Frank Thomas - Chicago White Sox, MLB Hall of Fame

1) Frank Thomas is a former first baseman/designated hitter and 2-time American League MVP, 5-time all-star, and 2014 MLB Hall of Fame inductee who played for the Chicago White Sox for 15 seasons. He is widely considered the greatest player in Chicago White Sox history.

2) Thomas is also known as the "The Big Hurt," a nickname given to him because of the damage he inflicted on opposing pitchers and the baseball.

3) A three-sport star in high school, Frank played on the baseball, football, and basketball teams. He earned a scholarship to play football at Auburn University and also played on the baseball team. Ultimately, baseball became his only sport in college and he left Auburn with a school record of 49 home runs.

D: Who is the toughest pitcher you've ever faced?

FT: There's a lot of them. Wow, that's a loaded question! Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Roger Clemens, Jeff Nelson out of relief. I mean there were a lot of great pitchers back there in my time.

D's Follow Up: I do not know any of those pitchers because I was not alive. They must have been great players if they could get Frank Thomas out.

J: What was the hardest part about playing football and baseball?

FT: You know what, it wasn't hard because I did it my whole life. So when I got to college it was no big deal. It was just like it was when I was growing up. All year long I was playing sports, so it was easy for me. 

J: Why did you choose baseball over football?

FT: Longevity. So I could play a long time. 

J's Follow Up: I play sports all year long too. I can see how it would be easy for him because I'm used to playing soccer, flag football, basketball, and golf. 

I think you could play baseball longer than football because you could get hurt and your career could end. I think Frank Thomas made a good choice because he was really good at baseball and played for a long time. 

We are excited to have our friend and the biggest White Sox fan we know, Chris Rhode, help us out with this blog post. We found out late the night before that "The Big Hurt" would be visiting Buona Beef in Orland Park and taking pictures and meeting with fans. We asked Chris if he would like to provide the questions to ask Frank Thomas and if he would share his take on the answers. Chris was excited to help out and lend his White Sox expertise to the blog. Jordan and Danny were excited to ask Chris' questions and Chris delivered with his take and makes this our best post yet. Thank you, Chris!

Chris Rhode with Frank Thomas at Hawthorn Mall, Vernon Hills

Chris Rhode's Take

The following commentary is from our friend Chris Rhode

On the toughest pitchers Thomas has faced

Frank is a 2 time AL MVP, a career .301 hitter, and the owner of 521 career home runs. He is one of the greatest right handed hitters of all time and made many pitchers uncomfortable on the mound. When Frank shares his opinion on the toughest pitchers to face, everyone should consider his opinion valid. He mentions 3 of the greatest pitchers of all time and a journeyman reliever as his toughest pitchers to face. Jeff Nelson was known for his slider and from a sidearm arm slot, he was tough on right handed hitters like Frank. As a lifelong Sox fan who watched the entirety of Frank's career, Nelson is an interesting name as he wasn't the first guy that came to mind when I tried to guess Frank's answer. However, now that I hear his name in this discussion, I remember many tough at bats for The Big Hurt. Nelson typically pitched in the late innings meaning that his appearances against Frank were usually with the game on the line. Frank hit only .161 off Nelson in his career so the numbers support Frank's memory. The fact that Frank mentions him in the discussion with 3 of the greatest pitchers of all time should tell you everything you need to know about how tough he was on a Hall of Fame hitter like Frank Thomas. Jeff Nelson did end up pitching one season for the White Sox in 2006. It was the first season after Frank left Chicago for Oakland.

Chris and Nikki Rhode at Mark Buehrle Day 6/24/17

On the challenges of playing football and baseball

This doesn't surprise me about natural athletes. In my opinion, the thing that makes baseball a great sport is that you don't need to be a certain size to be good at it. Being a big football player gave Frank an advantage to be able to hit home runs but players smaller than him were able to play just as well. Frank Thomas was and still is a big guy so it should surprise no one that he was an accomplished football player but could also hit a baseball a long ways. He was a tight end so clearly he could move pretty well and he would be a tough guy to tackle in the open field. The thing I always think about when watching any professional sport is that these guys that we watch on TV typically played many sports growing up. The skills they learn from the multitude of sports translate in to all sorts of benefits in other sports. Kids these days get specialized in a sport too early and can get burned out on it. I'm glad to hear Frank speak fondly about being a multi-sport athlete. More kids need to grow up playing many sports and experiencing as much as they can.

On why Thomas chose football over baseball

This is a great answer from Frank. The case study for this issue is the fellow Auburn Tiger Bo Jackson. Bo of course played professional football and baseball and had the skill set to be a Hall of Famer in both sports. That would have been an incredible feat but it wasn't to be after Bo needed a hip replacement after getting hurt playing football. He did come back from the injury and made history as the first man to play professional baseball with an artificial hip but he wasn't the same player after the injury. The injury sustained playing football not only ended his football career but it also shortened his baseball career. As I mentioned, Bo could have been an all time great in 2 sports but instead is the poster child for the "what if" athlete. Frank on the other hand, stuck with baseball and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.

A big thanks to Chris for chiming in!

Pedro Strop - Chicago Cubs

1) Pedro Strop was born in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic and is currently a relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.

2) Strop played for three additional MLB teams: the Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers, and the Baltimore Orioles before landing with the Cubs in 2014.

3) Pedro's baseball championships include the 2013 World Baseball Classic with the Dominican Republic national team and the 2016 World Series with the Chicago Cubs.

D: Do you have a lego of yourself?

Pedro Strop: I'm sorry, I'm not exactly sure. 

D's Follow Up: I don't think he knew what Legos are. 

J: What are your favorite fruits and vegetables?

Pedro Strop: Watermelon, strawberries, bananas, and broccoli. 

J's Follow Up: I like all of the same fruits and veggies as him too. I also think it's cool that he speaks Spanish but it might be hard because he can't communicate with his teammates as easily. But I think it would be kind of fun to point, nod, and not have to talk with everyone all of the time. 

We had the opportunity to meet World Series champion Pedro Strop in November at Woodfield Mall. He had over 150 fans in attendance to secure an autograph and snap a photo with him. He took more time interacting with J and D than most athletes do but he even said he's working on his English so they tried their best to communicate with him. It turned out to make the experience even more fun.

Danny asked about Legos and had Pedro confused right off the bat. If had he seen a photo of these sports mini figures or we had one in hand, he may have been able to answer D's question. At the time, we were not sure if Pedro was part of an Oyo Chicago Cubs set or not. Danny was trying to finish up his collection and attempting to gather one of every player we had met. Shortly after our visit we found out he was not a part of the World Series set and does not currently have a figure. 

The fruits and vegetables question was a little easier for Pedro to answer and he quickly came up with his top three which included watermelon, strawberries, and bananas. These three fruits are all J and D approved and happen to be their favorites too. Strawberries top our list and we just had some tonight with whipped cream on top! 

Broccoli also ranks high in our house as the second most consumed veggie. Falling just behind corn, broccoli is one that the boys don't mind eating and will request regularly. Any athlete we meet that shares a favorite veggie with these boys will certainly leave an impression with them.

Although the four of us didn't always understand each other that well, our quick time together was full of smiles and laughter. My only wish was that the boys would have put some of their Spanish to use that they picked up from their Guatemala trip just months before but nerves and excitement caught the best of everyone. We'll be ready next time with our Spanish! We are thankful for our visit with World Series champ Pedro Strop!

Ty Montgomery - Green Bay Packers

1) Ty Montgomery was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft (94th overall).

2) Ty was drafted out of Stanford University to play wide receiver for the Packers but during the 2016 season he made the transition to running back. 

3) Montgomery was a four sport standout in high school competing in football, track, lacrosse, and baseball.

D: I really really like the Packers! How strong do I need to be to catch a ball from Aaron Rodgers?

Ty Montgomery: You need to be strong enough to not let the ball knock you down. No I'm just kidding. You just need to have good hands and catch the ball, that's it...and eat all of your vegetables.

D's Follow Up: I'm good at eating my vegetables. Carrots, broccoli, and corn are my favorites. I don't think I can catch a ball from Aaron Rodgers yet because I need to get stronger.

J: When Aaron Rodgers throws you the ball what do you like to do more: run with the ball or catch it?

Ty Montgomery: Running with it. I definitely like running with it more, yeah. It's a lot more fun to break tackles and run for touchdowns.

J's Follow Up: I like to catch the football as a receiver more than run with it like a running back. I like to catch it first and then make moves. 

Once again, Danny has us featuring a Green Bay Packers player on Vincents Go 3 on 3. His love for the green and gold runs deep and we are having fun watching him meet his heroes. Ty Montgomery was very inviting and he was excited to talk with Jordan and Danny at the Fanatics Show in Rosemont.

Danny might not be ready to catch a game pass from Rodgers yet but he certainly is practicing hard every day and improving his football skills. He started playing flag football and loves to throw "Rodgers cannons" and catch passes like Nelson, Cobb, and Adams. I hope he keeps eating his vegetables, practicing hard and maybe someday he'll get a chance to try and catch one of Aaron's throws!

Ty recently made the transition from wide receiver to running back and he says he prefers to break tackles and run it into the end zone for TDs. It looks like he might have a permanent spot in the backfield and he certainly performed well, especially against my Chicago Bears. Jordan is excited about playing receiver and he's also a natural at running the ball. He has his first flag football game of the season this week and I can't wait to watch him play! Run, catch, or throw, as long as he is having fun I couldn't ask for more.

David Ross- Chicago Cubs and DWTS

1) David Ross' baseball career spanned 15 seasons as he played on the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Cincinatti Reds, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Cubs. 

2) David became the oldest player in MLB history to hit a home run in game 7 of the World Series and his Chicago Cubs went on to win and become World Series champions for the first time since 1908.

3) In season 24 of Dancing with the Stars, David and his partner Lindsay Arnold finished in second place behind New York Giants football star Rashad Jennings. 

D: Do you know if you have a Lego of yourself? I was looking in the Lego store and I was looking for yours.

David Ross: I do. I think I have a Boston Red Sox lego of myself. I think I do. I don't know about the Cubs but I have a Boston one. Let's call Lego and start complaining. 

D's Follow Up: It's cool that he has a Cubs one now because I asked him about it. He was nice to me and I think his Oyo was sold out at the mall.

J: What is your favorite fruit or vegetable?

David Ross: My favorite vegetable is probably corn. My favorite fruit is probably strawberries. I like strawberries, bananas, watermelon and grapes. I like it all. I don't love any of it but I like any of it. I like it cold.

J's Follow Up: My favorite vegetable is corn too and I'm not that much of a fan of vegetables. I love lots of fruits including cherries, strawberries, watermelon, grapes, bananas and apples. My favorite is cherries.

The boys and I met David Ross at Woodfield Mall in November shortly after the Cubs won the 2016 World Series. The buzz of the first championship for the Cubs in over 100 years was still in the air and there were many fans in attendance to meet one of their World Series heroes. Grandpa Ross had a line with a few hundred fans but still took the time to talk with Jordan and Danny and answer their questions.

Danny was obsessed with the World Series Oyo sports figures that were being released with all of his favorite Cubs players. Although they look like Lego mini figures, Oyo has a partnership with MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL and more and they produce mini figures of the top players in each sport. On the shelves we would regularly see Cubs stars Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Jake Arrietta and other top players but David Ross was absent from our search and Danny was on the hunt for his figure. At the time, we were unaware if he was part of the set but at Christmas time Danny found out that David Ross was in fact a part of the Cubs team set as Santa Claus gifted Danny the World Series set!

Jordan loves to ask athletes about their favorite fruits and vegetables! In our house we call those all the time foods and we encourage them to eat as many as they can. I also find it much easier to convince the boys to eat these healthy foods when we know David Ross or other top athletes are eating them. David's favorites are also my favorites and are top picks for our family. When strawberries are in season, I am happy to eat an entire package at a time. Although, oranges that are perfectly ripe and in season are a very close second for me. Corn is also a staple of our dinner table. Although it's nutritional value is lacking corn makes it to the top of the list for me. We also eat a lot of broccoli and carrots in our house. Those seem to be the most kid friendly options for my boys. I agree with David in the fact that I like almost all fruits and vegetables but I don't necessarily love any of them. I recognize the health benefits and I will eat them when available but they don't fall into my favorite foods category. 

We took advantage of a great opportunity to meet a Chicago sports legend in David Ross. He was as friendly as expected and was certainly a person Jordan and Danny can look up to and follow as a positive role model. We wish David the best in his retirement from baseball.

Chris Baker- Professional Golfer

1) Chris Baker is currently a professional golfer playing on the Web.com Tour which is the developmental tour for the PGA.

2) Born in Indiana, Chris' favorite sports teams include the Indianapolis Colts and Indiana Pacers.

3) Chris turned professional in 2008 and is currently ranked 22 on the money list. The Top 25 players on the money list at the end of the Web.com tour season earn a PGA tour card for the following season.

D: At what age did you start playing golf?

Chris Baker: I started playing when I was 7 years old. My parents moved to a nine hole golf course and I started playing every day.

D's Follow Up: I turn seven in a few days and I want to start playing more golf. I got a chance to hit balls at the driving range with my dad and I liked it. 

J: Did you play any other sports growing up?

Chris Baker: I played everything but football throughout high school. Cross country, basketball and I played tennis my freshman year along with golf. 

J's Follow Up: I think it's cool that he played more than just one sport. I like that he's so good at golf and played all of those other sports. I play golf, soccer, flag football and basketball but I like to play everything.

Jordan and I were fortunate to win VIP passes through our local radio station, 102.3 XLC, to attend the Rust-Oleum Championship at the Ivanhoe Club in Mundelein on Saturday. We were excited to watch professional golfers and future PGA stars up close. We also hoped there would be an opportunity to meet a golfer or two as the early rounds were coming to a close. 

We missed having Danny with us as he played his final soccer game of the season but Jordan was happy to take over for Danny and ask his question should the opportunity arise. Jordan and I began taking notes on drills as golfers took practice strokes on the putting green. The golfers used a variety of objects and unique drills to perfect their alignment and putt the ball straight. 

One player we watched closely was Chris Baker, who was tied for sixth place at the time and had a 1:00 pm tee time. Chris hit 20 straight putts from our count that were 6 feet from the cup. Jordan and I were amazed that we never saw a miss but what made it even more impressive was that he was putting the ball off of a metal yard stick. The ball had to stay completely straight for three feet or otherwise it would fall off of the side and miss the hole completely.

Chris spotted us and came over to introduce himself and ask a few questions. We decided to return the favor and Jordan took on Danny's question first. Chris started golfing at age seven which is also the same age Jordan was when he started The First Tee program at our local golf course. When Chris' parents moved next to a golf course it quickly became his passion and he started playing every day. We are hoping Danny will start up soon now that he turns 7 in a few weeks and can follow in Jordan and Chris' footsteps. I think seven is the perfect time to get started but it's also never too late to become a golfer either. Golf is the ultimate lifetime sport and it quickly became my favorite sport to play. I began my golfing career as a freshman in high school when I was inspired by the play of Tiger Woods and I have loved the game ever since.

Next up came Jordan's question about playing other sports while growing up. As we notice in all professional athletes, Chris was a multiple sport athlete. He was into running with the cross country team, basketball, golf and even had a brief tennis career. We have not met an athlete yet that specialized in a sport early on and never played on other sports teams. I believe the skills carry over from sport to sport and so does the fun. Jordan and Danny love to play everything right now and they wouldn't want it any other way.

As we were heading off to watch shots fly into the ninth green, Chris invited Jordan into the putting area to try putting off of the yard stick. He helped align Jordan's feet, checked his grip and made him feel like a pro. It took a couple of putts but Jordan eventually sunk one in the back of the cup! Chris Baker gave Jordan and experience that he and I will never forget. We will be cheering Chris on the rest of the year and we hope he makes the Top 25 to get his coveted PGA tour card.

Paul Hornung "The Golden Boy"- Green Bay Packers

1) Nicknamed "The Golden Boy", Paul Hornung is a former football player for the Green Bay Packers. He played from 1957 to 1966 under legendary coach Vince Lombardi.

2) Paul Hornung is the first pro football player to win the Heisman trophy in college, be drafted #1 overall in the NFL, win the NFL Most Valuable Player Award, and also be inducted into the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame.

3) Durning the 1961 season, Paul was called to active duty to serve in the U.S. Army. Hornung was able to get weekend passes in order to play in games on Sundays throughout the season. He was also given a pass to play in the NFL Championship vs. the New York Giants thanks to Vince Lombardi's friendship with President John F. Kennedy.

D: What was the best part about having Vince Lombardi as a coach?

Paul Hornung: Well, first of all, he was the best coach in the world. The #1 coach. We all enjoyed playing for him and the best part was we won. When you're winning everyone is pretty happy.

D's Follow Up: My soccer team is the Red Dragons. It feels pretty good to win. When we win we cheer for each other and we all leave the field happy.

J: What was the best part about being in Super Bowl 1?

Paul Hornung: The best part about the Super Bowl is that we won. Our team did what we set out to do at the beginning of the season. We had the best team at the time.

J's Follow Up: I know how it feels to have the best team because my soccer team is the best in our league. In the first half of the season we were undefeated and in the spring we had one loss and one tie. It felt good to win almost all the time and it was fun to be around my teammates all the time.

What an awesome opportunity we had to meet one of the greatest players in NFL history, Paul Hornung. I knew of the Golden Boy but didn't realize how special he was both in college and when he played professionally. I'm impressed that he was the first player to be inducted into the College and Pro Football HOF along with winning the Heisman trophy, getting drafted #1 overall, and winning an NFL MVP award. It's a feat that may never be accomplished again!

When I saw that Mr. Hornung was scheduled to appear at the Mars Cheese Castle in Wisconsin, I knew this was the perfect time for Danny to meet his first Packers legend. A terrible storm slowed us down on our way to Wisconsin and apparently scared away many other Packers fans too. It turned out to be perfect for us. We asked him questions about his Packers days and Vince Lombardi and got an up close look at his Heisman Trophy ring.

Danny asked about Vince Lombardi and the message we heard from Paul Hornung's answer was to fun of winning. It's true that when you're winning, it's easier for the team to stay positive. Players will be happier being around each other throughout the long football season if they are winning and in good moods. Winning is something that happened often for the Packers in the early 60's. Ultimately, you play to win the game and Paul and his teammates were great at winning more often than not.

Jordan was curious about Paul Hornung's Super Bowl 1 experience. After meeting him, I did some more research and we found out that he was the only player who did not play in the Super Bowl that year because of injury. He was out most of the 1966 season with a severe neck injury and didn't want to risk further injury by playing in the Super Bowl. Despite this, at the end of the day, Hornung was one of their best players and he earned his first Super Bowl ring but looking back on it I'm sure he wishes he could have played a snap in what is now known as one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

A few months ago, I read the book Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin. It was fascinating to read about Jim Thorpe and all he accomplished as an athlete. There was so much I didn't know about football! For example, I didn't know it started off as a sport that was played in college before it became a professional sport and I didn't know football was initially played without any passing of the ball. At the same time, I learned that Jim Thorpe was an American Indian, how he and his team were treated, and the lasting impact they had on the game of football. 

Reading books like Undefeated helps me learn about history through the context of story. Meeting Paul Hornung was an opportunity to meet someone who was part of history in person. It was inspiring to talk to someone who played such a big role in football history. After we met Mr. Hornung, my dad told us that he remembers Paul Hornung and looked up to him as a role model when he was young and played football in high school. I hadn't heard of Paul Hornung before we met him but now I know just how amazing he was in college and in the NFL. 

I love that our kids get to meet athletes but that they ask them questions about what they have accomplished on and off the field. The famous athletes we cheer for on TV are people too. People who have worked hard to achieve all that they have and who have accomplished so much through hard work and dedication. They make it look easy but the truth is, it takes a lot to be a successful athlete. Meeting current athletes and legends like Paul Hornung is a great opportunity to learn about what it takes to play at a high level and about current and past sports history. 

Le'Veon Bell - Pittsburgh Steelers

1) Le'Veon Bell was picked by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft out of Michigan State as the 48th overall pick.

2) Le'Veon's NFL accolades include 2 Pro Bowl selections and 2 All-Pro selections and during his college career at Michigan State, he was First Team All-American and won a Big Ten Championship.

3) Bell's nickname "Juice" comes from his head coach Mike Tomlin which refers to the fact that he never runs out of battery and has a tough workout regimen. 

D: What can I do to get as strong as you? I like push ups.

Le'veon Bell: You like push ups? You are on the right page then. Keep on doing push ups.

D's Follow Up: I need to keep doing push ups to keep getting stronger. He kind of makes we want to keep doing them. I like Le'veon Bell because he's fast and strong.

J: Did you ever get caught playing tag on the playground? 

Le'veon Bell: Caught playing tag? Yeah, I've gotten caught before. Yeah, I've definitely been caught before. 

J's Follow Up: I'm surprised he got caught because he's the fastest on the field and barely gets touched. I don't think I would have caught him when he was my age. 

We love watching Le'Veon Bell on Sundays when he's playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Le'Veon has a unique running style. He stays patient, waits for his blockers, and then bursts through the hole for large gains on the ground that often lead to multiple trips to the end zone. Jordan and Danny got to spend a few minutes with the Pro Bowl running back and had the opportunity to ask him their questions a few weeks ago at the Fanatics Convention.

Danny continues to be enamored with athletes and learning how to workout like them. He took the opportunity to tell Bell he likes push ups and wanted to know what else he should be doing to get strong like him. Push ups are an easy choice for Danny because they require no equipment and he can stop what he's doing at any time to do a few. Le'Veon tells Danny he's on the right page and I couldn't agree more. The perfect whole body workout for anyone at any age. These boys are influenced by their favorite players so I see more push ups in Danny's future.

Jordan's question went back to Le'Veon's childhood as he wondered if he was ever caught when he played tag. When we watch Bell on Sundays we noticed how elusive he is and how difficult it is to wrap him up for a tackle. Combine that with his speed and we think he would have been nearly impossible to catch as a kid. As a PE teacher, there is always that one kid nobody can catch and we assume Le'Veon was that guy. 

What a cool experience for us to go 3 on 3 with one of the top players in the NFL Le'Veon Bell!