Jim Thome

Jim Thome was a commanding presence on the baseball diamond for more than two decades. For over 20 seasons, Thome was one of the most feared left-handed hitters in all of baseball. He was known for his unique batting stance, warm personality, and for having a propensity for putting the ball over the right field wall. Throughout his career Thome was regarded as an exemplar role model for other ballplayers to follow with his actions on and off the field.

Sports Speaker Jim Thome began his MLB career in 1991 with the Cleveland Indians. Thome spent the majority of his career with the Indians including his first 12 seasons in the Major Leagues. During this time he asserted himself as one of the preeminent power hitters in all of baseball, and was beloved by the Cleveland fan base. After leaving the Indians in 2003 Thome would go on to play 9 more seasons with 6 different teams including another stint with the Indians. He was productive late into his career proving to be a valuable hitter on a roster despite being a middle aged man. For his career, Thome was named to 5 All-Star games and hit 612 home runs, which is good for 7th –most all-time. Also recognized as one of baseball’s finest men off the field earning the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award twice from Major League Baseball in addition to the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award for community work and philanthropy.

Jim Thome’s philanthropy work has been well-documented during and after his playing career. In each of the cities that he played, Thome was active in one or two charities at a time. He and his wife heavily support Children’s Home + Aid and they have an annual event for the Children’s Hospital in Illinois.