Baseball Legend Frank Thomas Responds To FOX News' False Death Report

By Jason Hall

December 29, 2023

2014 Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Photo: Getty Images North America

Baseball Hall of Famer Frank Thomas blasted FOX News for falsely reporting his death Friday (December 29) morning.

Thomas, 55, who had previously worked for FOX Sports as a Major League Baseball analyst, called the report "irresponsible" while confirming he was "alive and doing well."

"Ladies and Gentlemen I’m very sorry my ex employer Fox would be this irresponsible on National TV this morning. Yes I’m alive and doing well. This blows my mind also," Thomas wrote on his X account along with a photo of himself smiling.

Thomas, known affectionately as 'The Big Hurt,' was included in FOX News' 'In Memoriam' segment during a live broadcast of 'The Faulkner Focus.'

FOX News apparently confused Thomas, a Black man and one of the most recognizable players of the 1990s, with another former baseball player named Frank Thomas, a White man who played in the 1950s and died at the age of 93 in January.

FOX News anchor Julie Banderas issued a correction for "misidentifying the late Frank Thomas" during the 'In Memoriam' segment.

"The Frank Thomas we showed you, unfortunately, was also a former pro baseball player. He is very much alive. We apologize for that mistake," Banderas said.

Thomas was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame following a decorated 19-year MLB career spent mostly with the Chicago White Sox (1990-05), as well as the Oakland Athletics (2006, 2008) and Toronto Blue Jays (2007-08). 'The Big Hurt' won two AL MVP (1993-94) and four Silver Slugger Awards (1991, 1993-94, 2000), as well as making five All-Star appearances (1993-97) and leading the AL in batting average (.347) in 1997.

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