Being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot, as former Indians slugger Jim Thome was on Jan. 24, needs some perspective to realize how great the accomplishment is.
Joe DiMaggio, the legendary Yankees’ center fielder whose 56-game hitting streak is still a record, was elected to the Hall of Fame the fourth time he was on the ballot.
Former Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale, with a lifetime record of 209-166 and a remarkable 2.95 ERA, was on the ballot nine times before finally gaining the required 75 percent of votes.
Harmon Killebrew, who played 22 seasons (exact number Thome played) with the Washington Senators, Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals, was elected the fourth time he was on the ballot.
Thome as a first ballot Hall of Famer is part of an elite group of 54 that includes Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Bob Feller, Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Jackie Robinson, Nolan Ryan, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Frank Robinson, to name a few.
Thome is expected to go into the Hall of Fame as an Indian, the team he played with for 13 seasons. He is undecided about whether he should be shown with the Chief Wahoo or the Block C cap for his plaque.
Thome hammered 612 home runs in an era in which players like Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Manny Ramirez used performance-enhancing drugs to gain power. The PEDs tainted their accomplishments, and obviously the Hall of Fame voters noticed by boycotting the three on their ballots. Ramirez received 93 votes (22 percent). Sosa received an embarrassing 33 (7.8 percent) votes.
“I’m at a loss for words,” Thome said at his home in Burr Ridge, Ill., during an interview conducted by Indians director of baseball information Bart Swain. “It’s every kid’s dream to play in the major leagues, but you never imagine a call like that.
“When Jack O’Connell (secretary/treasurer of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America) said his name, and I knew it was from New York, the emotion and vibe was like no other. A call from the Hall of Fame is one of the most special things a player can receive. You don’t do it alone. I’m so blessed to be in this situation. It’s just incredible. Words can’t describe what a guy feels when the Hall of Fame calls and says you’re a first ballot Hall of Famer.”
Thome played with the Indians from 1991 to 2002 and 22 games in 2011. He played three full seasons and part of another with the Phillies, plus three full seasons and part of another with the White Sox. He also played for the Twins, Dodgers and Orioles.
“Looking back, I’ve been so fortunate to have played in the major leagues for 22 seasons with great players, with great organizations that cared about baseball and truly wanted the best for their guys,” Thome said. “I think I reaped the rewards of all those organizations that really cared about their players.”
Thome talked about the honor of playing with the Indians in the 1990’s and predicted Omar Vizquel, named on 37 percent of the ballots in his first year of eligibility, will be in the Hall of Fame some day soon.
“I love Omar,” Thome said. “He stood out for me above everybody else because he could do so many things. He was a smart player, great defensive player and made himself into a tremendous hitter. Even more than what he did on the field, he electrified the clubhouse every day.”
Thome thanked former Indians hitting coach and manager Charlie Manuel, who was also Thome’s manager in Philadelphia. Thome also thanked his father, Chuck, who saw his son’s first game and last game as a major leaguer.