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Sport Sections
Wednesday, February 28
Thomas reports to White Sox camp


TUCSON, Ariz. – Frank Thomas insists he's not greedy and acknowledges he's got some mending to do with fans following his nearly weeklong boycott.

Frank Thomas
Frank Thomas reported to the White Sox on Tuesday.

The Big Hurt returned to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday after missing six workouts while he tried to clarify his complex contract first agreed to in 1997.

He claimed throughout a 15-minute news conference that his stance wasn't about money and that he never considered not honoring the contract that runs through 2006.

"I did look like a poster boy for greed over the weekend, but that is not the case," Thomas said. "I've never been greedy. I've had a couple of opportunities to be the highest-paid player in this game, and I didn't want to be there."

Thomas, who returned on the mandatory reporting date specified by baseball's labor contract, is due $9,927,000 in each of the next six seasons, but only this year is really guaranteed.

If he fails to become an All-Star, win a Silver Slugger or finish among the top 10 in MVP voting, Chicago has the power to change his salary to $250,000, plus $10,125,000 deferred. If that happens – and the White Sox don't have to invoke the clause – Thomas could terminate the contract and become a free agent.

"It was never a holdout. It was taking days off until we got things clear," Thomas said. "I made no contract demands, I made no trade demands. Money was never the issue. I felt a player who's done what I've done and established a career like I have that certain clauses just seemed unfair to me."

Thomas met Monday night with White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

"Jerry has made no changes. He didn't promise he would make any changes, but he said we would work on it," Thomas said. "If I didn't clear it up, who knows where I would be two years from now?"

Thomas also would like to rework some of the deferred money in his contract. His current contract calls for the team to defer $3,827,000 of each year's salary with interest. He won't get some of that until he's in his 50s.

"Who knows if I'll be here? I've earned my money and it's mine," Thomas said. "I'm not asking for more money. It's my money."

Reinsdorf issued a statement that was both critical and encouraging.

Thomas, he said, "understands the public damage caused by his comments and realizes how hard he will have to work to begin repairing his relationship with the fans.

"Frank Thomas has apologized publicly for his remarks about renegotiating his contract, his delayed arrival in camp and the effect his words and actions may have had on our team and fans."

Reinsdorf and Thomas issued a statement Wednesday denying reports the team made an oral promise to Thomas not to invoke the "diminished skills clause," in the contract, which would allow the team to defer almost all of his salary.

"There is not a gentleman's agreement between us regarding the 'diminished skills' clause or any other clause in the contract," the statement said. "In fact, no promises have been made and no expressed or implied agreements exist, and Frank intends to honor his contract as written."

Before he left camp last week last Wednesday after taking a physical, Thomas complained that he was underpaid in relation to Alex Rodriguez's $252 million, 10-year contract with Texas.

"I said the pay scale is out of whack. We're going in at 7-8-9 million and the bar has been set at 25 million," Thomas said Tuesday.

"Players will have gripes, and that will continue until something is settled, something is done. I didn't say 'Look, this is my stance today and I'm walking out of camp.' It wasn't like that."'

Thomas, who lost his agent Robert Fraley in the Payne Stewart plane crash, said he needed extra days to think about his contract before beginning workouts.

When Thomas first agreed to his contract in 1997, the guaranteed amount of the first four years averaged $7,756,750, the 10th-highest average salary in baseball at the time.

He approached Reinsdorf in December about restructuring the deal.

Reinsdorf denied the team agreed to drop the revised payment clause, but it's always possible he could agree to that in the future.

Thomas acknowledged that fans, whose favor he regained by hitting .328 last year with 43 homers and 143 RBI, probably would turn on him.

He began his news conference by reading a statement in which he apologized to baseball fans, sports fans and his teammates. He said he would discuss the situation with his teammates one on one.

Manager Jerry Manuel, who got into a screaming match with Thomas a year ago in spring training, said he's confident the six-day walkout will not affect his DH, a two-time AL MVP.

"It's as if he never left," Manuel said. "Despite all the distractions we've had, he seems to be in good spirits."

Third baseman Herbert Perry said Thomas won't have any trouble with his teammates. "That will all blow over," he said.

But the fans are another story.

"There will be some backlash because we get paid a lot of money to play a game everybody wants to play," he said.

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 Frank Thomas news conference.
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 Frank Thomas has ironed out contract matters and reports to camp.
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