Why are we even having this discussion?

I wanted to congratulate Jim Thome, Designated Hitter (DH) for the Minnesota Twins, for hitting his 600^th career home run yesterday in a 9-6 Twins victory over the Detroit Tigers (actually, he hit his 599th and 600th home runs in the same game.  Very cool!).  He becomes only the 8^th player in Major League Baseball history to achieve this mark, joining Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., Willie Mays, Alex Rodriquez, Sammy Sosa, and Babe Ruth.  An elite club of major leaguers this group is, Thome probably has the least amount of hardware of the club.  He has only been an All-Star five times in his career, has never won an MVP award (only finishing as high as 4^th in the voting), and has never won a World Series ring.  What is also impressive and over-looked about Thome's accomplishment, while playing his career in the era of steroids, he has been a clean player.  No allegations of steroid use have been associated with Jim Thome.  Obviously a product of nutrition, he has been able to prolong his career, playing in his 21^st season, and allowing him to accumulate his home run totals.  But even with as little accolade as he has, there is no doubt in my mind that he should be a hall of framer, possibly a first ballot hall of famer, when he retires.  So why is ESPN campaigning as if there is any question?

On my drive home from work, I had switched the radio dial to ESPN Radio and decided to listen to the Brian Kenny Show, and he posed the question to his listeners, “Is Jim Thome a hall of famer?”  Odd question to ask upon first hearing it.  Later that night during my nightly viewing of Sportscenter, they showed one of their slow music, Shawshank Redemption like video montages of Jim Thome, with clips of Cooperstown in the background and Tim Kurkjian doing the voice over as if he were Morgan Freeman, sounding like he was pleading his case for Thome to be in the hall.  Then the montage led to a discussion from ESPN’s Baseball Tonight crew about whether or not Jim Thome is a hall of famer.  Are you kidding me?  The guy just hit his 600^th career home run!!!  What more does he need to do?  He has a .280 career batting average and is a five-time All-Star.  He has probably been one of the most over-looked baseball players of our generation.  Yes, for the latter part of his career he has been delegated to being a designated hitter, but there was a point in his career where he played both third and first base, and pretty well.  He has quietly put up hall of fame numbers, and the fact that ESPN felt like they had to put together a campaign video for Jim Thome to be in the hall of fame leaves he puzzled. 

I know the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame is one of the most hallowed places in all of sports, and entrance into those walls is a privileged that only few players will ever be granted, but whatever happened to the trigger factor?  With baseball and all of its unwritten rules, standards, and traditions, doesn’t hitting 600 career home runs "trigger" your automatic entrance into Baseball’s Hall of Fame?  In years past, it was also thought that hitting 500 career home runs would automatically "trigger" your guarantee entrance into the hall of fame.  Same with hitting 3,000 career hits.  You’re telling me now that those numbers have somewhat escalated?  Does baseball account for inflation now with its unwritten quota and hall of fame standards for current players trying to make the hall?  A guy just hit his 600^th career home run and we’re questioning whether or not he is a hall of famer?  As Ozzie Guillen would say, "PPPPSSSSTTTT...Please!!"

The Baseball Writers Association is funny about who they let into Baseball's hall of fame, especially when it comes to first ballot players.  And never has any player in baseball history received 100% admittance.  I’m sure when Jim Thome retires and waits his 5 years before he becomes eligible for the hall, we will undoubtedly revisit this conversation, but to this blogger, it’s a no brainer.  He belongs in the hall, and he deserves to go on the first ballot.  Need I remind you:  600 career home runs!!!  Why are we even having this discussion?

Mr. Armchair Speaking