You have beating up Tiger pitching for years.
So you stroll into Comerica Park with 598 home runs and rub it into my face by hitting 599 and 600. Hope it gets you into the HOF. DAMMIT.
Word.
Thome always seemed like a good guy. One of those players that you had a hard time hating even if he was beating your team with a long ball.
Thome is genuinely a good guy. I saw that he recently topped an MLB-wide poll to that effect earlier this year. As it happens my father-in-law has met him a few times at charity events and has nothing but great things to say about him…not what you usually hear about athletes at those.
I haven’t followed baseball (especially AL) closely for years and was shocked to see that Thome was still playing. In his 20th year? I guess that’s what the DH can do for a career. Good for him.
If Thome doesn’t make the HOF we will know that there is a conspiracy.
Its amazing that these days a guy that doesn’t take every chance to make an ass of himself doesn’t get the attention they deserve.
One of my favorite players of all time is Harold Baines. What a great guy! He was humble, kept his mouth shut, did everything he could for the team and had a stellar career. He DH’d a lot due to knee injuries but was a great right fielder prior to that. He was/is an all around good guy. Yet, when I post this there are probably few that even recognize his name.
What’s really unfortunate is that, to some people, his most recognizable accomplishment was being traded to the Texas Rangers for Sammy Sosa while George W. Bush owned the team. The trade was not as lopsided as it looked but hey, the media will make what they will of it. (I’m not making excuse for GWB.)
http://www.hallofverygood.com/2009/12/hall-of-fame-2010-harold-baines.html
Mewl Dear, it’s one game. Thome has been working at this for a long time. It’s OK, even if he does live on Tiger pitching. Raise a glass for a good guy!
I met him a few times, he’s a pretty nice guy. His brother(? might’ve been cousin) was my Little League coach. Thome came by at the end of the season and signed baseballs for everyone. It’s still the only baseball signed by a pro that I have.
I have never in my life heard the word “nice” associated with a pro athlete more than Jim Thome.
First-ballot HOF, and maybe first choice of pro ballplayers you’d want as a brother-in-law.
I read today that he has hit 65 (over 10%) hrs vs Detroit.
If Thome doesn’t it make it on the first ballot there’s a conspiracy.
There’ll be a conpsiracy. It would not surprise me at all if Thome has to wait a year or two. Why, you ask?
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Because some writers are assholes who won’t vote for anyone on the first ballot, or who will only vote for the likes of Tom Seaver on the first ballot.
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Because no matter the evidence or lack thereof, Thome was a big home run hitter in the Steroid Era, so some people will question him.
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Thome has never won an MVP Award, has never even gotten a first place vote. He’s just been really good for a really long time. He usually doesn’t make the All-Star team. The voters prefer guys with big time highlights.
You may be right for all the reasons you listed. I hope not.
Point #1: It’s interesting you mention, of all players, Tom Seaver. Wasn’t it Dick Young who had a personal vendetta against Seaver and ran him out of New York? Other than the venom that Young spouted there was absolutely no reason to trade the guy. Talk about asshole writers . . .
Point #2: Where does this shit ever get worked out. The pitchers were juiced too. Anybody ever hear of Roger Clemens? That is not to excuse guys like Bonds and Sosa. They turned themselves into physical freaks. CMIIW but I never heard that about Thome. The other one was Frank Thomas. He was born with the body that Bonds and Sosa wanted to turn themselves into. He had it in college. It didn’t suddenly appear after he started playing baseball.
Point #3: We’ve always heard that longevity is a top consideration in making the HOF. Now some voters may want to say that is not important?
Anyway, no argument from me about anything you said. Just want to further contribute.
Exactly. Just as you hear the juiced argument with Rodriguez, Sosa, McGwire and Bonds, you always hear the clean argument with Bagwell, Thomas, Thome and Griffey. I believe all will get in on the first ballot (yes, even Bagwell).
Bagwell already didn’t.
In fact, the only reason he didn’t is probably that some people just assume he’s dirty, too.
2011 was Bagwell’s first year on the ballot and he got 41.7 percent of the vote. I think he should get in and that he eventually will, but it’s going to take a few more years and he’ll need to survive the glut of first-ballot guys over the next couple of years.
Damn, Bagwell’s been out five years already?
Next year is Biggio’s first year of eligibility. It would be fitting if they go in together.
And just to elaborate and reminisce a bit. Griffey was not all that big. But when he was with Seattle he had the sweetest, most pure swing in all of baseball. He wasn’t some huge guy just muscling it over the fence. Being about average in size, he was hitting tape measure home runs with the purity of his swing. His swing was a thing of beauty. It’s too bad he sort of flamed out.
As an Indians fan, I now forgive him: Jim Thome returns to Indians with sense of history, regrets - cleveland.com
Frank Thomas was a TE at Auburn.