Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Jim Thome gets it


Over the years that I've collected, I've tried to become a player collector.  Really I have.  I'm the type of person though that just doesn't collect a player just because of great stats, or the team that he plays on.  What draws me to a player is that the player "gets it".

What do I mean by someone getting it?  Well, the first and only player that I've ever collected in any sport, Joe Sakic, was able to "get it" at a very young age. Joe learned how to speak French so he could conduct interviews for the Quebec market that he played in.  For a man in his early 20's, learning another language as quick as he did, showed me that he was willing to do anything for the team he was on, and the market he played in.  Watching him conduct an interview in French without any slip ups just impressed me to the nth degree.

Joe "gets it".   I've enjoyed collecting his cards over the past 20+ years, and to be honest I really need to start beefing up his collection again.

Today, I read this article on Yahoo about another player who I now know "gets it".  For me, Jim Thome is someone who has character that goes well beyond a baseball field. 

I guess that's what it is all about for me as far as being a player collector goes.  I like people with character.  Those who value others before they value themselves. 

It doesn't have to be a body of work to impress me.  Five minutes is all it really takes to size up a person.  You know right away whether that person is going to like you, and whether you are going to like them.

The five minute article I read about Jim Thome today.  The five minute interview that Joe Sakic gave a French reporter over 20 years ago.  Those events told me that these guys are worth collecting.

Yes, I will be starting a Jim Thome collection.  Don't all rush to your trade boxes right away looking for Thome cards.  Player collections are usually lower on the totem pole for me as far as keeping up with them.


Yes indeed, I am collecting the same Jim Thome with 609 career HRs.  Jim has hit those HR's off of 400 different pitchers, against 30 different teams, and in 38 different ball parks.  Jim's first HR came off of Steve Farr of the Yankees in October of 1991.

Jim has had more career hits vs Roger Clemens (22) than any other pitcher.  Rick Reed was his biggest victim HR wise, 9 of Thome's 12 career hits vs. Reed were long balls.

I think I'm going to have some fun writing about, as well as collecting Mr. Thome. 

I already know that the man has character.  Five minutes told me so.

Thanks for reading, Robert

6 comments:

  1. Wow. You weren't lying that Thome gets it. Thanks for suggesting the article, it was great.

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  2. I Was sad when they traded Thome from my Sox. I knew they were doing it for him - good DH that was "worth" a lot in players. Still sucked.

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  3. Great article. It's nice to read something like that with all the crap that goes on with athletes.

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  4. Thome is easily one of my favorites as well. I didn't know too much about him before he came to the White Sox in '06, but he showed what a great guy he was during his tenure in Chicago (as he's done with every other team he's played for).

    Certainly a good player to start a collection of.

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  5. great article..thanks for linking to it. Sakic is/was always a class act and enjoyed watching his career. The fact he played 1300+ games with one team is pretty unheard of in the me-me generation of players.

    I bet Sakic and Thome would get along.

    Add in my player that gets it from hockey... Steve Yzerman.

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  6. I know what you mean, it's what I felt the first time I saw Tim Salmon being interviewed. Oh, and of course, first day I met my wife :)

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