Out of Left Field

Just a funny note today. Last night, the ESPN bottom line's item regarding the White Sox buyout of Frank Thomas called him "OF Frank Thomas." Obviously, Thomas has never played in the OF, not even for an inning, but he's so incredibly far from athletic that he's one of the all-time worst fielders even at first base. In his everday prime where he actually got a chance to play frequently in the field, he cost the Sox 75 runs against average in 6 seasons.

Year Fielding Runs Against Average Games Played
1992 -17 158
1993 -18 150
1994 -12 99
1995 -10 90
1996 -11 139
1997 -7 97

It's funny that his most comparable player is Jeff Bagwell, as it's hard to think of anyone who looks like Thomas when he plays. The results are nonetheless similar, as they both have had great plate patience and power over their careers, but Bagwell is agile like a cat, while Thomas is an absolute lug. Suffice to say that Fisher DeBerry would rather have Bagwell than Thomas, especially in the "OF."