Jim Thome
| Birthdate | 08/27/1970 |
| Death Date | |
| Debut Year | 1991 |
| Year of Induction | 2018 |
| Teams | Dodgers, Indians, Orioles, Phillies, Twins, White Sox |
| Positions | Designated Hitter, First Base, Third Base |
At the time of his retirement, only five players hit more homers than Jim Thome; he finished with 612 homers, 1,699 RBI and a .402 OBP.
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Jim Thome's consistent excellence and career numbers made him a first-ballot Hall of Famer
Jim Thome's consistent excellence and career numbers made him a first-ballot Hall of Famer
Jim Thome quietly had had a historically great playing career. The 6’4″, 250 pound giant slammed 612 home runs. At the time of his retirement, only six men had hit more.
Thome wasn’t just a slugger. His keen eye at the plate led to 1,747 walks and a .402 career on-base percentage. Thome is one of only six players in MLB history with at least 500 homers, 1,500 runs scored, 1,600 RBI, and 1,700 walks. The others? Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, and Mel Ott.
Thomas played for six teams in his 22 big league seasons, the Indians, Phillies, White Sox, Twins, Dodgers, and Orioles.
He had 12 seasons of 30 or more homers and 9 seasons with at least 100 walks. Six times Thome’s OPS was higher than 1.000. His career mark stands at .956.
From 1996-2004 Thome was at his best. During the 9-year run he had a .416 on-base percentage and averaged 41 homers, 111 RBI, 104 runs, and 114 walks per season. His OPS was 1.004.
Thome retired in 2012 with 612 homers, 1,699 RBI, and a career OPS+ of 147. With those numbers, he was a first-ballot selection for the Hall of Fame in 2018. He is also renowned as one of baseball’s nicest and kindest gentle giants.
Thome signed this contract on February 24, 2002 just before beginning a season in which he’d hit a career-best 52 homers. Over the duration of the contract Thome made two All Star teams and led the league in homers for the only time in his career.
Only seven hitters in baseball history have slugged more home runs than Jim Thome
Only seven hitters in baseball history have slugged more home runs than Jim Thome
As Jim Thome climbed the all-time leaderboard, he passed some of the game’s greatest players. The lineup card shown here is from the contest when he hit his 522nd career home run. That moved him ahead of Ted Williams, Willie McCovey and Frank Thomas, each of whom finished with 521.
Notice Thome’s signature above his inscription, “HR #522 passes Williams and McCovey”. Historic lineup cards like this are usually found in the player’s private collection or in the Hall of Fame.
Thome hit 90 more dingers before retiring in 2012. His 612 long balls put him 8th on the all-time list. Only Barry Bonds, Henry Aaron, Babe Ruth, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Willie Mays, and Ken Griffey Jr. hit more.
Less than 1.5% of baseball's major leaguers reach Cooperstown's Baseball Hall of Fame
Less than 1.5% of baseball's major leaguers reach Cooperstown's Baseball Hall of Fame
Baseball crowns its immortals in the Hall of Fame, the sport’s highest honor. Only a sliver of major leaguers ever reach Cooperstown. More than 98.5% fall short of that dream. The few who earn a plaque reach the summit of a lifetime journey.
In 2018 JimThome claimed his place among the game’s legends.
Each summer, Hall of Famers return for induction weekend and sign the official roll call sheets. This sheet from 2024 captures a special gathering. Thome came back to honor Adrian Beltré, Todd Helton, Jim Leyland, and Joe Mauer. His signature sits alphabetically between John Smoltz and Joe Torre in a lineup of greatness on paper.
The weekend buzzes with stories, laughter, and shared history. Legends reconnect and swap memories from long seasons past. Fans line the streets and chase autographs. Cooperstown turns into baseball’s beating heart, and every inductee feels the game’s full embrace.
The weekend buzzes with stories, laughter, and shared history. Legends reconnect and swap memories from long seasons past. Fans line the streets and chase autographs. Cooperstown turns into baseball’s beating heart, and every inductee feels the game’s full embrace.
