Chicago White Sox: Hall of Famer Jim Thome left big mark on South Side
Former Chicago White Sox slugger Jim Thome was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame Wednesday afternoon.
Congratulations are in order to a true great. Former Chicago White Sox first baseman/designated hitter Jim Thome was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame Wednesday afternoon, joining Vladimir Guerrero, Chipper Jones and Trevor Hoffman in the Class of 2018.
The Peoria native played 22 seasons in the big leagues. Thome spent his first 12 seasons with the Cleveland Indians before spending three seasons in Philadelphia, 3 1/2 seasons with the White Sox, and splitting his last 4 seasons with the Dodgers, Twins, Indians, Phillies and Orioles.
Thome retired in 2012, making this his first year on the Hall of Fame ballot. He received 89.8 percent of the vote, easily eclipsing the minimum induction cutoff of 75 percent.
That’s not too surprising; after all, his 612 home runs are good for the eighth-most in MLB history.
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The White Sox acquired Thome just one month after their 2005 World Series Championship, trading fan-favorite outfielder Aaron Rowand for the slugger.
Thome was an All-Star in his first season on the South Side in 2006, quickly establishing himself as a force in the White Sox lineup with 42 home runs in his debut season.
One of Thome most memorable moments on the South Side came the next season when Thome blasted a walk-off home run against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for his 500th career home run.
In doing that, Thome became the first player ever to hit their 500th career home run in a Chicago White Sox uniform.
Thome again engraved himself in White Sox history in 2008, leading the Pale Hose to their ninth-ever postseason appearance. To make it happen, the White Sox had to beat the Minnesota Twins in a tiebreaker game.
In came Thome in the clutch as he crushed a seventh-inning home run to give the White Sox the lead. His bomb would be the only score in the game.
A midseason trade to the Dodgers in 2009 spelled the end for Thome’s tenure with the Chicago White Sox. Over his time with the South Siders, Thome mashed 134 home runs in 3 1/2 seasons. Thome would bounce around four more teams before hanging it up for good in 2012.
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As of now, it’s unclear which team Thome plans on entering the Hall of Fame with. Wearing a blank cap is certainly possible, but the Cleveland Indians, with whom Thome spent his first 12 seasons, seem like the obvious choice.
Nevertheless, Thome will always be remembered for his positive impact on the South Side. Whether he dons a blank cap or not, Jim Thome is a living legend and will always be known as such.
Congratulations to Jim Thome on a stellar career and for the great accomplishment of joining the 2018 Baseball Hall of Fame.