Jim Thome

[Chico]

probably I'd agree with Ozzie on no more than 1% of all topics, and I agree he is loony at times, but he is one of the characters, like Leo Durocher, Billy Martin, Casey Stengel, etc...that make baseball more fun. Say what you want about Ozzie, but 95% of the White Sox fan base will always appreciate him.....

Count me among the 5%. I want a manager not a "character".

[Chico]

The DH rule allows certain players to stay in the majors for many extra years...sometimes as many as 5 or 10 extra years beyond when they might have ordinarily become subs, bench players, or retired...
thus allowing DH's like Frank Thomas & Jim Thome to amass a HUGE amount of additional career stats that everyday position players, and those who never got the benefit of the DH rule (career NL'ers or guys from 1890 through 1970) would not have the same opportunity to amass.
As much as I love Jim Thome and Frank Thomas, they benefitted greatly by the DH rule and might not have HOF numbers without it....

Consider this...what if the NBA changes rules such that every time a team is awarded a free throw, they are allowed to substitute their "Designated Free Thrower" (DFT).
Thus this one guy, hired and on the roster for only ONE purpose, steps to the line and shoots every FT..every game, all year long.
In time the guy would set all kinds of FT shooting records, and quite possibly career scoring records as well....
Guys like Steve Kerr would have lasted an extra 15 years in the NBA and added extra 20 ppg for that span - giving him a career scoring total of 27,000 pts!!!
If all this happened, would his records sit side by side with Kareem Abdul Jabbar's and Michael Jordan's or would there be an asterisk???

Jimmy really hasn't been strictly a DH that long of a time. He became strictly a DH when traded to the White Sox. Hope he comes back next season and gets 600 and more.

[Chico]

Twins win 1-0 as Jimmy hits another one. Ozzie, Ozzie, Ozzie you sure are a character though. Won't miss you at the all-star game year in Phoenix.

[Da Coach]

Jim Thome is still a free agent after spending 1 season as the DH for the MInnesota Twins. There were some early rumors the White Sox might be interested in re-signing Jim for 2011, but they signed Adam Dunn to a big dollar contract to be their main DH, then re-signed 1st baseman Paul Konerko to a similar deal, so they are no longer in the market for Thome.
More recently it was assumed the Twins would re-sign Jim, as he was one of the best DHs last year and was a bargain at $1.7 million. I still think he will end up signing with the Twins, but as of now both sides are at a standstill, as Thome's agent is asking for a significant raise, and the Twins are looking to limit their payroll and they still need to re-sign one of their key starters Carl Pavano. If they re-sign Pavano and Thome, and after several players go through arbitration, their salary could reach around $120 million, which is very high for a small market team like the Twins. It could mean they would have to pass on re-signing Thome.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/112735049.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUo8cyaiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aU6:iPhD_oD3aPc:i_kchO7DU

[Beninator]

Just signed one year contract with the Twins.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/113610059.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUvckD_V_jEyhD:UiD3aPc:_Yyc:aU7DYaGEP7vDEh7P:DiUs

[tornado]

and don't forget, the Rivermen have a
Jim Thome Bobblehead promotion tomorrow night

http://www.rivermen.net/promotional-schedule/90-jan-15-2011-7-05-vs-texas-stars/

[Da Coach]

When did Jim play for the Rivermen?

[Da Coach]

Just signed one year contract with the Twins.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/tw...EP7vDEh7P:DiUs

This seems like the best deal for Jim. He is very well liked in Minnesota after his successful season last year.
The Tribune is reporting it is a $3 million 1-year deal, approximately twice what his deal was worth last season.

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/3312654-419/thome-season-twins-contract-minnesota.html

[ph]

When did Jim play for the Rivermen?

Don't you remember when he checked that guy into the upper bowl?

[Beninator]

This seems like the best deal for Jim. He is very well liked in Minnesota after his successful season last year.
The Tribune is reporting it is a $3 million 1-year deal, approximately twice what his deal was worth last season.
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/33126...minnesota.html

One more thing to add that I didn't see in the Sun Times article....

According to this article from Fox Sports, Thome was offered more money from the Texas Rangers. But he liked the Twins organization, wanted to remain in the AL Central, and the proximity of the commute to Chicago to see his family.

[Chico]

Just signed one year contract with the Twins.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/tw...EP7vDEh7P:DiUs

I'm happy for Jim. Go get that 600 plus. Too bad Ozzie didn't want him.

[SFP]

I was in the Army in DC during Killebrew's last season there. He was a good 3rd baseman then and we all looked forward to his high, never a line drive, homers. Jim is a sure HOF, but he isn't a better player than Killebrew was.

Killebrew was a ball player and one of the most feared 1st basemen during his era. He also has a great baseball name.

Now that would be a great thread. Best baseball names in history. Right now I'd have to believe Buster Posey is a great baseball name. I always like Dave "kin Kong" Kingman!

[Braves4Life]

Now that would be a great thread. Best baseball names in history. Right now I'd have to believe Buster Posey is a great baseball name. I always like Dave "kin Kong" Kingman!

Here are some great ones SFP --

http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/as-far-as-baseball-names-go-these-are-all-stars/

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/hof/hofnick.shtml

I'm sure Beninator is a big baseball name buff.

[Beninator]

Here are some great ones SFP --

http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/as-far-as-baseball-names-go-these-are-all-stars/

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/hof/hofnick.shtml

I'm sure Beninator is a big baseball name buff.

HA!

You guys have mentioned some real good nicknames. Here are some of my favorites that I can remember as I am at work.

Mike Hargrove- The Human Rain Delay

Al Hrabosky- The Mad Hungarian

Bill "Goober" Zuber-- perhaps more famous for his excellent restaurant in the Amana Colonies than a baseball player..

John "Pepper" Martin- The Wild Horse of the Osage

Shooty Babitt- Oakland A's player who played briefly in the 1980's

--and my all time favorite sports name and it isn't a baseball player--

Fair Hooker- A Cleveland Browns Wide Receiver who played in the 1970's

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HookFa00.htm

[Chico]

Killebrew was a ball player and one of the most feared 1st basemen during his era. He also has a great baseball name.

Now that would be a great thread. Best baseball names in history. Right now I'd have to believe Buster Posey is a great baseball name. I always like Dave "kin Kong" Kingman!

He might have ended up as a 1st baseman but he was a 3rd baseman for a long time.