
JI- JIM THOME HATH SMOKED A MAMMOTH POTATER SHOT!
Of all the players in Major League Baseball, one of the nicest to ever lace up spikes is the gentle giant named Jim Thome. Throughout his career, I’ve never heard anyone say anything bad about Thome, and all he’s ever done is show up to the ball park, hit like a monster, and do his best to make up for his mediocre defense with an above-average bat. Well, Thome’s been a DH for the last seven seasons or so, and while that’s not helped his case for the Hall of Fame, it hasn’t hurt his hitting. Last night, Jim Thome hit his 599th and 600th home runs as his Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers 9-6.
Now the debate is on regarding Thome’s Hall of Fame credentials. He’s only the eighth member of the 600 home run club, joining Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodriguez, and Ken Griffey Jr. More importantly than that, Thome’s not just a hacker; he has a career OPS of 0.960, which is the 16th highest all time, and he’s drawn the eighth-most walks in MLB history. Sure, he’s second in strike-outs, but he’s behind Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson. Thome has also hit .277 for his career.
Y’know? I’m won over. He got on base despite his strike outs, he draws walks when he has to, and when he makes contact, he hits the ball really far. He’s also been incredibly consistent in his career, with only 6 career seasons over 20 years seeing Thome hit under 20 homers (including this season, which isn’t over yet, and his first three years, when he played sparingly).
Jim Thome for Hall Of Fame. Put the lovable oaf into Cooperstown’s shrine, and let’s not make him suffer for the sins of his era.
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