Dec. 16--The White Sox acquired Todd Frazier from the Cincinnati Reds as part of a three-team trade, but they're getting more than just an All-Star third baseman.
1. By his own admission, Frazier's swing can be ugly. "My butt goes out. I swing with one hand sometimes," he told USA Today in July. "It's kind of like Vlad Guerrero kind of swings though he's definitely a lot better than me right now. It doesn't matter how you look or how pretty you are, it's just a matter of getting the job done. That's always been my motto."
2. Speaking of unorthodox swings, is it possible to hit a no-handed home run? During a game against Colorado in 2011, his rookie season, Frazier lost his grip on the bat just as it made contact with the ball, but he put enough power behind the swing to send Jamie Moyer's pitch 374 feet into the left-field seats.
3. Also during his rookie year, Frazier saved a choking diner at a Pittsburgh restaurant by applying the Heimlich Maneuver.
4. As a 12-year-old, Frazier hit a home run to help the U.S. team (Toms River East of Toms River, N.J.) beat Japan 12-9 in the 1998 Little League World Series championship. "I just wanted to get things started and get everyone excited. After the hit, it meant a lot to me that I could show off my homerun ball to everyone," Frazier said, according to littleleague.org's archives.
5. Frazier is so Jersey that he attended Rutgers University and considers Frank Sinatra one of his favorite singers. He has walked up to the plate to standards like "Fly Me to the Moon" and "Come Fly with Me." "My Way" roared from the Great American Ball Park sound system after he won this summer's Home Run Derby. But based on the following clip, he will not be named the White Sox's designated singer.
Bonus: Frazier comes into Chicago ahead of the game on nicknames. He was called the Toddfather in Cincinnati and his Twitter handle is @FlavaFraz21, like Flavor Flav, only way more amusing.
plthompson@tribpub.com
