Gentleman Jim

So Jim Thome just the other day hit his 600th home run. This is a pretty startling athletic feat; only seven other players have done this, and they belong to three categories: Hall of Famers (Aaron, Ruth, Mays), surefire hall of famers (Griffey, A-Rod), or surefire hall of famers if not for PED suspicion (Bonds, Sosa). Jim Thome is also the nicest guy in baseball. One would think that these two things combined would make a huge baseball story, but it's not getting that much love. I particularly think that it's getting slighted when compared to Derek Jeter's 3000th hit, a feat accomplished by twenty eight people. I have a few theories:

1) In light of past steroid use by other sluggers, people are associating Thome with steroid use by proxy. I get it; baseball has tainted our minds forever. We can't really look at any random feel-good comeback story without wondering if it was a product of chemical use. When you look at a monstrous slugger like Thome, it's easy to think that he's all 'roids. That said, Thome has never been connected with steroids. He wasn't on the Mitchell Report, he wasn't named by Canseco, and there haven't been whispers around the media about him. Furthermore, hitting home runs is all Thome does. We're not talking about a guy like Bonds, who went from a great 5 tool player to the most prolific masher in history. We're talking about a big guy who stayed big and did what he had always done.

2) Thome does not play for a large market team. Thome plays for the Minnesota Twins, and before that he played for the Chicago White Sox. The American League Central has never been a division where most of America looks to for action. Thome is now on his 5th club (Indians, Phillies, ChiSox, Dodgers, Twins) and can't really be considered "Mr." anything, like, say, Jeter is. Jeter is an iconic Yankee, so he has the backing of the biggest fanbase in American Baseball.

3) Major League Baseball is hedging it's bet for a few years with regards to power hitters. This is related to #1, but focuses more on the sport as a whole. Major League Baseball might not want to trump up a huge slugger as a model for the game just in case a story does break that the involved parties were juicing.

4) Thome's secondary skills are overlooked. To the untrained eye, Derek Jeter is a fabulous hitter that is made even better by the fact that he's a shortstop. Jim Thome is a fat dude that drops bombs. While most of the world can't seem to fathom the idea that Jeter wasn't a good fielder, the simple fact that he is a shortstop makes his feat that much more awe inspiring. Jim Thome's secondary skill? Getting on base. Thome got on base at a .403 clip over his career, good for 6th among active players (Helton, Pujols, Manny, Berkman, Giambino). Unfortunately the majority of the baseball loving world is just as slow with realizing the benefit of the walk as they are of seeing Jeter's poor defense work, so Thome comes off as a one dimensional player while Jeter is hailed as a toolsy beast.

It's a shame. It's a darn shame. Gentleman Jim is among the best hitters we have had the pleasure of witnessing in our lifetime, and this great milestone may be the pinnacle of his career, and baseball just isn't giving him his due because of circumstances beyond his control. Well done Jim.