Team USA 1996: First Base
Frank Thomas
The Big Hurt was one of the biggest names in baseball during the 90’s. Sports card collectors could tell stories about his 1992 Dunross Elite card or his 1990 Topps rookie card with the missing name. The demand for his sports cards, jerseys, and posters was for good reason. He was the prototype for the hitter of tomorrow. Before he and a handful of others burst on the scene at the beginning of the decade, power hitters were fat guys who hit .220 with 40 home runs.
Thomas made his debut in 1990, and it was too late in the season for him to put up rookie of the year stats, but he still played too many games to be eligible for the award in 1991. His first full season with the Chicago White Sox was an absolute clinic. He hit .318 with 32 homers and 109 RBI’s. He also walked 138 times, because unlike past power hitters who swung out of their shoes every pitch, Thomas was patient at the plate.
From 1991 to 1995, he hit .323 with 175 home runs and 564 RBI’s. He sported an OPS of 1.048, and nobody put more fear in the hearts of opposing pitchers. He had a new and unique combination of a contact hitter and a power hitter. If he hadn’t been a 6’5 and 250-pound tight end at Auburn before getting drafted, he might have been suspected of juicing.
Mark McGwire
McGwire, unfortunately, became the face of steroids. It happened after he saved the game of baseball, but the fans who cheered him on and the league he saved from life support turned on him in the blink of an eye. Baseball was dying after the 1994 strike, and the home run chase between McGwire and Sammy Sosa captivated the nation in 1998.
When the 1996 team would have been selected, it would have come after McGwire smashed 39 homers in 104 games, but before he would hit 52. He always had power. McGwire set the rookie record for home runs with 49 in 1987. He was a member of the bash brothers, but he would not stay healthy. He played 27 games in 1993, 47 in 1994, and then finally 104 in 1995. There would be no question that if he were healthy, McGwire would be on this team.
