A Look Back At Jim Thome’s White Sox Career
I’ve always held a deep appreciation for Jim Thome, both as a player and a human being, and I’m certainly not alone. For example, Google “david ortiz sucks” and you get over 30,000 results. Google “jim thome sucks” and you get 10 results.
That speaks to Thome’s near-universal appeal, and it also speaks to the fact that despite all his on-field achievements and fan-friendly persona, he’s not quite a household name. He’s 12th on the career home run list. His career OPS+, 147, is ten points higher than Ken Griffey, Jr.’s. He’s played in large markets such as Philadelphia and Chicago, but the average man or woman on the street, generally speaking, does not know who he is.
Thome’s career with the White Sox came to a close when he was dealt to the Dodgers on Monday. His three years and change in Chicago have been memorable. When the Sox signed him in 2006, he was coming off a terrible year with the Phillies that prompted a lot of fans and pundits to declare his career effectively over. Upon returning to his home state, though, he hit 42 home runs, notched a .416 on-base percentage, and won baseball’s Comeback Player of the Year award.
His production, while still impressive, has waned a bit since, but he was no less essential to his team’s identity. He scored the only run, a home run, of Chicago’s tiebreaker game versus the Twins last season. A postseason regular in the late ’90s, it was beginning to look as though he might never reach the playoffs again. The photos of him after the game, with his big ridiculous goofy ear-to-ear grin, are emblematic of his career with the White Sox. Always happy, always friendly, always loved his team.
Thome is a Hall of Fame lock (it’s ridiculous to argue that he won’t be a first-ballot inductee), and he’ll probably wear a Cleveland Indians hat on his plaque, but his relatively brief stay with the White Sox will be remembered fondly. Perhaps the most telling acid test: think back to all the insults you’ve heard from Cubs fans. They hate Ozzie Guillen, they hate Gordon Beckham, they hate Jermaine Dye. But I have never, ever heard a Cubs fan speak ill of Jim Thome. It’s almost like speaking ill of Buck O’Neil. It doesn’t make any sense.
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His home run total?
His OPS+ numbers?
His "goofy ear-to-ear grin"?
Mark McGwire, who wore more of a scowl than a grin, eclipses Thome is both home runs AND OPS+ and he's waiting for Cooperstown to call. Sure, there is the suspicion of steroids (nothing proved, mind you...just suspicion), so I get the debate.
Harmon Killebrew who, when he retired, was the all-time leader in home runs hit by a right handed hitter...that's huge. Unlike Thome, he had an MVP award (1969) and was in the top five five other times. He was selected to 11 All-Star games...13 if you include both 1959 and 1961 games, whereas Thome was selected to five. All that added up...he was elected on his fourth try.
Sox favorite Harold Baines can get more than 10% of the vote and compare HIM to Thome and you've got another travesty. His 2866 career base hits (700 more than Thome) means that he has the most hits of ANY player that is Hall eligible. And odds are that had Baines not had two work stoppages during his career, he would have eclipsed 3000 hits. Baines also has the most RBI of all Hall eligible players. Not too shabby.
I guess what I am saying is...don't look at one or two numbers and assume he's a lock on that first ballot. Thome's home run total, while incredible, will not be as eye popping five years after his retirement. Basically, we’ve got a guy who smacked the Hell out of the ball, but was never the most dominant, much less feared, player of his era. And because of that, he'll get lost in the mix.
And hmmm...when I Googled "jim thome sucks" I got 5360 results. I'm just sayin'.