http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ycn-8822069
When Derek Jeter finally crossed the 3,000 hit plateau against Tampa Bay on July 9, I could not help but notice something. Some sports milestones just don't seem to be appreciated unless you are a star figure in your sport's eye but also in the general public's eye. When Jeter crossed the 3,000 hit mark, I figured more attention would be turned to baseball's next great milestone.
Maybe I was wrong.
Under the radar, there's a man out in Minnesota who is trying to do something that only seven other players have done in Major League history. Yes, Jim Thome cracked career home run number 596 against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, but in the grand scheme of things, the man's quest of the 600-home run club just doesn't seem to excite everyone the way Jeter's milestone did.
Maybe the news coverage of Thome's pursuit is lacking in ways compared to Jeter, but this is truly a historic moment for one of baseball's greats. After all, Thome's chase for 600 home runs has never been marred by linkage to steroids or performance-enhancing drugs, which helps boost the friendly slugger's country-boy, Midwestern image.
That can't be said about three other men on the list in Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Alex Rodriguez, all in the 600-home run club, but all linked to performance enhancing drugs. Thome's pursuit is an honest and refreshing story that should grab more of the spotlight.
When Thome departed Philadelphia after the 2005 season, I couldn't help but regret that I didn't get a chance to see him play on a daily basis for more of my Phillies fanhood.
He is not the player he used to be, but for one moment in Sunday's game against the Royals, we were all reminded of Thome's incredible power as he sent his 596th homerun an approximate 490 feet into the atmosphere at Target Field.
Essentially relegated to designated hitting duty at this point in his career, Thome's pace slowed, he will have to be patient. Rest assured, however, number 600 will be well worth the wait; so will the Hall of Fame call sure to follow Thome's retirement, which will be baseball's loss of one of the most gentlemanly players to ever step in between the lines.
Victor Filoromo is a born and bred Philadelphia sports fan, and has been through the best and worst of Philadelphia sports since he came out of the womb. The 1997 Phillies are a remembrance of how things used to be. Jim Thome could be considered his first "favorite" Phillie, and remains one of his favorite players.
Sources: msnbc.com (Hardball Talk), Baseball-Reference.com
When Derek Jeter finally crossed the 3,000 hit plateau against Tampa Bay on July 9, I could not help but notice something. Some sports milestones just don't seem to be appreciated unless you are a star figure in your sport's eye but also in the general public's eye. When Jeter crossed the 3,000 hit mark, I figured more attention would be turned to baseball's next great milestone.
Maybe I was wrong.
Under the radar, there's a man out in Minnesota who is trying to do something that only seven other players have done in Major League history. Yes, Jim Thome cracked career home run number 596 against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, but in the grand scheme of things, the man's quest of the 600-home run club just doesn't seem to excite everyone the way Jeter's milestone did.
Maybe the news coverage of Thome's pursuit is lacking in ways compared to Jeter, but this is truly a historic moment for one of baseball's greats. After all, Thome's chase for 600 home runs has never been marred by linkage to steroids or performance-enhancing drugs, which helps boost the friendly slugger's country-boy, Midwestern image.
That can't be said about three other men on the list in Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Alex Rodriguez, all in the 600-home run club, but all linked to performance enhancing drugs. Thome's pursuit is an honest and refreshing story that should grab more of the spotlight.
When Thome departed Philadelphia after the 2005 season, I couldn't help but regret that I didn't get a chance to see him play on a daily basis for more of my Phillies fanhood.
He is not the player he used to be, but for one moment in Sunday's game against the Royals, we were all reminded of Thome's incredible power as he sent his 596th homerun an approximate 490 feet into the atmosphere at Target Field.
Essentially relegated to designated hitting duty at this point in his career, Thome's pace slowed, he will have to be patient. Rest assured, however, number 600 will be well worth the wait; so will the Hall of Fame call sure to follow Thome's retirement, which will be baseball's loss of one of the most gentlemanly players to ever step in between the lines.
Victor Filoromo is a born and bred Philadelphia sports fan, and has been through the best and worst of Philadelphia sports since he came out of the womb. The 1997 Phillies are a remembrance of how things used to be. Jim Thome could be considered his first "favorite" Phillie, and remains one of his favorite players.
Sources: msnbc.com (Hardball Talk), Baseball-Reference.com
