Thome is more than a slugger

[Controlled Chaos]

Thome is more than a slugger

White Sox veteran generously gives back to community

By George Castle / Special to MLBPLAYERS.com

 

"You give respect, you get it back," says Jim Thome about his philosophy on being a good teammate.

 

Slugger Jim Thome might be best known for his titanic homers, but fellow big leaguers know him foremost as a great human being whose caring spirit extends to the community well beyond the game of baseball.

Teammates going back to his days with Cleveland in the early 1990s revere him. In a 2005 poll conducted by the Chicago Tribune, Thome was voted baseball's best teammate.

 

Thome's definition of being a good teammate is as straightforward and uncomplicated as his Midwestern roots.

 

"You give everybody the time of day," he said. "You give respect, you get it back. For me to say why that happens, I don't know. You are who you are. In the game of baseball, you should never put on an act and be something you're not. To be honest, I've been fortunate to have a lot of teammates to follow in that category.

 

"It's been kind of easy in a sense. We're here for the ultimate goal, to come together, root for this guy, root for that guy. When you do that, that's when you become a unit. That's what you [saw] them do last year. To win a World Series, you don't have people who are standoffish. You have to come together."

 

Off the field, Thome quietly and generously gives his spare time back to the community. But in keeping with his character, he doesn't beat his chest about it.

 

"The thing that motivates me is you can be involved in a lot of things," he said. "It's the time you give, your time. When you give something, you want to do it to where you're hands-on. I haven't done a lot of things. But the things that I've done, I've tried to be hands-on with and really make an impact within, not only myself, but my wife, getting my family involved, obviously your friends. That's really what it is, very similar to the team concept. Combine everyone together, create that unity together, try to be the best you can and give back."

 

Thome's caring nature with teammates and community, however, emanates from the closeness of his own family.

 

Now playing in Chicago -- just 150 miles from home -- gives him the opportunity to support his father, Chuck Thome, whose wife, Joyce, died of cancer.

 

"My dad, after losing Mom two years ago, it gives him an opportunity to be closer," Thome said. "Kind of be around the game, where in Philly, he'd come out two, three times a year."

 

The Thomes of Peoria were as sports-minded as any clan in that central Illinois city. Generations before him were gifted softball players. Sports brought the family together, on and off the playing field. When his brother Randy's teenage son, Brandon, was paralyzed from the chest down in a 2001 diving accident, Thome's family pulled together a little tighter.

 

Despite baseball's grueling schedule, Thome visited Brandon at the rehabilitation hospital whenever he had a day off or the team came through Chicago, trying to boost his spirits. When Brandon wished his uncle would hit a home run at U.S. Cellular Field, Thome somehow obliged.

 

"That was just a difficult time," Thome said. "It was a difficult time when Brandon got hurt. I was very lucky, I guess, to do that."

 

But there's a lot more to Jim Thome than titanic home runs.

[Gregory Pratt]

I've never heard a single bad thing about Thome, outside of "Strikeout King!" nonsense.

[BigSqwert]

I've never heard a single bad thing about Thome, outside of "Strikeout King!" nonsense.

I heard eats Tigers for breakfast.

[Gregory Pratt]

I heard eats Tigers for breakfast.

 

S'not a bad thing!

[SnB]

all I could think of after reading the title was:

Thome is more than a slugger, HE'S A LUMBERJACK

[DrunkBomber]

Im glad to see his average had crawled up to over 300. I think that makes him more of a MVP contender.

[Heads22]

I think I remember reading that his nephew asked him to hit a home run....he hit two.

[TitoMB345]

Thome is awesome, truely an amazing person. Here's one to you, JI.

Edited July 19, 2006 by TitoMB345

[GoSox05]

he's also a hugger. awwwww

[LosMediasBlancas]

I feel proud and very lucky to see that man in a White Sox uniform.

[Gregory Pratt]

I think I remember reading that his nephew asked him to hit a home run....he hit two.

 

You remember right.

 

Thome's going to take Bonderman deep tonight.

[Kalapse]

I think I remember reading that his nephew asked him to hit a home run....he hit two.

His nephew was peralized and I believe it was either day of or a day or two after he became peralized that he asked him uncle to hit a HR for him but Jim messed up and hit 2 instead. He also put all his neices and nephews through college

[Milkman delivers]

I think I remember reading that his nephew asked him to hit a home run....he hit two.

 

When was this?

[Controlled Chaos]

When was this?

I'm guessing sometime in 2001.

[ObamaKnowsBest]

His nephew was peralized and I believe it was either day of or a day or two after he became peralized that he asked him uncle to hit a HR for him but Jim messed up and hit 2 instead. He also put all his neices and nephews through college

 

Are you sure he was peralized and not paralyzed????

[Kalapse]

Are you sure he was peralized and not paralyzed????

Who really cares?