Jim Thome, a man who you never hear a bad word about, just bashed his 599th & 600th home runs as a major league baseball player. It is an immortal milestone only 8 other players have ever matched. Thome has done so without the controversy of so many others of his generation. Nobody would accuse Thome of taking steroids. Not the man who won't turn down an autograph, or turn away a fan at a restaurant. He's a class act, the kind that we don't hear enough about. Jim Thome has been in the league 21 seasons, starting in 1990 as a 20 year-old third baseman. He grew into himself and became a brutally strong hitting first baseman. Like classic Henry Aaron style, he's only eclipsed 50 homers once and 40 homers six times during his heyday with the Indians. Consistency and kindness are what makes Thome unique in his accomplishments. You don't hear anyone in baseball talk badly about Jim Thome, or really anyone for that matter. A great quote was said by Joe Nathan, and really all of his Twins teammates worship Thome, ESPN didn't have to hunt very far for people to say glowing words of praise about Thome.
"He is the world's nicest man," said Twins closer Joe Nathan. "He's one of those guys that the hype is so great before you meet him, then he lives up to the hype, and more. When you see him from across the field, you think, 'He can't be that nice,' but he is. He is so genuine. There are other players that will be forgotten when they leave, but he will not be. We will be talking about him for years to come. To me, he's like [Hall of Famer] Harmon Killebrew. They are one in the same. When you meet both of those guys for the first time, you think, 'Wow, this is someone that I will be wanting to talk to on a daily basis.'"
"Jim Thome is the best," said Twins reliever Matt Capps. "I've been to dinner with him, and people come to our table, and he takes time to say hi to a kid. I've seen guys with six months in the big leagues snub a kid in a restaurant. Not Jim, and he is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He'll talk to a guy who knew him from Cleveland in 1993. He is a role model for all of us, he is like every one of us would like to be. I'd like to get 20 years in the big leagues like him."
"He is the nicest, gentlest, kindest guy you will ever meet … to everything except the baseball, he still hits that really hard," said Twins outfielder Michael Cuddyer. "When he walks in a room, everyone watches everything he does. It's the way he treats people, it's the way he respects the game. When I heard he was re-signing with us, I was so happy for a lot of reasons, but one reason was I wanted to be there for when he hit No. 600. Every night, I would pray that I was on base when he hit his 600th home run."
I love hearing things like that about someone as great as Thome. He's an even better teammate and person than baseball player. I especially like the Killebrew comparisons. A man who tragically passed earlier this year that people were lining up to say great things about because they were compelled to do so, and it was so easy for them. I hope Thome enjoys this and continues to be an awesome person getting his farewell tour at the stadiums he's lit up with his personality and bat for all these years.
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