The Twins signed Thome as a risk-free "investment," and it's paying off with big dividends. And now the former Indians star has the 600-homer milestone within reach.
View full sizeJim Thome cutline goes here and here and hereAs the calendar flipped to 2010, the 600-homer milestone seemed a long way off for Jim Thome.
He had finished the previous season with 564 for his career, but his 23rd and last of 2009 came Aug. 21.
The homerless stretch spanned 52 official at-bats with two teams. After the White Sox traded Thome to the Dodgers on Aug. 31, he went 4-for-17 with three RBI as a pinch hitter.
Employment also was an issue: Thome needed a team. He was a 39-year-old who could not play in the field because of a creaky back, effectively limiting him to the American League. Thome wanted to rejoin the White Sox, but manager Ozzie Guillen could not guarantee enough at-bats to make it worthwhile. The White Sox preferred to go with DH-by-committee.
Thome also considered Tampa Bay before signing in late January with the reigning AL Central champion Minnesota Twins. He agreed to a base salary of $1.5 million, plus $750,000 in incentives based on plate appearances.
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said that somehow, some way, he would find at-bats for Thome. The slugger bought in because he believed in the manager, the club and the organization.
"We just signed a guy who's going to be in the Hall of Fame, and it doesn't get much better than that," Gardenhire said at the time. "He's going to let it fly, and if he hits it, it's going to hurt somebody."
Even Gardenhire, as wise as he is, could not have foreseen the return the Twins have gotten on their virtually risk-free "investment." Thome enters a three-game series against the Indians hitting .278 with 22 homers and 52 RBI in 241 at-bats in 96 games as a designated hitter and pinch-hitter. He has a .407 on-base percentage and .635 slugging percentage.
His 586 career homers are tied with Frank Robinson for eighth all-time. This season, alone, Thome has passed Rafael Palmeiro (569), Harmon Killebrew (573) and Mark McGwire (583).
On the legitimate home-run list -- otherwise known as the list that features players never linked to performance-enhancing drugs -- Thome ranks tied for fifth, trailing Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714), Willie Mays (660), Ken Griffey Jr. (630) and tied with Robinson.
Now the 600-homer milestone is only a matter of when. At the rate Thome is going, it will be sooner than later. A lot sooner.
Thome has homered in three straight games, during which he is 5-for-6 with four long balls, five walks, seven RBI and eight runs. He was a precautionary scratch from the lineup Wednesday against the Royals because of a slight abdominal strain. The Twins had an off-day Thursday.
The two most recent homers are the stuff of legend, Minnesota baseball's version of Paul Bunyan having swapped his axe for a bat and taken swings at the moon.
Last Monday against the Royals, Thome hurt the top of the flagpole well beyond the right-field wall at Target Field. Twins media relations estimated the ball would have traveled 480 feet.
View full sizeJim Thome began his major-league career with the Indians in 1991 and played in Cleveland through the 2002 season.The next night against the Royals, Thome launched one high and 452 feet to right to tie Robinson. One reporter apparently was awed enough that he wrote it traveled 552 feet.
"It's fun to watch, and it's a tough act to follow," teammate Delmon Young told reporters Tuesday.
The Twins are in first place, six games ahead of the White Sox heading into Friday. Who knows where they would be without Thome? Not only has Thome filled the power void caused by Justin Morneau's concussion in July, he has proved invaluable in a young clubhouse. Gardenhire and other Twins personnel rave about, among other things, a relentless approach to the craft.
Imagine what the standings would look like if Thome had signed again with Chicago, and Guillen managed to find at-bats for him. Thome is hitting .353 (12-for-34) with two homers, five RBI and six runs against the White Sox. On Aug. 17 at Target Field, his two-run, 450-footer off Matt Thornton in the 10th inning gave Minnesota a 7-6 victory in the opener of a three-game series.
The walkoff homer was the 12th of Thome's career, tied for first all-time with five fairly decent players: Jimmie Foxx, Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth and Robinson.
Ten days later, Thome turned 40.
Guillen has been asked more than a few what-if questions on the Thome matter. The White Sox manager, asked Wednesday in Detroit if he was feeling heat about the decision, told reporters, "I don't put any attention to that. I don't." Yet he kept talking about it, at one point saying, "They can say, 'Blame it on Ozzie.' Why not? I will take the blame."
Thome entered Thursday night tied for 18th in the American League, and tied for 36th in the majors, in homers. He is the only player with at least 20 homers and fewer than 300 official trips to the plate. The next-closest, Russell Branyan, had 24 homers in 353 at-bats for Cleveland and Seattle.
Thome leads the Twins in homers. He would lead the Indians and other clubs including the Mariners, Athletics, Royals and Pirates.
If Thome were making $5 million, he would be worth it. At $1.5 million, he is a steal, precisely what teams in mid-to-small markets need to compete. Among those making at least $1 million, Thome arguably is baseball's best bargain.
There are plenty of players making significantly more and producing considerably less. Among the notables is Derrek Lee of the Cubs/Braves. Lee hit .306 with 35 homers and 111 RBI last season. He entered Thursday night with a lower batting average (.251), on-base percentage (.336), slugging percentage (.408) and fewer homers (16) than Thome, despite 237 more official at-bats -- at a cost of $13.25 million.
Oh, by the way: Thome is the Indians' franchise leader with 334 homers. He played for the Tribe from 1991 through 2002.
Imagine Thome playing for another AL club in 2011, sitting on 599 homers and coming to Progressive Field for a three-game series. Then envision Thome wearing an Indians cap on his Hall of Fame plaque.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dmanoloff@plaind.com, 216-999-4664