Jim Thome facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jim Thome |
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Thome in 2015
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| First baseman / Designated hitter / Third baseman | |||
| Born: August 27, 1970 Peoria, Illinois, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 4, 1991, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 3, 2012, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .276 | ||
| Hits | 2,328 | ||
| Home runs | 612 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,699 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2018 | ||
| Vote | 89.8% (first ballot) | ||
James "Jim" Howard Thome (born August 27, 1970) is a former American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 22 seasons, from 1991 to 2012. Jim Thome was known as a powerful hitter. He hit 612 home runs during his career, which is the eighth-most all time. He also had 2,328 hits and 1,699 runs batted in (RBIs). His career batting average was .276. Thome was chosen for five All-Star teams and won a Silver Slugger Award in 1996. In 2018, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Thome grew up in Peoria, Illinois, in a large family of athletes. Many of them played baseball and basketball. After attending Illinois Central College, he was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 1989. He made his big league debut in 1991. Early in his career, Thome played third base, but later became a first baseman. With the Indians, he helped the team reach the playoffs five times in the 1990s. This included playing in the World Series in 1995 and 1997. Thome played for Cleveland for over ten years. After that, he joined the Philadelphia Phillies in 2003. He then played for the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, and had brief returns to Cleveland and Philadelphia. He finished his career with the Baltimore Orioles. After retiring, Thome took on an executive role with the White Sox.
Jim Thome was famous for his power hitting. In 12 different seasons, he hit at least 30 home runs. He hit over 40 home runs in six of those seasons. His career high was 52 home runs in 2002. In 2003, he led the National League with 47 home runs. He was also good at getting walks, with 12 seasons of at least 90 walks. This helped him finish his career with a .402 on-base percentage. In 2011, he became only the eighth MLB player to hit 600 home runs. Thome holds the record for the most walk-off home runs with 13. He had a unique batting stance where he pointed his bat at right field before the pitcher threw. This was inspired by the movie The Natural. Thome was known for his positive attitude and friendly personality. He was also very involved in charity work. He received awards like the Roberto Clemente Award for his community efforts.
Contents
- Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
- Starting His Professional Journey
- Minor League Years (1989–1991)
- Playing for the Cleveland Indians (1991–2002)
- Time with the Philadelphia Phillies (2003–2005)
- Playing for the Chicago White Sox (2006–2009)
- Short Time with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2009)
- Playing for the Minnesota Twins (2010–2011)
- Returning to Cleveland (2011)
- Second Time with Philadelphia (2012)
- Final Season with the Baltimore Orioles (2012)
- Life After Playing Baseball
- Jim Thome's Playing Style
- Personal Life
- See also
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Jim Thome was born in Peoria, Illinois, on August 27, 1970. He is the youngest of five children. Many people in the Thome family were athletes. His grandmother played for her company's softball team. His father played slow-pitch softball. His aunt, Caroline Thome Hart, is in the Women's Softball Hall of Fame. His older brothers, Chuck III and Randy, played baseball in high school.
Thome learned to play baseball from his father on a tennis court. He also played basketball in Peoria. When he was young, Thome tried to get an autograph from his favorite player, Dave Kingman, at Wrigley Field. He didn't get Kingman's autograph, but this experience taught him to always sign autographs for fans during his own career.
Jim Thome went to Limestone High School. He was an all-state player in both basketball and baseball as a shortstop. He also played American Legion Baseball. Even though he was a good player, he was smaller than most professional baseball players at the time. He was 6 feet 2 inches tall but weighed only 175 pounds. After high school, he went to Illinois Central College. He continued to play baseball and basketball there.
After one season at college, the Cleveland Indians drafted him in the 13th round of the 1989 MLB draft.
Starting His Professional Journey
Minor League Years (1989–1991)
In 1989, Jim Thome started playing for the GCL Indians. This was a minor league team for the Cleveland Indians. He had a .237 batting average with no home runs and 22 runs batted in (RBIs) in 55 games. After his first season, he met Charlie Manuel, who became his hitting coach and mentor. Manuel saw potential in Thome and worked with him on his batting swing. Thome later said Manuel "saw something in me I didn't." Manuel suggested Thome point his bat to center field before each pitch, like a character in the movie The Natural.
This hard work paid off. In 1990, Thome hit .340 with 16 home runs and 50 RBIs in 67 games. He played at both the Rookie and Class A levels. In 1991, Thome spent most of the season playing in Double-A and Triple-A. He hit .319 with seven home runs and 73 RBIs in 125 games.
Playing for the Cleveland Indians (1991–2002)
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Jim Thome made his MLB debut on September 4, 1991. He played third baseman against the Minnesota Twins. In that game, he got two hits. He hit his first career home run on October 4. Injuries limited his playing time in 1992. In 1993, he played mostly for the Charlotte Knights, the Indians' Triple-A team. He led the International League with a .332 batting average and 102 RBIs, plus 25 home runs. This earned him a promotion to the major leagues.
Thome played the entire 1994 season with Cleveland. He hit .268 with 20 home runs and 52 RBIs before a players' strike ended the season early. On June 22, 1994, he hit two home runs in one game for the first time in his career.
In 1995, Thome was part of a strong Cleveland team. He hit .314 with 25 home runs and 73 RBIs. The Indians won the American League championship but lost the 1995 World Series to the Atlanta Braves. In 1996, Thome hit 38 home runs.
Before the 1997 season, the Indians moved Thome from third base to first base. This was because they got another third baseman, Matt Williams. That year, Thome helped the Indians set a new team record for home runs (220), hitting 40 of them himself. He also had 120 walks and 102 RBIs. Cleveland went back to the World Series but lost to the Florida Marlins.
In 1998, Thome broke a bone in his right hand and missed 35 games. He finished the year with 30 home runs and 85 RBIs. In the AL Championship Series, Thome hit four home runs against the New York Yankees, but Cleveland lost the series.
In 1999, Thome hit 33 home runs and had 108 RBIs. On July 3, 1999, he hit a 511-foot home run at Jacobs Field. This was the longest home run ever hit at a Cleveland ballpark. Thome hit four home runs in the AL Division Series against the Boston Red Sox, but the Indians lost.
In the 2000 season, Thome hit 37 home runs and 106 RBIs. In 2001, he hit 49 home runs, which was second in the AL. He also had 124 RBIs and 111 walks. However, he led the league with 185 strikeouts.
Thome had his best season with Cleveland in 2002. He led the AL in walks (122), slugging percentage (.677), and on-base plus slugging (OPS) (1.122). He also hit a career-high 52 home runs and had 118 RBIs. The 52 home runs set a new Cleveland Indians' single-season record. When Jim Thome hit a home run, the scoreboard often showed "THOME RUN." He was also called the "THOMENATOR." On December 6, 2002, Thome signed a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. He believed the Phillies were closer to winning a championship. Thome hit a team record 334 home runs in his first time with the Indians.
Time with the Philadelphia Phillies (2003–2005)
In his first season with the Phillies, Thome hit 47 home runs. This was just one short of the team record. On June 14, 2004, Thome hit his 400th career home run. He finished the 2004 season with 42 home runs and 105 RBIs. In 2004, Thome won the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award. This award goes to players who show great character on and off the field.
Thome missed a lot of the 2005 season due to injury. He had surgery on his right elbow in August. His replacement at first base, Ryan Howard, won the NL Rookie of the Year Award. The Phillies traded Thome to the Chicago White Sox on November 25, 2005. Thome wanted to be closer to his father after his mother passed away.
Playing for the Chicago White Sox (2006–2009)
Thome became the regular designated hitter for the White Sox in 2006. He had a great first season in Chicago. He set a team record by hitting 10 home runs in April. He also set a major league record by scoring in the first 17 games of the season. For the year, Thome hit 42 home runs and had 109 RBIs. On May 1, 2006, Thome returned to Cleveland to play against the Indians. He received a mixed reaction from the fans.
On September 16, 2007, Thome joined the 500 home run club. He hit a walk-off home run against the Los Angeles Angels. He was the 23rd player to reach this milestone. He was also the first player ever to hit his 500th home run as a walk-off. His family was there to see it. Thome pointed upward to honor his late mother as he ran around the bases.
On June 4, 2008, Thome hit a 464-foot home run. This was one of the longest home runs at U.S. Cellular Field. He also hit a solo home run in the AL Central Tiebreaker game. This helped the White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 1–0. These two home runs are honored with a plaque at Rate Field.
Thome continued to hit well in 2009. He hit 23 home runs and had 74 RBIs. On June 1, he hit his 550th career home run. By the end of the season, he had passed Reggie Jackson for 11th place on the all-time home run list with 564 home runs.
Short Time with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2009)
On August 31, 2009, the White Sox traded Thome to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Thome agreed to the trade because he thought the Dodgers could win the World Series. However, due to foot injuries, Thome only played as a pinch hitter for the Dodgers. He played in 17 games and had no home runs. After the season, Thome became a free agent.
Playing for the Minnesota Twins (2010–2011)
On January 26, 2010, Thome signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Twins. He hit his first home run with the Twins on April 8. The Twins opened their new stadium, Target Field, on April 12, 2010. This was the third time in Thome's career that his team opened a new stadium. On July 3, Thome hit two home runs, passing Harmon Killebrew for tenth on the all-time home run list. The Twins played a message from Killebrew congratulating Thome.
Thome hit the first walk-off hit at Target Field on August 17. It was a 445-foot home run in the 10th inning against the White Sox. This was his 12th walk-off home run, tying the record. On September 4, Thome hit two more home runs, passing Mark McGwire for ninth place. On September 11, he hit his 587th career home run, passing Frank Robinson. Thome felt energized playing with the Twins. He finished the 2010 season with a .283 average, 25 home runs, and 59 RBIs.
In January 2011, Thome signed another one-year contract with the Twins. On July 17, Thome hit the longest home run ever at Target Field, a 490-foot blast. On August 15, he hit his 599th and 600th career home runs in Detroit. This made him only the eighth player to reach 600 home runs.
Returning to Cleveland (2011)
On August 26, 2011, Thome agreed to return to his first team, the Cleveland Indians. On September 23, Cleveland held a ceremony to honor Thome. They also announced plans to build a statue of him. In that game, he hit a home run that landed near where his statue would be. While with Cleveland in 2011, Thome played in 22 games. He had a .296 batting average with three home runs and 10 RBIs. Thome is the Indians' all-time leader in home runs (337), walks (1,008), and strikeouts (1,400).
Second Time with Philadelphia (2012)
On November 4, 2011, Thome signed a one-year deal to return to Philadelphia. He said coming back was an easy decision. He also prepared to play first base again, even though he hadn't played defense since 2007. Thome started his first game at first base since 2007 on April 8, 2012.
Thome had back stiffness in April 2012 and was placed on the disabled list. He returned in early June. On June 17, Thome became the fourth player to hit 100 home runs with three different teams. Six days later, Thome hit a pinch-hit walk-off home run in the ninth inning. This was his 609th home run, tying Sammy Sosa for seventh all-time. It also set a new record for most walk-off home runs (13) in the modern era. Thome's last game as a Phillie was on June 30. After that game, he was traded to Baltimore.
Final Season with the Baltimore Orioles (2012)
The Orioles wanted Thome for his experience on a team aiming for the playoffs. On July 20, Thome hit his first home run with the Orioles, his 610th all-time. This moved him past Sammy Sosa for seventh place. On August 6, Thome was placed on the disabled list with a back injury. He returned on September 21 and drove in the game-winning run in his first game back. Thome enjoyed talking about baseball in the dugout with his Orioles teammates. The Orioles made the playoffs but lost to the Yankees. Thome hit .133 in the playoffs.
Life After Playing Baseball
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| Jim Thome's number 25 was retired by the Cleveland Indians in 2018. |
On July 2, 2013, Thome joined the White Sox as a special assistant to the general manager. He hopes to be a manager someday. On August 2, 2014, he signed a one-day contract with the Cleveland Indians to officially retire as a member of the team. Thome also works as an analyst for MLB Network.
On January 24, 2018, Jim Thome was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. He was officially inducted on July 29, 2018. He was the first person to be inducted as an Indian without the use of the Chief Wahoo logo on his plaque. The Indians retired Thome's number 25 on August 18, 2018.
In February 2022, Thome became the new president of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association.
Jim Thome's Playing Style
Offensive Skills
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Jim Thome is known as a "pure" power hitter. He was very consistent throughout his 22-year career. In 2011, Fox Sports ranked him the sixth-best designated hitter in MLB history. He hit well against fastballs but struggled more against sliders.
Because Thome was a pull hitter, opposing teams often used a special defensive setup called a defensive shift against him. This meant they put more fielders on the right side of the field. In 15 of his 22 seasons, he had a slugging percentage over .500, showing his strong power. He was also known for getting many walks. He averaged 111 walks per 162 games and ranks seventh all-time in career walks with 1,747. He led the American League in walks three times with Cleveland. Thome was a slow runner and stole only 19 bases after 1994.
Defensive Play
Thome started his career playing third base. In 1997, he moved to first base. Later in his career, injuries, especially to his back, meant he mostly played as a designated hitter. He was on the disabled list 10 times, mostly for back problems. By the end of his career, his back made it hard for him to play defense. He only played first base four times in 2012, which was the first time he played in the field since 2007.
Unique Playing Habits
Thome was known for wearing high socks and his unique batting stance. In 1997, the Indians started wearing high socks for his birthday and kept wearing them for the rest of the season due to superstition. They even reached the World Series that year. When he returned to the Indians in 2011, the team again wore high socks as a tribute. His batting stance involved pointing his bat to center field before the pitch. Thome learned this from his hitting coach, Charlie Manuel. Thome also learned to stay calm from his role model, Eddie Murray. He said, "Eddie taught me to play the game exactly the same when you fail and when you succeed."
Friendly Personality
Jim Thome's friendly personality was well-known. In a 2007 poll of MLB players, he was voted one of the friendliest players. His teammates often called him "the world's nicest man." When he signed with the Phillies in 2012, the team's general manager said Thome's positive attitude was a main reason for signing him. Thome often visited his high school before spring training to stay humble. He was always patient with fans asking for autographs. A sportswriter noted that Thome was loved by fans in every city he played in. In 2003, a fan poll named him the most popular athlete in Cleveland sports history.
Career Impact
Despite his injuries later in his career, Thome had a high Wins Above Replacement (WAR) score, which measures a player's overall contribution. He was one of the few power hitters during the "steroid era" who was not suspected of using performance-enhancing drugs. Thome always denied using them. After he retired, many people believed he would be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, which he was in 2018.
Personal Life
Jim Thome and his wife, Andrea, have two children, Lila Grace and Landon. He has also set up funds to help his 10 nieces and nephews go to college. During the offseason, he lives in Burr Ridge, Illinois. Once, after his nephew, Brandon, was paralyzed in an accident, he asked Thome to hit a home run for him. Thome did, hitting two home runs in the next game.
Thome is also a philanthropist and has helped communities where he played. He received the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award in 2001 and 2004, and the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award in 2004 for his community work. In 2013, after a tornado hit Washington, Illinois, near his hometown, he and his wife donated $100,000 to help. The Thomes support organizations like Children's Home + Aid, which helps children find care, and an annual event to raise money for the Children's Hospital of Illinois.
In 2019, a renovated youth baseball field in Cleveland was named the 'Jim Thome All-Star Complex' in his honor.
See also
In Spanish: Jim Thome para niños
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs-batted-in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career bases on balls leaders
- List of Major League Baseball home run records
- List of Major League Baseball progressive career home runs leaders
