Jim Thome

[Bart]

That homer tonight was special. He just killed that ball. Amazing display of hitting on what was actually a tough pitch to hit out. He just crushed it! Way to go Thome

I've followed baseball for decades. The longest homers in every ball park have usually been hit by White men. Ruth, Foxx, Mantle, Howard, Killebrew, Adcock, McGwire to name a few.

 

[white lightning]

Thome does it again. 4 homers in his last 3 games.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/gameflash/2010/09/07/29943_recap.html?eref=sihp

 

[Van_Slyke_CF]

Jim Thome is at 587 HRs now and sits at #8 all-time on the HR list!

 

[jaxvid]

Jim Thome is at 587 HRs now and sits at #8 all-time on the HR list!

I think he's number 5!

1. Hank Aaron 755 HR
2. Babe Ruth 714 HR
3. Willie Mays 660 HR
4. Ken Griffey (40) 630 HR
5. Jim Thome (39) 587 HR

 

[JReb1]

Double post...
Edited by: JReb1

 

[JReb1]

Jim Thome is at 587 HRs now and sits at #8 all-time on the HR list!

I think he's number 5!

1. Hank Aaron 755 HR

2. Babe Ruth 714 HR

3. Willie Mays 660 HR

4. Ken Griffey (40) 630 HR

5. Jim Thome (39) 587 HR

Sosa and A-Rod both have over 600 HR's.

 

[jaxvid]

Jim Thome is at 587 HRs now and sits at #8 all-time on the HR list!

I think he's number 5!

1. Hank Aaron 755 HR
2. Babe Ruth 714 HR
3. Willie Mays 660 HR
4. Ken Griffey (40) 630 HR
5. Jim Thome (39) 587 HR

Sosa and A-Rod both have over 600 HR's.

Who cares? They were/are cheaters. I'm talking about the all-time "non-cheating" home run hitters. Screw MLB if they don't have the balls to police their own game. That doesn't mean the fans have to accept it.

 

[JReb1]

There's no way of knowing for sure that Griffey or Thome never tried or used steroids in their careers but we do know that when Thome is healthy (even at his older age) and PEDs are banned that he's still capable of hitting HR's at a similar pace as his prime so IMO Thome never used PEDs for any length of time and most likely never at all. With the money that was at stake for stats and PEDs not being banned it would be tempting to the majority of players to take them and we know most did.
Edited by: JReb1

 

[jaxvid]

There's no way of knowing for sure that Griffey or Thome never tried or used steroids in their careers but we do know that when Thome is healthy (even at his older age) and PEDs are banned that he's still capable of hitting HR's at a similar pace as his prime so IMO Thome never used PEDs for any length of time and most likely never at all. With the money that was at stake for stats and PEDs not being banned it would be tempting to the majority of players to take them and we know most did.

I agree. I also think it's possible that Griffey Jr. took them too considering his big problems with injuries. If any hard evidence comes out about them like with Sosa and Rodriguez then my list will get changed again.

 

[JReb1]

I have NO problem with your list then. I also considered McGwire the single season HR king until he admitted to taking PEDs so now IMHO it's still Ruth (shorter season) and Maris's records.

 

[j41181]

If Thome continues next season, that's 600+ career homers for him, and why not? He's healthy for his age (40 years), and I'm sure his passion for the game is as strong as ever. Looking forward to his 600th homer.

That magical seasons of 1998 and 1999 (Big Mac's 70 and 65 homer seasons) is forever disgraced by that PED scandal. I still can't believe a highway was named after him. Then again, he was a superstar in his day, really such a shame.

I hope Adam Dunn (despite his defense) doesn't suffer the same fate. Not to mention, he's at 351 as we speak and he's only 30 years old (31 in November). Dunn should have 650-700 homers by his retirement.

Anyway, keep at it, Thome!

 

[white lightning]

I'm so happy for Jim Thome. He made the cover of Sports Illustrated for the first time in his career and it is well deserved. Way overdue too. He also hit homer number #588 tonight. I hope he can hit two more before the season ends which would leave him only 10 from the magical 600 mark. He should be able to pass up Sammy Sosa next year. As long as he goes over 600 I'm a happy fan. Here is the link to the article about him making Sports Illustrated.

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/sports/jim-thome-sports-illustrated-cover-sept-21-2010

 

[JReb1]

It would be nice if Thome can get a WS ring this year with the Twins, that would cement his HOF career and HR # 600 will be the icing on the cake.

 

[Van_Slyke_CF]

Thome finishes this year at .283 with 25 HRs and 59 RBIs and is at 589 career HRs. Let's hope for one more year and 600+ HRs!

 

[Highlander]

Nice to see Minnesota sign Jim to a one-year contract for $3M. Barring injury, he should be able to eclipse the 600 HR mark this season.

 

[white lightning]

This is the best news of the off season by far. I'm so exctied for Jim. He has been one of my favorite players for over a decade now. The 600 homerun mark will put him in with the greatest sluggers of all time. What an honor that will be. Good luck Jim!

 

[JReb1]

Hopefully the Twins give Thome a bigger role this year. Thome can handle 4-500 ABs. Jim hit 25 HRs in less than 300 ABs last year and if he gets close to 500 he can probably still hit 40-50 HRs.

 

[Van_Slyke_CF]

This is good news! I'm looking forward to Jim Thome getting to 600 HRs, and probably a bunch more.

 

[j41181]

I hope this won't be his last season. Barring injuries, he could go on for another 2 seasons. But, he must first slam his 600th homer, then celebrate, and talk business.

 

[foreverfree]

The506.com has a thread going on sports "blessings in disguise". From post #64 of http://www.the506.com/smf/index.php?topic=9594.50 (you have to register to see the forums on that site, where I post sometimes as ixnay):

[A] Phillies-related blessing in disguise might be Jim Thome getting injured in 2005, allowing Ryan Howard an opportunity to get playing time. (As most people now know, Thome and Howard have essentially the exact same body build, and due that linebacker in a baseball uniform build, the Phils did not think Howard could play the outfield - perhaps images of Greg Luzinski in LF danced through their minds. The Phils were looking to trade Howard and keep Thome. There's no doubt Howard has been a better player than Thome since 2005.)

Any CF'ers care to register on The506* to dispute this?

*The site is called The506.com because its founder is from New Brunswick, Canada, whose area code is 506.

John

 

[JReb1]

Thome hit HR #598 last night and is now only 2 away from reaching the rare 600 HR milestone. GO THOME, a future HOFer who plays the game the RIGHT way!

 

[white lightning]

I found a nice article and it is spot on. The guy is getting almost no media coverage. Baseball Fans can even appreciate a guy that did it the right way. Thome is a legend and he will be missed when he is gone. I can't wait to see him make history soon.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31751_162-20088696-10391697.html

 

[Van_Slyke_CF]

Jim Thome with 2 HRs tonight and 600 for his career!

 

[jaxvid]

..to the fanfare of crickets chirping...Thome doesn't fit the script, too white, too nice, no scandal to overcome, no racism to beat, nothing but skill and ability...how boring.

Thome trails only Babe Ruth in shortest number of at-bats to 600. I have never understood why home run percentage isn't more important. Does Pete Roses' hit total make him a better hitter then Ty Cobb? Of course not.

 

[white lightning]

YYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats to one of my favorite players of all time. Jim Thome is a legend and a class act. The guy has been a joy to watch and I hope he continues to play as long as he can. Why not? He is still putting up good numbers. He has 11 home runs this season and he only plays part time. He is on a good team and he plays for a city that appreciates him. Keep on giving us more memories Jim. You are the best and you did it the right way. All hail Jim Thome!