Spring training is underway and all those happy ball players are reporting to camp. Well, at least most of them are.One notable player missing is the Chicago White Sox designated hitter/first baseman Frank Thomas.Thomas is fresh off his best season in three years in which he batted .328 with 43 homers and 143 RBIs. But poor Frank is upset because he feels underpaid with the huge contracts that Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez signed over the winter.Thomas is making a mere $9.9 million this season as part of a contract he signed in September of 1997 that runs through 2006.Maybe Thomas has a point. I mean $9.9 mil, how is he going to support his family? Oh wait, he is divorced.When Thomas signed his contract in 1997 (at the time making him one of the 10 highest-paid players in baseball), maybe he should have thought, “Well, I’m not sure if I want to make this type of money over the next few seasons, can we make this any shorter?” However, he didn’t; he took the money and ran.What did the White Sox get in return? The two worst seasons of Thomas’ career. In ’98, he batted a career-low .265 with 29 homers and 109 RBIs. In ’99, things were even worse, while his batting average climbed to .305, his homers and RBIs were at all-time lows with 17 and 77, respectively.Did Thomas give any of the $9.9 million back since he wasn’t playing well? No.But now, after a good season he wants more. And he didn’t even make the all-star team.To make matters worse, Thomas is a below-average fielder and most of the time doesn’t play first base but usually sits the bench, waiting for his turn to bat as the designated hitter.The White Sox are a young team. They have a group of future stars such as Ray Durham and Jose Valentin. Their all-star is the hard-hitting right fielder Magglio Ordonez.Frank, be happy you have your $9.9 million, it’s more than the most marketable sports icon in the world made. Before he retired, Michael Jordan wasn’t even the highest -paid player in basketball, and he is the best in the world. He also won championships for his team. After a great regular season, which saw the Sox knock the Indians off the AL Central pedestal, the Sox and Frank slumped in the playoffs and lost to the wild card Mariners in three games.Frank, I know people who give plasma just to pay their rent. When you have to do that, then you can complain. I doubt that Frank has made many trips to Disc-Go-Round to sell back his Baha Men CD to afford McDonalds. So Frank, take this attitude and think what you can do for the team, not what the team can do for you. Be happy with your $9.9 million. And by the way, if you do decide to play and take that money, I’m sure a lot of people have a suggestion as to where you can stuff it.Jeremy Gustafson is a senior in journalism and mass communications from Ogden. He is co-sports editor of the Daily.