Is Jim Thome MLB's Homerun leader?
Chicago White Sox slugger hits more out of the park than most players.
When most Major League Baseball fans consider homers and RBI, they think of Barry Bonds. In the modern MLB era, though, Jim Thome just may be baseball's best slugger.
As Barry Bonds chases Hank Aaron and Albert Pujols stalks the single-season home run mark, very few people consider the achievements of Jim Thome, who is arguably the most consistent and best slugger in Major League Baseball's modern-day era.
In fact, when debating baseball greats, Thome's name doesn't come up very often at all. There are several reasons Thome is generally disregarded in MLB discussions. First, he is not nationally famous. You never see Thome hawking Nike gear on ESPN, and he is rarely interviewed on Baseball Tonight.
More importantly, though, Thome is a victim of his own quiet consistency. He is a good guy, never making headlines for beating his wife or bathing with coeds. And since he's not juiced on steroids, he has yet to hit 60 or 70 home runs, the sexy numbers that fans and media perk up to.
Fans of the drug club - Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Jason Giambi, and Rafael Palmeiro - will be quick to dispute the claim that Thome is the modern era's best slugger. This debate, however, only compares Thome to clean players. It's my belief that all of the records of the aforementioned offenders should be expunged from the annals of Major League Baseball.
Forgetting the cheaters' stats, consider Jim Thome's numbers, using just his own homegrown muscle and years of dedication to the game.
In his last ten injury-free seasons, Thome has smashed 393 home runs, driven in 1,068 and scored 1,024 times. These eye-popping figures represent a decade-long seasonal average of 39 dingers, 106 RBI, and 102 runs scored. During this span, Thome produced just over one run per game. Imagine having a player who is guaranteed to get you at least one tally every night.
I'm guessing every pitcher who has lost three or four one-run contests in a season would love to have Thome on his side.
Not convinced, yet? Look at the last four complete Thome campaign averages. When surrounded by better talent, Thome's numbers inflate to a Ruthian 47.5 home runs, and 120 runs batted in. And let us not forget that his stats are increasing along with his age; Thome is on the high side of 35 now, when most sluggers begin to slide.
Other modern-era sluggers have similar statistics, but each has some flaw in the overall picture that places him behind Thome.
Manny Ramirez and Carlos Delgado each have decades of success that mirror Thome's in some ways, but they draw far fewer walks than Thome, giving each many more at-bats and, consequently, more opportunities to hit homers and drive in runs.
If the amazing Albert Pujols continues his astonishing pace, he will surpass Thome in five or six years, depending on how long the latter plays. Pujols is on pace to smash every slugging record in MLB history, and he, like Thome, is a truly good guy. Until that time, Pujols simply does not have the years of consistency of Jim Thome. Give Pujols another decade, and this argument could very well be about him.
For now, though, Jim Thome is the baseball's slugging king.
Read Mark Barnes' Blog, Under Review
Kamerion Wimbly Is New NFL Breed
Evaluating Pro Sports Decisions
Stuart Appleby Is Rare Sports Good Guy
