The Chicago White Sox are once again in a legal tussle with their former star, Frank Thomas, but this time it's over jersey sales.
Back in February, Thomas voiced his displeasure after feeling sidelined in the team’s Black History Month tribute. Although he was mentioned alongside Dick Allen, the first Black player to win an MVP in 1972, Thomas felt his own back-to-back MVP achievements in 1993 and 1994 were given short shrift. This sentiment set the stage for his current legal action.
Fast forward to March 19th, and Thomas has taken his grievances to court. He’s filed a lawsuit against the White Sox, alleging they violated the Illinois Right of Publicity Act.
The crux of his complaint? The team, along with Nike and Fanatics Apparel, has been selling City Connect jerseys bearing his name and number since April 2025 without his consent or compensation.
The lawsuit doesn’t stop with the White Sox. It ropes in big names like the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Chicago Bulls, and major retailers, including Dick’s Sporting Goods and Mitchell and Ness. Thomas claims these entities have profited from his identity, leveraging the goodwill associated with his storied career to boost jersey sales.
Court documents reveal images of the jerseys in question, showing Thomas’s name and number prominently displayed. There’s even a mannequin at Guaranteed Rate Field sporting the iconic number 35, albeit without a name.
This isn’t the first legal skirmish between Thomas and the White Sox. Back in 2011, he settled a lawsuit over a misdiagnosed foot injury that hampered his 2005 season, keeping him out of the team’s World Series journey. Despite being a franchise ambassador since 2010 and having his number retired in 2016, Thomas’s relationship with the organization has been rocky.
The tension dates back to 2002 when a salary dispute with then-general manager Kenny Williams began to sour relations. Matters worsened in 2006 when Thomas was replaced by Jim Thome, and he felt slighted by the lack of direct communication from chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.
Whether these wounds can heal remains to be seen. With recent public disputes, it seems unlikely that Thomas will be making any friendly visits to the White Sox headquarters soon.