Frank Thomas says his stats aren’t fake, confident of Hall of Fame entry

Frank Thomas is confident that he will be elected into the Hall of Fame next year. (Elsa/Getty Images)

Former Chicago White Sox first baseman Frank Thomas thinks he has done enough to gain entry into the National Baseball Hall of Fame when his name comes up on the ballot later this year and says his stats are legit unlike some other players of the steroid era.

Thomas finished his career with a .301 batting average, 495 doubles, 1,704 RBIs and 521 home runs. He also won two American League Most Valuable Player awards.

“I think I’ve done enough to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” Thomas said Saturday at the team’s fan convention.

“Watching all the nonsense unfold and not really knowing what was going on, it makes me much more proud of my career,” he said. “I competed in that era. I played at a high level in that era. There are a lot of great players, but as it unfolds, a lot of it was not the real deal. I know 100 percent I was the real deal.”

Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Roger Clemens did not make it into the Hall on their first year of eligibility amid steroid use suspicions. Mark McGwire received 16.9 percent of the vote in his seventh year of eligibility. Seventy-five percent of the vote is needed for election.