• Welcome to BradleyFans.com! Visitors are welcome, but we encourage you to sign up and register as a member. It's free and takes only a few seconds. Just click on the link to Register at the top right of the page, and follow instructions. If you have any problems or questions, click on the link at the bottom right of the page to Contact Us.

Jim Thome hits 600th homer

great guy

great guy

who would of thought the former ICC basketball defensive stopper would hit 600 home runs..great guy and great story.
 
gerry said:
who would of thought the former ICC basketball defensive stopper would hit 600 home runs..great guy and great story.
Click to expand...


First off congratulations to Jim Thome! He is a great guy!

and... I knew him for a little while during the minor league years... At that time, I never thought he would hit anywhere near 600 home runs.
 
You are right. Jim was not considered a sure-fire Major League prospect by the Cleveland Indians who drafted him in the 13th round in 1989 as a 3rd baseman. He surprised their scouts by hitting for an extremely high average in the minor leagues, but he was not a big home run hitter in his early minor league career. He hit 16 home runs in his first full season in the minors, but only 7, and 3, in the next 2 seasons. But gradually, he developed more power, and became the Indians every day 3rd baseman. The Indians eventually converted him to a DH/1st baseman.
MLB stats-
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/thomeji01.shtml

Here are his minor league stats-
http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=thome-001jam
 
Old Coach said:
It could be argued that Jim wasn't even the best player on his high school team.
Click to expand...

Maybe he wasn't, and I wouldn't know, but whoever was the best player wishes he was in Jim's shoes tonight. My only regret it that the White Sox traded him to a NL team with a month to go in the season and then didn't try to resign him the next season. He would have hit this milestone a lot earlier.
 
Old Coach said:
It could be argued that Jim wasn't even the best player on his high school team.
Click to expand...
Don't think it can even be argued. If you walk down the main hall at Limestone HS you will see a plack on the wall for the MVP award. You will not see Jimmy's name on it anywhere. His classmate Todd Davis won it all three years. But as Chico said I'll bet Todd would like to be in Jimmys shoes. My son was a year behind those two and played on the same team their senior year. What a pleasure that was to watch those young men.
 
Awesome achievement... Really hoping all the time at DH doesn't hurt his chances for the hall, since as a hitter he's a clear choice. I think the lack of steroid taint will help him out.
 
He will be HOF but not 1st vote -- plus it is possible he might still play a couple years
I have always wondered why a washed up starting pitcher who becomes an effective reliever get special consideration for HOF as "a specialist", but the same does NOT hold true for offensive players.
If they become an effective DH, it counts against them.

Compare Thome's stats with HOF'er Eddie Murray, who played less than 100 games in the field three of his last four seasons and was DH much of his final 5 years.

Thome- 21 seasons, 2456 games, - 8,167 AB, 1553 runs, 2263 hits, 600 HR, 1662 RBI, .277 BA, 67 post season games, 17 hr
Murray- 21 seasons, 3026 games, 11,336 AB, 1627 runs, 3255 hits, 504 HR, 1917 RBI, .287 BA, 44 post season games, 9 hr
 
tornado said:
He will be HOF but not 1st vote -- plus it is possible he might still play a couple years
I have always wondered why a washed up starting pitcher who becomes an effective reliever get special consideration for HOF as "a specialist", but the same does NOT hold true for offensive players.
If they become an effective DH, it counts against them.

Compare Thome's stats with HOF'er Eddie Murray, who played less than 100 games in the field three of his last four seasons and was DH much of his final 5 years.

Thome- 21 seasons, 2456 games, - 8,167 AB, 1553 runs, 2263 hits, 600 HR, 1662 RBI, .277 BA, 67 post season games, 17 hr
Murray- 21 seasons, 3026 games, 11,336 AB, 1627 runs, 3255 hits, 504 HR, 1917 RBI, .287 BA, 44 post season games, 9 hr
Click to expand...

But to a degree, comparing Thome to Murray is like comparing apples to oranges. Murray was the best first baseman of his era and probably in the top five first basemen in MLB history. Murray also played more games at first base than anyone in MLB history. Don't get me wrong, I like Thome, but you can not say that he is the best at his position for his era.
 
Here is a little known fact- among those hitters to reach 600 for their career, only Babe Ruth (6,921) did it in fewer at bats than Jim Thome (8,167).
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/thomeji01.shtml

And here is the top 10-
1) Barry Bonds- 762
2) Hank Aaron- 755
3) Babe Ruth- 714
4) Willie Mays- 660
5) Ken Griffey- 630
6) Alex Rodriguez- 626 (still active)
7) Sammy Sosa- 609
8) Jim Thome- 600
9) Frank Robinson- 586
10) Mark McGwire- 583

as I said elsewhere, I would like to see Jim pass Sammy Sosa, but it might be difficult unless he plays another year. But among those on the list, how many are tainted by the suspicion of steroids? (Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, more?)
 
Beninator said:
But to a degree, comparing Thome to Murray is like comparing apples to oranges. Murray was the best first baseman of his era and probably in the top five first basemen in MLB history. Murray also played more games at first base than anyone in MLB history. Don't get me wrong, I like Thome, but you can not say that he is the best at his position for his era.
Click to expand...


no, but I am saying Jim's stats are not all that far off from Murray's - who got lots more AB
 
Also Murray did his hitting when the league wasn't hitting (unlike Thome's era). I love Thome, but if it were me building a team, Murray'd be my choice between the two.

Which "specialist" reliever are you talking about?
 
Just a bit more on the Murray Thome comparisons, and the "DH implications" that I hope Thome won't suffer from...

Murray played in 3026 games, and he started 2410 in the field (all but 6 at 1B). He also one three gold gloves at first. So in 80% of his career games, he started in the field.

Thome has played in 2456 games, and his started 1594 in the field (with most at 1B, but a healthy chunk at 3B). So he started 65% of his games in the field...

A better comparison may be Paul Molitor who IS a HOFer, played in 2683 games and started 56% of them in the field (at a whole big pile of positions, 3B, SS, 2B, and 1B). I recall Molitor catching some flak on his HOF bid, but he made it so the precedence is there. Depending on how you measure it Molitor may have been a better total hitter, but is even more DH-y. Don't get me wrong, I firmly believe Thome should be in the Hall, I just think that the journalists who vote on these things are hugely fickle.
 
thefish7 said:
Also Murray did his hitting when the league wasn't hitting (unlike Thome's era). I love Thome, but if it were me building a team, Murray'd be my choice between the two.

Which "specialist" reliever are you talking about?
Click to expand...

I'm assuming he is talking about Eckersley. However that argument holds little weight. If anything a pitching "specialist" (closer) is less respected than a guy finishing out his career as a DH. Lee Smith held the saves record for over a decade but has never really been close to making the HOF. That being said we arent talking a career DH like Edgar Martinez here. Jim has played nearly 1600 games at first or third or roughly 10 full seasons. Maybe that would be enough to keep a fringe player out but not someone with 600 HR's. This will be a non-issue in my opinion.
 
Beninator said:
Don't get me wrong, I like Thome, but you can not say that he is the best at his position for his era.
Click to expand...

I think an argument can be made he was the pre-eminent first baseman of his era.

He'll be in. Not first ballot because that's just how they roll. But I can't see them keeping him out now.
 
TheAsianSensation said:
I think an argument can be made he was the pre-eminent first baseman of his era.

He'll be in. Not first ballot because that's just how they roll. But I can't see them keeping him out now.
Click to expand...

If we are talking the era of 2000-09, I think Thome would be among the top 4 in first basemen. not pre-eminent... I think that some fans in St Louis would agree with me.:idea:
 
Beninator said:
If we are talking the era of 2000-09, I think Thome would be among the top 4 in first basemen. not pre-eminent... I think that some fans in St Louis would agree with me.:idea:
Click to expand...

I don't think you can cut off the era for Thome at 2000, it's gotta go back to around 1995. And he was probably #1 in that 1995-2000 stretch.
 
Jim played only 3rd base in 1995 and 1996. He became a full time 1st baseman in 1997. He also played a few games at DH until he became a full time DH for the White Sox in 2006.

Thome.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top