A retrospective of Jim Thome's stellar career, which began with the Indians drafting him in 1989 and bringing him to Cleveland two years later.
John Kuntz, Plain Dealer file photoJim Thome holds the Indians' single-season record for home runs with 52.
Thome by the numbers
Jim Thome's stats at a glance through Wednesday:
MAJOR-LEAGUE CAREER RANKINGS
Strikeouts: Second, 2,455
At-bats per home run: Fifth, 13.6
Home runs: Eighth, 601
Walks: Eighth, 1,711
*OPS: 17th, .962
Slugging pct.: 19th, .558
Extra-base hits: 23rd, 1,067
RBI: 27th, 1,664
Total bases: 39th, 4,560
Times on base: 42nd, 4,044
On-base pct.: 49th, .403
Runs: 52nd, 1,554
INDIANS SINGLE-SEASON
RECORDS
Home runs: 52, 2002
At-bats per home run: 9.2, 2002
Walks: 127, 1999
Strikeouts: 185, 2001
INDIANS CAREER RANKINGS
Home runs: First, 334
At-bats per home run: First, 13.9
Walks: First, 997
Strikeouts: First, 1,377
RBI: Second, 927
Slugging pct.: Third, .567
On-base pct.: Third, .414
*OPS: Third, .982
Extra-base hits: Third, 613
Total bases: Fourth, 2,633
Runs: Fifth, 917
Times on base: Seventh, 2,371
Doubles: 10th, 259
*On-base percentage plus slugging percentage
Thome timeline
Aug, 27, 1970: Born in Peoria, Ill.
June 5, 1989: Selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 13th round of the amateur draft.
June 18, 1989: Signed by the Indians.
Sept. 4, 1991: Makes his major-league debut, playing third base and going 2-for-4 during the Indians' 8-4 win at Minnesota.
Aug. 13, 1993: Promoted to the Indians for good and becomes their regular third baseman, after missing much of the 1992 season with injuries and splitting time between the Indians and the minor leagues. His play at Class AAA Charlotte before the call-up earned him his second (also 1990) Lou Boudreau Award as the Indians' Minor League Player of the Year.
1996: Hits at least 30 home runs (38), drives in at least 100 runs (116), scores at least 100 runs (122) and draws at least 100 walks (123) for the first time in his career in each category, while batting .311.
Oct. 30, 1996: Has the broken hamate bone in his right hand removed by surgery, after playing the final three games of the AL Division Series with the injury.
1997: Moved to first base after the Indians' Nov. 13, 1996, trade for San Francisco Giants All-Star third baseman Matt Williams.
May 20, 1997: Signs a contract extension with the Indians for a $3.5 million signing bonus, a four-year, $24.6 million deal from 1998 to 2001 and a $7.5 million club option for 2002.
July 8, 1997: Plays in the first of his five All-Star Games (1997 to '99 as an Indian, including '98 and '99 as the starting first baseman; 2004 as a Phillie; 2006 as a White Sox). Grounded out as a pinch hitter during the American League's 3-1 win at Cleveland's Jacobs Field.
1997: Leads the American League for the first of three times in walks, with 120.
Aug. 7, 1998: Breaks a bone in his right hand when hit by a pitch, causing him to miss six weeks during a season in which he finished with 30 homers and 85 RBI.
May 29, 2001: Slugs his 243rd career home run, passing Albert Belle to become the Indians' all-time leader, during a 6-4 Cleveland win at Detroit.
Sept. 27, 2002: Hits his 51st homer of the season, passing Albert Belle for the Indians' single-season record, during an 8-3 Indians win over the Royals at Jacobs Field.
Sept. 29, 2002: Plays his last game as an Indian, going 1-for-3 as the designated hitter in Cleveland's 7-3 win over the Royals before 32,018 fans at Jacobs Field. Final at-bat was a sixth-inning, run-scoring single off Scott Mullen. Ben Broussard then pinch- ran for Thome.
2002: Leads the American League with a .677 slugging percentage. Sets Indians' single-season record with 52 homers and finishes as the team's all-time career home run leader, with 334.
2002: Given the Roberto Clemente Award, which, according to Major League Baseball's website, is "given annually to a player who demonstrates the values Clemente displayed in his commitment to community and understanding the value of helping others."
Dec. 3, 2002: Signs a six-year, $85 million free-agent contract (including a seventh-year, $13 million club option) with the Philadelphia Phillies, turning down a five-year, $60 million deal from the Indians.
2003: Leads the National League with 47 home runs.
2004: Has his fourth straight season of at least 40 home runs, his ninth straight of at least 30 and his 11th straight of at least 20.
2004: Given the Lou Gehrig Award, an annual award to a player who exemplifies the character Gehrig displayed and the integrity he had both on and off the field.
Nov. 25, 2005: With three years and $43.5 million left on his contract, traded by Philadelphia with $22 million to the Chicago White Sox for outfielder Aaron Rowand, minor-league pitcher Daniel Haigwood and a player to be named later (minor-league pitcher Gio Gonzalez).
May 1, 2006: Returns to Cleveland for the first time in a visitors' uniform, drawing loud boos from a crowd of 17,845. Goes 1-for-5 with an RBI, one walk and two strikeouts in an 8-6 White Sox win.
2006: Becomes the second player (Alex Rodriguez) to hit at least 40 homers in a season for three different teams (Indians, Phillies, White Sox).
2006: Wins the American League Comeback Player of the Year Award for batting .288 with 42 homers and 109 RBI with the White Sox after an injury-riddled 2005 season with the Phillies. It's his sixth season with at least 40 homers and his 10th with at least 100 RBI.
Aug. 7, 2007: Becomes the fourth player to strike out 2,000 times, as the Indians' Jake Westbrook fans him during a 2-1 Indians win over the White Sox in Chicago.
Sept. 16, 2007: Belts his 500th career home run during a 9-7 White Sox win over the Angels in Chicago.
July 20, 2008: Gets his 2,000th career hit during an 8-7 White Sox loss to the Royals in Chicago.
2008: White Sox pick up the 2009 option year on his contract, which calls for $13 million.
Aug. 31, 2009: Traded by the White Sox, with cash, to the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor-league infielder Justin Fuller.
Jan. 26, 2010: Signs a one-year, $1.5 million contract as a free agent with the Minnesota Twins.
June 28, 2010: Scores his 1,500th career run during the Twins' 7-5 loss to the Tigers in Minnesota, joining Babe Ruth, Mel Ott, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt and Barry Bonds as the only players with at least 500 home runs, 1,500 RBI, 1,500 runs and 1,500 walks.
Sept. 11, 2010: Hits home run No. 587, passing Frank Robinson for eighth place on the all-time list, and giving the Twins a 1-0, 12-inning win over the Indians in Cleveland.
Jan. 14, 2011: Signs a one-year, $3 million contract as a free agent with the Twins.
Aug. 15, 2011: Becomes the eighth player to hit 600 home runs, belting No. 599 in the sixth inning and No. 600 in the seventh inning of the Twins' 9-6 win over the Tigers in Detroit.
Milestone home runs
(List includes career home run number, date, where, pitcher, opponent; score)
WITH THE INDIANS
No. 1: Oct. 4, 1991, New York, Steve Farr, Yankees. After trailing, 2-1, a two-out, two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning; Indians win, 3-2.
No. 2: June 29, 1992, Cleveland, Jack McDowell, White Sox. His first home run in Cleveland; Indians lose, 9-6.
No. 18: June 15, 1994, Cleveland, Scott Brow, Blue Jays. His first walk-off home run, in the bottom of the 13th inning; Indians win, 4-3.
No. 50: July 26, 1995, California, Mike Harkey, Angels; Indians lose, 6-3.
No. 100: May 14, 1997, Texas, Bobby Witt, Rangers; Indians lose, 4-3.
No. 150: June 9, 1998, Cleveland, Jon Lieber, Pirates; Indians lose, 7-4.
No. 175: July 3, 1999, Cleveland, Don Wengert, Royals. Hits a 511-foot blast to center field, which remains the longest home run in Jacobs/Progressive Field history; Indians win, 9-5.
No. 200: April 15, 2000, Cleveland, Mark Clark, Rangers; Indians lose, 6-4.
No. 243: May 29, 2001, Detroit, Victor Santos, Tigers. Becomes the Indians' all-time home run leader, passing Albert Belle; Indians win, 6-4.
No. 250: June 12, 2001, Cleveland, Jimmy Haynes, Brewers; Indians lose, 4-2.
No. 300: June 5, 2002, Minnesota, Eric Milton, Twins; Indians win, 6-4.
No. 332: Sept. 25, 2002, Minnesota, Rick Reed, Twins. His 50th home run, tying Albert Belle's single-season team record; Indians lose, 7-5.
No. 333: Sept. 27, 2002, Cleveland, Wes Obermueller, Royals. His 51st home run breaks Indians' single-season record; Indians win, 8-3.
No. 334: Sept. 28, 2002, Cleveland, Jeremy Affeldt, Royals. His 52nd home run of the season and last of his Indians career. He remains Indians' all-time leader in career and single-season home runs; Indians win, 6-5.
WITH THE PHILLIES:
No. 350: June 21, 2003, Philadelphia, Mike Timlin, Red Sox; Phillies win, 6-5.
No. 400: June 14, 2004, Philadelphia. Joe Acevedo, Reds; Phillies win, 10-7.
WITH THE WHITE SOX:
No. 449: May 29, 2006, Cleveland, Cliff Lee, Indians. His first home run in Cleveland as an opponent; White Sox win, 11-0.
No. 450: May 29, 2006, Cleveland, Guillermo Mota, Indians; White Sox win, 11-0.
No. 500: Sept. 16, 2007, Chicago, Dustin Moseley, Angels. Becomes the 23rd player with 500 home runs on the ninth-inning, walk-off homer; White Sox win, 9-7.
No. 541: Sept. 30, 2008, Chicago, Nick Blackburn, Twins. His seventh-inning home run is the game-winner in the AL Central Division first-place tiebreaker game; White Sox win, 1-0.
No. 550: June 1, 2009, Chicago, Santiago Casilla, Athletics; White Sox win, 6-2.
WITH THE TWINS:
No. 581: Aug. 17, 2010, Minnesota, Matt Thornton, White Sox. Trailing, 6-5, a two-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning -- his 12th career walk-off homer, tying five Hall of Famers for the all-time record; Twins win, 7-6.
No. 587: Sept. 11, 2010, Cleveland, Justin Germano, Indians. Becomes eighth -- the position he still holds -- on the all-time career home run list, passing Frank Robinson, with a 12th-inning homer; Twins win, 1-0.
No. 600: Aug. 15, 2011, Detroit, Daniel Schlereth, Tigers. Becomes eighth player to hit 600 home runs with a seventh-inning blast. Had hit No. 599 in the sixth inning off Rick Porcello; Twins win, 9-6.
Postseason prowess
• Jim Thome has 17 postseason home runs in his career, all with the Indians. He hit eight homers in American League Division Series games, six in AL Championship Series games and three in World Series games.
•Twice Thome hit two home runs in a postseason game. On Oct. 9, 1998, in Cleveland, he homered twice off Andy Pettitte as the Indians defeated the Yankees, 6-1, in Game 3 of the ALCS eventually won by New York, 4-2. On Oct. 11, 1999, in Cleveland, he homered off Brett Saberhagen and Derek Lowe, but the Indians lost to the Red Sox, 12-8, in Game 5 of the ALDS, losing the series, 3-2.
• Also, on Oct. 13, 1998, in New York, Thome hit a grand slam off David Cone to become the first player to hit four homers in an ALCS, but the Indians lost to the Yankees, 9-5, in Game 6 of the ALCS, losing the series, 4-2.
• On Oct. 7, 1999, in Cleveland, he hit a grand slam off John Wasdin to become the first player ever with two career grand slams in postseason play, as the Indians defeated the Red Sox, 11-1, in Game 2 of the ALDS eventually won by Boston, 3-2.
SOURCE: baseball-reference.com