need to factor his lack of speed into much of his strategy. The key will be to prevent Thomas from becoming a millstone.
Asked what he considered Frank Thomas numbers to be, The Big Hurt smiled.
"I don't know any more at 39," he said. "I did when I was 25 or 26, but not now. I do know my role is more of a veteran role, helping the team somehow with the bat on a daily basis. As for carrying a team at this age? I will have my days and my moments. But it's not like when I was younger."
