RIP the original Frank Thomas. 93.

[Brian Van Horn]

Rip.

[FrankWakefield]

HE.... was a ball player.

https://www.net54baseball.com/attach...1&d=1673917057




I wrote him in 2001, asking a few questions and for a couple of autographs... he signed both index cards and mailed them back. He was a solid ball player.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Also a fellow card collector and true friend of the autograph world. A house fire several years ago destroyed most of his collection. He spent years trying to rebuild, often asking fans for help in locating cards from his want list. He was a wonderful correspondent to anyone who wished to write him and mailed out Christmas cards to so many fans each year until his health forbade it.

As you can see, he was a very warm person. It's funny, as sportswriters all had a chip on their shoulder about Frank for years. They thought the opposite about him when he first came up. The truth being he was just a shy kid which they misconstrued negatively.

[Mike D.]

RIP

[FrankWakefield]

BillyCoxDodgers, I had forgotten about the fire. I recall reading about that, and I recall a card list... I sent him a card or two, I can't remember the details of that. I reckon that house fire would have been in 2001 or the year before. Most of the time, when I'd acquire a signed 3x5, I'd pencil in the date and source on the back of the card. That's where I found that 2001 date.