Jim Thome

[Jaybo374]

Why is this guy who has just hit 600 career homeruns not given the love in our hobby that you'd expect based on his career numbers? He's been a fan favorite for most teams he's played for. He's never been connected to any scandal I've heard of.

Any thought?

Jay

 

[Soxfan33]

You're right! I have a small Thome PC. He's known as the most likeable guy in baseball (voted by the players in Sports Illustrated), no scandals, and just hit 600 HRs. Only the 8th player EVER!

I don't know if ESPN broadcasted his at-bat, but I don't think they did.

You have a good point!

John

 

[mrmopar]

First players I thought of when I saw this was Harmon Killebrew & Reggie Jackson. They hit a lot of HRs, but also K'd a lot. Thome WHIFFS ALOT! He is only less than 150 K's away from unseating Reggie as the all-time career whiff king.

It may not happen, but if he keeps playing long enough, it will. In his prime, one season and he is the all time leader.

Still, Thome is pretty much a lock for the HOF at this point.

 

[David K.]

This is probably his last season. So its good to see him break 600 home runs and not break Jacksons strikeout record! Best regards, David

 

[bombie1138]

I have no idea why he doesn't get more credit,..Its like a bad steroid hangover,.
If you watch the video,he hugs his father and his father is bigger then him,.
I personally think the guy is a class act,...I'm a Indians fan and the man NEVER did anything to hurt his teammates,..

I think his cards are a steal,..I know of only 4 hard-core JT collectors and I would love to see there collections tonight,..

Congratulations Mr. Thome,..
You did good !!

Clint

 

[budd2222]

Take away the the HR's the rest of his stats are very good but not great
.277 adv. .217 adv. in playoff games but did hit 17 HR's. Never known as a great glove man or base runner. All in all a great power hitter and team player but no flash. I think that is why you see no love for him in the collecting world.

 

[mindbinge]

look at the markets he's played in...

 

[JJLevitsky]

I think the markets he played in is part of it and the steroid era is the other. A lock for the HOF when he is elligible.

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[David K.]

of the 8 players to reach 600 home runs.....Thome had the second fewers at bats....first was of course Babe Ruth! Best regards, David

 

[fatrat]

The markets he's played in has to be the answer! We loved him when he was a Phillie (pre-Howard). He'd have gotten more attention if he was in Yankee pinstripes, for sure!!

 

[baseball24]

He bounces around too much. Players that have been on 5 teams (mostly small market teams) don't get collected as heavily.

 

[valediction]

The markets he's played in has to be the answer! We loved him when he was a Phillie (pre-Howard). He'd have gotten more attention if he was in Yankee pinstripes, for sure!!

Philadelphia and Chicago aren't big markets? (I'm skipping LA because he was a rent a bat pinch hitter at to help in the post season)


As I posted in the other thread, he was part of the crowd most of his career. When he was making frequent playoff appearances, he was in a lineup with Manny, Belle, Murray, Matt Williams, Justice, and guys like Sorrento, Sandy Alomar, and Baerga were also having pretty good seasons, after that, he couldn't get his teams to the playoffs, and as good as he was, he had 1 HR title, and led the league in SLG and OBP one time each. He is the 8th to 600, but 4 of the 7 others were his peers. He's played for 4 teams in the last 10 years, that doesn't help. His post season performances make ARod look solid.

He's a big hitter in an era of big hitters. When your peers are Ramirez, Ortiz, Griffey, Belle, Thomas, Sosa, Bonds, McGwire, Chipper, Piazza,Palmeiro, and later Miguel Cabrera, Pujols, Howard, Fielder, Braun, etc. you need to do something to stand out. He wasn't crazy like Manny or Belle, wasn't chasing season records like Sosa, Bonds, and McGwire, wasn't the gold glove winning, smiling, face of the game like Griffey, the biggest offensive force in the game like Thomas/Griffey, isn't the face of a franchise like Griffey, Chipper, Pujols, etc., isn't a triple crown threat like Cabrera, Pujols, etc.

 

[mindbinge]

problem is that he didn't stay with any team other than Cleveland for a long period of time...he has gone from team to team over the years and didn't play much in Chicago or Philly...I think most people would associate him as an Indian.

 

[tribefan]

Why is this guy who has just hit 600 career homeruns not given the love in our hobby that you'd expect based on his career numbers? He's been a fan favorite for most teams he's played for. He's never been connected to any scandal I've heard of.

Any thought?

Jay

It's fine with me as it's kept his items reasonably easy to get! Over the past 2-3 years, as people began recognizing him as the sure HOFer he is and, as he was making new fans in new cities, the competition has increased for his items.

I'm the local "SuperCollector" and only know of one other collector (in CT, not a Bench member) who is as serious as me. I'll find an occasional team collector interested in him. I'm terribly overdue to showcase some of my better items in pictures. Maybe this off-season as he joins the retirement ranks...

No scandal... he's "country" strong... and I hope it stays that way!
Skeptics like to point out how skinny he was in his early-90s cards. I think we were all a bit skinnier in our early-20s!

Lastly, if anyone is interested in starting a Thome collection, I have thousands available! Of course, if you have anything unusual that I need, I'm interested!


Michael