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In a sport so rich in tradition and history -- Jim Thome is now a member of the elite 600 club. Only eight men can claim such a feat. Here’s ESPN.
“In the 7th with two on, two out, the twins up 6-5 Jim Thome steps right into the history books.
“Curveball hit into the air to left field, that’s hit well. Young is back, at the fence it is gone! Jim Thome has hit his 600th!”
The day after -- the media reflects on a respected legacy. After an era of performance-enhancing drugs, records and accomplishments were shattered but tainted. ESPN’s Tim Kurkijan says we won’t need to put an asterisk next to Thome’s name.
“In the aftermath of the steroid era that no longer means certain induction in the Hall of Fame. But by all indications Thome hit his 600 cleanly, with no aid from PED’s. Instead it was a combination of work ethic, tremendous strength and the ability to hit home runs. … Now Thome joins Bonds, Hank Arron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr, Rodriguez and Sosa, in the 600 home run club which was once a more revered club -- but to which Thome brings honor.”
Not only was he never linked to steroids -- but he’s liked and respected across the sport. A blogger for CBS Sports says -- that’s a big deal to Hall of Fame voters.
“You can scoff if you want, but the Baseball Hall of Fame specifically tells voters to consider integrity and character. When Thome hit his 600th home run Monday night, the response on Twitter was overwhelming. From former teammates to long-time opponents to baseball writers to opposing managers to fans, the message was the same: There is no one in baseball nicer or a better person than Thome.”
A man not driven by ego -- rather for the love of the game. A former teammate and analyst for the MLB Network echoes that -- by describing Thome’s impact on other players.
“In this game its easy to get caught up in yourself. But if you are continually giving, and passing things on. Hey things happen for ya. … Listen, this is one of those guys that’s touched a ton of guys in his twenty year career. There’s hundreds of guys that can say Jim Thome impacted their career, and as a person more importantly.”
But critics have pointed out -- Thome hasn’t played the field since 2007 -- and some call him one-dimensional. Thome’s rebuttal – out of some 17,000 major leaguers -- only 7 have hit more home runs. And a reporter for the StarTribune says -- soon, it could be just six.
“I want Thome to stay healthy enough and Gardy to give him enough at-bats that he can take serious aim at the nine home runs needed to catch Sammy Sosa for seventh place on the home run list.”
BY CHARLIE MCKEAGUE
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