Jim Thome has been hitting home runs for nearly as long as I’ve been watching baseball. To be exact, he’s been hitting them since October 4, 1991, when he hit a two-run shot off of Steve Farr in the top of the ninth inning to give the Indians a 3-2 win over the Yankees. Since that night in 1991, he’s moved on to Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, and now Minnesota, and he’s kept on homering. With two last night against the Tigers, Thome joins Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, and Sammy Sosa as the only big leaguers to hit 600 home runs.
Thome’s showed some impressive durability to get to 600. Over his long career, he’s averaged 39 homers per 162 games, which means that it’s taken 2,455 games over 21 seasons to get to 600 homers. Between 1995 and 2010, Thome topped 30 homers in every single season except for four (he hit 25 in 1995, seven in an injury-riddled 2005, 23 in 2009 despite spending the final month of the season as a pinch-hitter for the Dodgers, and 25 in 2010), he topped 40 homers six times, 50 once, and lead the National League in home runs in 2003.
While some players stretch their careers out to reach milestones long after their usefulness is past, Thome’s still producing at a reasonable pace. Even in 2011, which most would call a disappointing year for him, he’s hitting .243/.352/.459. He’s just a year removed from a 25-homer seaso in platoon DH duties with the Twins. Big Jim’s slowed down a bit, but he hasn’t cost anyone anything to get to this milestone and if he wants to keep on slugging for another year or two, there will probably be a team out there that will want to give him a chance.
Perhaps the best testament to Thome’s career is this: when he was 26 and playing for the Indians, he hit .286/.423/.579. Last year, admittedly as a DH in a more reduced role, he hit hit .283/.412/.627. He can’t play the field the way he used to and lefties give him a bit more trouble, but even last year at the age of 39 he was still Jim Thome and even this year at age 40, he’s better than a lot of other DHs and first baseman in the American League. Unless you’re a once-in-a-lifetime talent or you suddenly develop 60-70 home run power at a suspiciously late stage in your career, that’s what it takes to get to 600. The ability to hit the ball over the fence and to do it a lot for a very long time.
We baseball fans live in an era where steroids have left an entire generation jaded. Records fell so regularly in the late 1990s and early 2000s that sometimes it seems hard to get excited about another guy hitting 600 homers. But watch the video of Thome’s 600th. Look at the joy on his face as he rounds the bases. Look at his teammates just pour out of the dugout for the guy and the way he hugs each and every one. Look at how happy he is to share his crowning baseball achievement with his dad, his wife, his kids. This is why milestones still mean something, so that guys like Jim Thome can reach them and so that we can cheer for him when he does. Congrats, big guy.
Also last night: The Brewers stayed hot with a 3-0 win over the Dodgers and now lead the NL Central by six games. The Giants dropped another game to the Braves and now trial the Diamondbacks by 2 1/2. The Rangers topped the Angels 8-4 to stretch their AL West lead to five games. And pretty much everyone stayed up late to find out if their favorite team signed their first round draft pick or not. Full results here.
Tonight’s games: James Shields and Jon Lester are locking horns in Boston at 1:05 in the top end of a double-header if you’re looking for some mid-afternoon baseball to get you through your work day. The Diamondbacks will try to maintain that NL West lead against Roy Halladay and the Phillies, who may be waiting for them in the Division Series should they hold on in the West. In the other western division (and way out west), the Angels cling to life against the Rangers, with Tyler Chatwood taking the mound against Derek Holland. Full schedule here.
