Thome Nears 600th Homer: Does Anybody Care?

 

My Fellow Phans,

So, I’m taking a break from our current Phillies to look back at a past Philadelphia superstar nearing a milestone.

I’m sure you don’t have to be an avid baseball watcher or, even a baseball watcher at all, to know that Derek Jeter joined the impressive 3000 hit club this season. I mean, how could you miss it? The media was swooning over this one event. We couldn’t hear enough about Jeter and his quest for 3000 from ESPN and other networks.

Now don’t get me wrong. I offered Jeter nothing but my personal congrats on his historical achievement. I just didn’t understand why it was the only thing to talk about.

Well, that day has long passed and now we sit with another superstar on the brink of a milestone although you wouldn’t know it by the media coverage. In fact, anyone that doesn’t watch the game regularly, lives in the city of New York, or dwells in a market outside of those in  Cleveland, Philadelphia, or Minnesota may not know at all that first baseman Jim Thome sits on the brink of 600 career homers. 

I scrolled eagerly through the ESPN MLB Page in search of any recognition of Thome’s pending accomplishment. At first I found nothing. So, after I scanned through twice quickly, I finally searched for Thome’s name on the page and found it only once. About two-thirds of the way down on the right side was a small “Thome Tracker”. A small square stating Thome’s career homer status and next game. It was hidden and may be easily passed by anyone that didn’t know what to look for. At least ESPN gives some acknowledgement. Yahoo’s MLB page doesn’t contain ay information on Thome anywhere on it.

Now I ask you, what gives with the lack of coverage for one of the most well liked, fan friendly players in the game today?

Here is a man that powered massive home run totals during an era when players’ muscles outweighed their bodies due to the supplements they took. Nearly all of the big “power” hitters during that era were accused and later discovered to have “cheated” the game in some fashion or another. One hitter whose name was never mentioned in those headlines: Mr. Jim Thome. He played the game right his entire life and now, thanks for a select bunch of chumps, is being pushed aside on the brink of an elite club.

Not many players have reached the 600 home run plateau. Even fewer have with an untarnished mark. Those include Hall of Famers Hark Aaron, Babe Ruth, and future first-ballot inductee Ken Griffey Jr. Other players such as Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, and Sammy Sosa have had their records tarnished forever due to steroids.

Why does Thome mean so little to everyone? The man is a future Hall of Famer and a staple gentleman. In 2009, the man was voted by his peers as the nicest ballplayer in the game. I mean, I think the man has earned his due.

The lack of media attention in this quest a total slap in the face. I’m sure Thome wouldn’t be the one to complain, but as a huge fan of Jim’s since his days in Philadelphia, it is something that really bugs me.

It makes you ask yourself what really makes Jeter and Thome that much different?

The answer is a resounding… nothing.

I know he’s not a Yankee and never played in a major market, Philadelphia wasn’t really a major market when he played, but why treat him any differently? Whether you play in New York or you play in Minnesota, there is no change in difficulty in achieving these milestones.  A location should not make one milestone any more important than the other.

If you want to get technical, four times as many people have obtained 3000 hits compared to 600 home runs…

So, it begs the question, which milestone is more impressive?

Both Jeter and Thome are going to achieve or have achieved grand milestones this season, and only one is getting the coverage he deserves.

That needs to change. Now.

Give Jim Thome and his 598 homers the coverage they both so richly deserve. Let one of the good guys of the game how much you appreciate what he has done in his career.

Make it fast since this great milestone will come much faster than you know.

T-Minus 2 homers and counting…

Note: In honor of Thome’s milestone, I have added a Thome Countdown on the right side of my blog. I will update it daily if his home run total changes. If national media outlets won’t give him credit, I will do my best to give him some credit. Sadly, tonight it seems he is off so his total may not change.