The Chicago White Sox have found themselves in the crosshairs of Frank Thomas once again, but this time in the courts.
In February, Thomas warned the White Sox that he was “taking receipts” after only being mentioned in a brief aside in the team’s Black History Month post. While Thomas was included in the context of Dick Allen becoming the first Black player to win a league MVP in 1972, with Thomas later winning back-to-back MVP awards in 1993 and 1994, that limited mention was enough to irk the Hall of Fame slugger, who spent 16 of his 19 major-league seasons on the South Side.
Over a month later, it appears that those feelings have not subsided. On March 19th, Thomas filed a lawsuit against the Chicago White Sox, accusing the team of violating the Illinois Right of Publicity Act, by selling City Connect jerseys featuring his name and jersey number since April 2025, without his permission or compensation.
While the case is filed as Thomas vs. the Chicago White Sox, the defendants include Nike and Fantatics Apparel. Several high-profile entities are also named, including the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, the Chicago Bulls, and major retailers such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Mitchell and Ness, and MLB Shop Fan Services are also listed as possible defendants.
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According to court documents, Frank Thomas alleges that Nike, Fanatics, and the White Sox profited from using his identity for commercial gain by selling the new “City Connect 2.0” jerseys without his consent. In doing so, Thomas argues the team “commercially exploited the goodwill associated with Frank Thomas’s name and uniform number in connection with the White Sox and Nike branding to promote and increase sales,” and further leveraged “the goodwill associated with Frank Thomas’ professional baseball career” to enhance the jerseys’ marketability.
The lawsuit also includes photos of two White Sox City Connect jerseys with his name on them, as well as a mannequin displayed at Guaranteed Rate Field with the number 35, but no name on the back.
This isn’t the first time Frank Thomas has been involved in a legal dispute tied to the Chicago White Sox. In 2011, Thomas settled a lawsuit against doctors contracted by the team, alleging a misdiagnosis of a fractured foot in 2004 led to a reinjury the following season. The setback limited him to just 34 games in 2005 and kept him out of the White Sox’s World Series run.
Even after being named a franchise ambassador in 2010 and having his No. 35 retired in 2016, tension has lingered between Thomas and the organization. In 2002, then–general manager Kenny Williams and Thomas clashed after the team cut his salary using a “diminished skills” clause—just the beginning of a strained relationship.
That friction escalated in 2006 when Thomas was effectively replaced by Jim Thome. He was angered that chairman Jerry Reinsdorf never personally informed him he wouldn’t be returning, a courtesy Thomas felt he had earned as the greatest player in franchise history. Williams only intensified matters, publicly calling Thomas an “idiot” and telling him to “stay out of White Sox business.”
Whether that relationship can ever be fully repaired remains unclear. But after multiple public clashes this offseason, it’s hard to envision Thomas being invited back to 35th and Shields anytime soon.
