Frank Thomas

It sucked because I was injured, 2005.

I played a little over a month that season.

I had a huge impact.

I had 12 home runs and 12, 13 home runs in like 30 days.

But I knew that team was going to win the World Series.

That was the first time I looked at a team that had just as good as pitching, as hitting, defense, relief.

Everything was there.

And I came back early.

So I knew that I was taking a chance of coming back and refracturing an ankle.

The doctor said I needed two more months of healing.

But I told Herm Snyder that year, I said, Herm, this team's going to win it.

I said, I'm not going to miss this.

I got to play on this team.

And I ended up playing.

And then the rest of the year, I basically was a coach.

I really helped my teammates get better.

So it was humbling after driving the bus for so many years in that White Sox uniform to being a bus rider down the stretch in the World Series.

But it made me a better teammate.

Like I said before, I watched guys sit on the bench all the time, didn't think much of it.

But it's hard to sit on the bench and not make an impact as you're used to making and watch success happen.