Auburn opens Hall of Fame Club: 'The start of something great'

AUBURN, Ala. – Touring Auburn’s new Hall of Fame Club before Friday’s ribbon cutting ceremony, Frank Thomas paused at its centerpiece, a plaque that highlights his achievements in the SEC and Major League Baseball.

“I know the Cooperstown plaque is special,” said Thomas, a 2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee. “That one is even more special. That’s a lot of detail on that. It looks like the young Frank Thomas at Auburn and I’m extremely proud of it.”

A tribute to the SEC’s first hall of famer, the club features 108 premium seats behind home plate at Hitchcock Field, along with 3,000 square feet of club space decorated with pictures from Thomas’ All-American career at Auburn from 1987-89.

“It blew me away,” Thomas said. “Sometimes you don’t realize how much you’ve accomplished in life. It’s so humbling for me to come back to Auburn. This is where it started for me.

“Making it to Auburn was my big thing out of Columbus, Georgia. I got a full scholarship and thought, I’ve got to max this thing out by making it to the next level, and then from the next level to the Hall of Fame.

“I’m overwhelmed. I never expected it, but I worked and dedicated myself in my craft, day in and day out, and I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished.”

Prior to the ribbon cutting, Thomas addressed an audience that included Auburn coach Butch Thompson, athletic director John Cohen, City of Auburn mayor Ron Anders and Auburn University president Dr. Chris Roberts.

“I’m so humbled and very proud to be here today,” he said. “It’s always great to be back in Auburn because this is where it all started for me. Nothing but positive vibes here and good times, hard work and dedication. It got me ready for the next level. Every time I come back here there’s a humble joy when I get here.”

While Thomas’ plaque is the first to be displayed in the Hall of Fame Club, Cohen announced that other program legends will follow.

“It’s my hope that the walls of this club will display a new class of hall of famers each year and will give future and current players both a sense of history and a hope that maybe one day their plaque might be in this beautiful club,” Cohen said.

“This is the start of something great,” Thomas said. “All the great players we’ve had here are going to start to line up that wall. This is going to be amazing to see.

“I’ve always wanted to leave a legacy and leave my name stitched in gold, and this is it. This is overwhelming. I never expected a club with my name on it.” 

Before entering the Hall of Fame Club, Thomas and his family took a minute to visit The Big Hurt’s statue outside Plainsman Park that Auburn unveiled last April.

“I’m blown away,” he said. “Seeing that statue brought tears to my eyes.”

Auburn can thank Frank Thomas Sr. for steering his son to the Plains in 1986.

“I just wish my dad was here,” said Frank Jr., whose father passed away in 2001. “My dad was the biggest Auburn fan in the world. He was one of the reasons, along with Coach Dye, that I chose to come here instead of going to the University of Georgia.

“My dad said, ‘I want you there because I want to be close enough that I can drive every day,’ and he meant it. He came to more practices than any dad. My dad loved it here and he used to say, ‘War Eagle’ more than anybody, so I’m so proud of this moment.”

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer