Frank Thomas is suing the White Sox, Nike and Fanatics

Hall of Famer Frank Thomas has filed a lawsuit against the Chicago White Sox — the team he played for for 16 of his 19 MLB seasons — over what he claims is the unauthorized use of his image on uniforms.

The lawsuit, filed in Cook County, Illinois, also names Nike and Fanatics as co-defendants, seeks more than $50,000 in damages and demands a jury trial. Thomas’ complaint stems from the team selling City Connect 2.0 jerseys “on or about April 28, 2025” with Thomas’ number No. 35 on the front and Thomas’ name and No. 35 on the back, along with the White Sox’s trademarks, logos, team and Nike branding.

“The complaint we filed alleges violations of the Illinois Right to Publicity Law,” Thomas’ attorney, William T. Gibbs of Corboy & Demetriou, said in a statement to ESPN. “Companies should not take advantage of anyone’s identity without their permission. We believe our file speaks for itself.”

The White Sox said they do not comment on active lawsuits. The Major League Baseball Players Association could not be reached for comment, and Nike and Fanatics declined to do so. A case management hearing is currently scheduled for May 21 in a Cook County courtroom.

This isn’t the first time Thomas has faced friction with his former team. In 2002, when Thomas didn’t make the All-Star team, finish in the top 10 in MVP voting or win a Silver Slugger Award, the White Sox and then-general manager Ken Williams cited a “diminishing skills” clause in Thomas’ contract that reduced his base salary to $250,000 and deferred $10.125 million over 10 years without interest.

In 2006, the five-time All-Star filed a lawsuit against two White Sox doctors, claiming that a misdiagnosis of a broken foot in 2004 aggravated the injury and led to his release in 2005. The White Sox were not a party to the lawsuit, and Thomas and the doctors settled in 2011.

And last month, the White Sox posted a timeline of “significant events” for Black History Month on

Thomas, the American League MVP in 1993 and 1994, is the franchise’s all-time leader in offensive WAR, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and on-base slugging percentage as well as slugging percentage, runs scored, doubles, home runs, runs batted in and walks, among other categories.