Fox News apologizes for listing White Sox legend Frank Thomas as dead in their 'In Memoriam'
The MLB Hall of Famer called the network 'irresponsible' in his response
Fox News issued an apology Friday after including Chicago White Sox legend Frank Thomas, who remains "very much" alive and well, in their "In Memoriam" segment earlier that morning.
The mistake didn't escape the notice of the player himself.
The segment featured footage of Thomas hitting a home run and speaking during his National Baseball Hall of Fame enshrinement, with "Frank Thomas, 1968-2023" appearing in the corner.
The source of the mistake was obvious, as a different MLB player named Frank Thomas died Jan. 16, 2023. That Frank Thomas was a three-time All-Star with the Pittsburgh Pirates and played decades before "The Big Hurt" made his debut with the White Sox in 1990.
Fox News' anchor issued the following correction on air:
"We need to quickly issue a correction in the In Memoriam feature that we showed just a few minutes ago. We misidentified the late Frank Thomas, the three-time All-Star for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Frank Thomas we showed you unfortunately was also a former pro baseball player. He is very much alive. We apologize for that mistake."
legendary correction here from Fox News 😆 pic.twitter.com/9mlhaa5t39
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 29, 2023
Thomas, never known for staying quiet on matters, quickly took the network to task. The former Fox Sports MLB analyst called the mistake "irresponsible" in a tweet while posting a smiling picture of himself.
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. pic.twitter.com/FWGlVwOIFS
— Frank Thomas (@TheBigHurt_35) December 29, 2023
The older Frank Thomas played from 1951 to 1966, retiring two years before the Hall of Famer's birth and appearing with seven different teams in a career that saw him bounce among positions and play on the New York Mets' inaugural team.
The younger Frank Thomas retired from MLB in 2009, with 521 career home runs and two AL MVP awards with the White Sox. He earned enshrinement into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot, with 83.7% of the BBWAA vote. His career as a broadcaster saw him leave Fox in 2023, when the network brought in Derek Jeter, and he has since made appearances with Apple TV+.
