Jim Thome hits 600th home run

[OleMissCub]

You're missing the point; bringing up Killebrew is pointless. Killebrew isn't any kind of standard as to who gets into the Hall. There's nothing that says anyone has to be as good as or better than Killebrew to be in the Hall if they're a power hitter. You started off potentially making a decent argument against Thome (though personally I don't think so; looking at 40+ seasons is similarly arbitrary and meaningless unless you can argue that a good portion of those 35 other hitters were as good as or better than Thome), but then spiraled off into what was seemingly an excuse to inexplicably fawn over Killebrew, as if he's some kind of metric that any prospective Hall of Famer is to be judged against.

 

Ummm, so what was the potentially decent part?

 

And I use Killebrew because he's the closest equivalent to what Thome is IMO. Just about everybody else with 500+ HR that is in the HOF contributed in other ways or have other exemplary career stats other than their HR total. So if we are going to put someone in the HOF solely because of their HR total, then their era certainly matters. Just like today if hypothetically a modern pitcher pitched 3000+ innings and had a 2.30 ERA for his career, well then surely we'd imagine that guy would be good enough to be in the HOF.

 

And I didn't fawn over Killebrew, personally I don't like one dimensional ballplayers like him, I was just making the case that in his own time he was considered a top tier player of his day as evidenced by finishing in the Top 5 in the MVP voting six times (and winning one) and his 11 All Star games out of his 16 full seasons. I don't think Thome has ever been in that category.

 

Bottom line is that the only solid stat that gets Thome even in the conversation for the HOF is his HR total. So why not take his era into effect when looking at his ONE notable stat.

[SouthSideRyan]

Thome has an OBP over 400. HRs are not all he brings to the table.

[OleMissCub]

Thome has an OBP over 400. HRs are not all he brings to the table.

 

I'm aware of that and I'm aware that he is an uber-asset run creator for any baseball team. He's definitely someone I'd want on my team. However, a very good career OBP doesn't get you in the HOF, but a sexy HR total will. That's his only solid stat that causes him to be in the conversation.

[Sammy Sofa]

Thome has an OBP over 400. HRs are not all he brings to the table.

 

I'm aware of that and I'm aware that he is an uber-asset run creator for any baseball team. He's definitely someone I'd want on my team. However, a very good career OBP doesn't get you in the HOF, but a sexy HR total will. That's his only solid stat that causes him to be in the conversation.

 

Yes, but then what was the point of the 40+ a season breakdown? How many of those 35 other hitters have been as good as or better than Thome? How does that detract from the main point in his favor, which is the cumulative total?

[OleMissCub]

Thome has an OBP over 400. HRs are not all he brings to the table.

 

I'm aware of that and I'm aware that he is an uber-asset run creator for any baseball team. He's definitely someone I'd want on my team. However, a very good career OBP doesn't get you in the HOF, but a sexy HR total will. That's his only solid stat that causes him to be in the conversation.

 

Yes, but then what was the point of the 40+ a season breakdown? How many of those 35 other hitters have been as good as or better than Thome? How does that detract from the main point in his favor, which is the cumulative total?

 

Because it just shows what an offensive era he lived in. HR's weren't exceptionally hard to come by in his era. Just like how it didn't stand out as much in 1910 if your ERA after 300 innings was below 2.50.

 

As far as the other guys go on that 40+ HR list, I'd probably take a third of them as being as good or better than Thome. Griffey, A-Rod, Bonds, Bagwell, Manny, Sosa, Piazza, Helton, Palmeiro, Pujols, Frank Thomas, Giambi, Chipper Jones, Beltran.

 

fwiw, the 16 other guys who hit 40+ while Killebrew played were: Ernie Banks, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Eddie Matthews, Rocky Colavito, Orlando Cepeda, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Willie McCovey, Dick Stuart, Yaz, Frank Howard, Reggie Jackson, Johnny Bench, Billy Williams, and some guy I've never of named Rico Petrocelli. 11 of those 16 guys are Hall of Famers.

[SouthSideRyan]

You're a baseball history guy and you've never heard of Rico Petrocelli?

[OleMissCub]

You're a baseball history guy and you've never heard of Rico Petrocelli?

 

A person can't know everything :-)

[Guest]

Thome was part of a really exciting Cleveland Indians team that went from worst to first in pretty short order. In such a long career, I can't think of a single time he ever did something negative or got called out on. Very happy for him and proud to say we went to the same high school.

 

Next stop HOF! =D>