Jim Thome knows how to hit home runs. On Monday night against the Detroit Tigers, Thome blasted two home runs, numbers 599 and 600 of his career, home runs that might go a long way to helping his former team in the Amercian League pennant race.
↵Thome's first blast, a two-run shot, came against Tigers' starter Rick Porcello in the sixth inning, was his 10th of the season and travelled an estimated 412-feet. Thome came up again in the seventh inning, this time against Tigers' lefty Daniel Schlereth - son of former NFL lineman and current ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth - and blasted #600, a three run shot, to give the Twins a 9-5 lead.
↵Thome hit 334 home runs as a member of the Cleveland Indians, before leaving as a free agent for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2003. Thome joins Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey and Alex Rodriguez as the only players to hit 600 homers. Of course, thanks to the steroid era, only Aaron, Ruth and Mays and Griffey could be considered clean.
↵Thome fits that bill as well, and someday will be headed to Cooperstown, as a Cleveland Indian.
↵Congratulations to Jim Thome, the newest member of the 600 Home Run Club!