Jim Thome has had a long career and is beloved int he city of Cleveland. Today he became the fist baseball player to speak at the City Club in Cleveland since Babe Ruth did it in 1925. While there, he stressed that his career, which began in 1991, is not over. He may not be able to return with the Indians because of Travis Hafner, he has expressed a desire to play in 2012:
↵↵↵"I'll keep playing," said Thome, eighth on the all-time list with 604 career homers. "I just need teams to call me. I can't go play in the backyard by myself. I don't know the demand for a 41-year-old DH, but my passion is I want to continue to play."
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The one thing that has eluded him in his long career is a championship, something he shares with three other members of the 600 home run club. He returned to help Cleveland end its long championship drought in August, but the Indians were unable to make the playoffs after an early hot start:
↵↵↵"That night, when I walked to plate and I got that ovation," he said, "it was incredible."
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Thome said the biggest issue may be finding the right team to play for. His desire to only hit limits him to just the 14 American League clubs.
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