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Congrats to Jim Thome -- now with 507 HRs

Does 500 get him into the Hall of Fame?

I think he is a bit to much under the radar nationally and will have to get well into the 500's for Hall of Fame election.

Of course here in Houston they are convinced Jeff Bagwell is a Hall of Famer. I personally think he has as much business in the Hall of Fame as I do.
 
houstontxbrave said:
Does 500 get him into the Hall of Fame?

I think he is a bit to much under the radar nationally and will have to get well into the 500's for Hall of Fame election.

Of course here in Houston they are convinced Jeff Bagwell is a Hall of Famer. I personally think he has as much business in the Hall of Fame as I do.
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I'm gonna have to stand with you on this one. He just didn't play long enough in the majors to warrant HoF for a 1st baseman. His numbers are good and he was a top player in his prime... I just don't think he quite has the career numbers to put him in.

I hope Thome will make it, but I think he needs a couple more decent seasons, because of the amount of time he's spent as a DH.
 
I think Thome is going to fall into the group that is questioned about the steroid issue. Not that there has ever been anything <to my knowledge> about him using. He is just unfortunate to have hit all his home runs during the era that writers are going to feel is tainted. If he can play another couple years and hit 25-30 each year he will stand a much better shot at HOF induction with 550 career HRs. His OBP is over 1.000 for the year so he is still a quality hitter with a good eye at the plate. I personally think he will eventually get some consideration. That being said how could one even compare him to the great Ron Santo and look what his career got him!

corilon
 
PJ Star column about Jim Thome
http://pjstar.com/stories/091207/KIR_BEB8MDO2.077.php
http://www.pjstar.com/php/index.php?/sports/chicago_thome_stays_at_498_homers/


But here's some thing maybe I need an explanation for....

Kirk Wessler says this in his column (cut and paste)...
"Jim is listed as 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds. That's 50 pounds more than he weighed when the Indians called him up from the minors in 2001.

First...I have stood right next to Jim Thome, and I think he may be a bit under 6-foot-3.

But...the most puzzling comment is the one about being called up in 2001 from the minors by the Indians.........
....since when was Jim Thome in the minors in 2001?
He played the entire season with Cleveland in 2001, just as he did in 2000!
Is this just a typo?
 
Jim Thome is not HOF.
500 HR is almost moot now, when you have 15-20 players like Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee, Adam Dunn, Eric Chavez, Pat Burrell, Adrian Beltre, etc. all on pace to get 500 HR in their career.

The ball is juiced, everyone is training better, and ball parks are smaller.
If you don't believe it, look at the dimensions of the Polo Grounds (440 to the alleys and 483 to center), the old Cleveland Stadium, etc. that all had 440 and more to hit it out in center.
Whatever the reason, holding to the same standard in home runs, is like holding to the same standard in complete games, as things change.
(here's a fact- no pitcher since 1999 has had even 10 complete games pitched in a season!
But the record is 75 - yes 75 complete games in a season. the modern record since 1920 is 36 by flame thrower Feller in 1946, and most teams had at 3 guys who were over 15-20 complete games each season)

I like Jim Thome and even Frank Thomas, but both are one dimensional. They swing for the fences and all too often leave runners stranded by striking out.
In fact Thome has led the league in strikeouts more often than he has led in HR, RBI, OBP, Slg Pct, hits, and BA combined. At least Thomas has a couple MVPs but Thome does not.
He needs more for me to consider him HOF, sorry.


As for the Wessler comment, no way. Thome was not called up in 2001 by Cleveland, that's totally false. He spent time rehabbing in the minors in 2005 and 2007 but before that he hadn't been in the minors all the way back to 1992. It's just another Wessler-ism.
 
Chillout said:
Jim Thome is not HOF.
500 HR is almost moot now, when you have 15-20 players like Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee, Adam Dunn, Eric Chavez, Pat Burrell, Adrian Beltre, etc. all on pace to get 500 HR in their career.

The ball is juiced, everyone is training better, and ball parks are smaller.
If you don't believe it, look at the dimensions of the Polo Grounds (440 to the alleys and 483 to center), the old Cleveland Stadium, etc. that all had 440 and more to hit it out in center.
Whatever the reason, holding to the same standard in home runs, is like holding to the same standard in complete games, as things change.
(here's a fact- no pitcher since 1999 has had even 10 complete games pitched in a season!
But the record is 75 - yes 75 complete games in a season. the modern record since 1920 is 36 by flame thrower Feller in 1946, and most teams had at 3 guys who were over 15-20 complete games each season)

I like Jim Thome and even Frank Thomas, but both are one dimensional. They swing for the fences and all too often leave runners stranded by striking out.
In fact Thome has led the league in strikeouts more often than he has led in HR, RBI, OBP, Slg Pct, hits, and BA combined. At least Thomas has a couple MVPs but Thome does not.
He needs more for me to consider him HOF, sorry.


As for the Wessler comment, no way. Thome was not called up in 2001 by Cleveland, that's totally false. He spent time rehabbing in the minors in 2005 and 2007 but before that he hadn't been in the minors all the way back to 1992. It's just another Wessler-ism.
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Thome will end up playing a few more years, even if he plays only 3 more and has lets say 20 each season then he is at 560 give or take in Home Runs. There is no way that he will be kept out of the Hall of Fame with that amount of home runs But also remember hall of fame voting is based on a lot of criteria including conduct, post season accomplishments along with regular season numbers. Thome is about as highly respected as anyone who has ever played the game, his post season stats are also among some of the best all time and his overall numbers when all is said and done will be among some of the best of all time.

He might not be a first ballot hall of famer but he will eventually have his place in Cooperstown.
 
Jim Thome just hit his 500th home run at Comisky Park for the White Sox.

Congratulations, Jim!

He becomes just the 23rd player in the history of MLB to hit 500 career home runs.
 
WOW, a game winning, 2-run walkoff homerun for his 500th homer. That's the most I have ever seen Jim show any emotion!
 
As a Limestone Grad class of 88, a person who played baseball with Jim in High School and have known him and his sister for a very long time, I am extremely proud of Jim not only for his 500th home run but for the character and apprciation he shows for the opportunity he has to be a major league baseball player.

Throughout the past few weeks what has become more evident then anything is how he is admired and respected throughout major league baseball. From black to white to hispanic players all say one thing regarding Thome, he is a class act both on and off the baseball field.

Anyone who has ever associated with Jim or admired his performances on or off the field, this is a day to congratulate the newest member of the 500 home run club.

I personally can not wait to make my first trip to Cooperstown the weekend he is inducted into the Hall of Fame.
 
First off congratulations to Jim Thome. I agree with most people on this thread that Thome will need 2-3 years of stats to increase his chances for the Hall of Fame. I remember talking to Jim in the late 80'a and early 90's here in Peoria during the off season while he as a minor leaguer in the Indians organization. He was a class act then and he remains a class act today.
 
I see the paper has another column selling the idea that JT beloings in the HOF now.
I think Thome's accomplishments can stand for themselves, but at least two of Kirk
Wessler's arguments are just plain fantasy. Jim Thome has played nearly 400 games as a DH, way more than any other guy in the HOF except one. And that guy also played over
2400 games at 1st base - more than anyone in history (even Lou Gehrig) and more than twice as many games at 1st than Thome.
Then the argument about the smaller parks is false. Maybe Wessler has never seen Thome hit a home run, but he certainly has never seen him hit one down the left or right field line.
If the only support he can find about the parks not being smaller are some stats about the distance down the lines, then he might as well be arguing tiddley winks. Thome never hits
down either line. Thome's sole claim to fame is his power and like almost all power hitters, they make their living between the alleys, and that's where the ball parks are so dramatically
different and shorter today as Kirk freely admits.
And steroids have affected thinking on this. When 2nd basement bulk up and hit 35 homers,
then I think everyone comes under suspicion.
 
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