Big Frank's Hitting Analysis

Ok let me methodically go through this:

1) Thomas' approach, swing, and stance has been constant flux since the year 2000. Alot of this has to do with his adjustment to new plate coverage. Since his injury in 2001, his strike zone is no longer than "Bonds" strike zone. Watch the game yesterday, and half the strikes he looked at would NEVER have been called. All you have to do is look at the non calls on Arod and Pujols this weekend to know what I am talking about.

Consequently, b/c his strike zone expanded the inside pitch became strikes. In response to this, Thomas went with an open stance in 2003. At that point he stopped going with pitch away, and began yanking everything. With the new Comiskey park renovations, it was able to yank alot of balls out of the park, as evidenced by his 2003 HR splits.

Frank went back to opening up his stance roughly 50 Abs ago, that's the "adjustment" he referred to in the press. Then all of sudden in the Texas series he went back to his closed stance. Worst of all, he is loading up and going into a "crotch." What appears to be happening is that his elbow is coming with him, and in turn it gives the perception that is he waving at pitches. The weak flyout to right where he one handedly stroked the ball to right was the worst swing I have ever seen him put together.

So to answer your question: (A) When Thomas is standing tall it typically keeps his elbow tucked and he can throw his hands through the zone (b) The crotch results in a hitch and the apparent waving at the ball we saw all KC series. What is distressing right now is that it appears he doesn't really have a plan at the plate, in 2003, he was trying to yank balls on the inner half and flipping balls away to center for hits. Right now, I am unclear what approach he has, 2 out of his last 5 (unofficial) plate appearances he has had check swing grounders. He's a stat junkie and it looks like he is doing too much and pressing. Hence my suggestion to throw him out to 1B or give Walt Hriniak a call.

2. His bat speed seems fine. Right now, he was overpowered a few times due to his hitch from dropping his elbow. Great example if you have MLBtv is his 2nd AB vs Affeldt, he waves at a middle in pitch on 2-1. Very blatant hitch. Take a look. He has turned on Johnson, KRod, Farnsworth all who bring it 98+. He always has killed Colon and the like hard throwing pitchers, bat speed is not an issue right now.
3. Thomas developed the spinout in 2003, it's how he can turn on the inside pitch. Before 2003, Frank NEVER got the pitch called and thus rarely swung at the pitch.
4. In terms of the limping, I can't speak with any authority regarding the extent of his injury. He's limping 10 months after the break, no overly surprising.

Conclusion: Frank generally looks like garbage right now, I was encouraged with what I saw during the stretch of 25 AB to the Texas series. He was hitting the ball hard and it wasn't finding holes. That being said during that stretch he still hit something like .280 with 3 hr or so. Knowing Frank, he knows the splits I listed above and really trying to do too much. We'll see what he does tonight, I sure hope that left foot is back a little bit again. I expect him to sit tomorrow vs Lackey as he has a poor history against him. Then again with Milton out and him struggling, he may push to stay in the lineup till he gets moving.

Load up into a small decompression, but nothing like the crotch I saw this weekend.....

Schmuck....

Im 6'6 and 350!!!

 As a big Thomas fan, I used to frequent WSI (Whitesoxinteractive.com) and post similar analysis of Thomas' swing and usually Aaron Rowand too b/c he had blatant mechanical issues.

I played ball at Lafayette College, small conferance Patriot League baseball, Army, Navy, Bucknell, etc. Among the major leaguers I played against are the aforementioned Hennessey (Youngstown State) and David DeJesus (Rutgers) off the top of my head.