The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Thome’s ‘Ultimate dream come true’
Indians slugger inducted into Hall of Fame with five others in front of 50,000-plus
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. » Emotions were understandably high for Jim Thome, and that was before he gave his Hall of Fame acceptance speech.
Thome, the popular Indians slugger who connected for 612 home runs (eighth all time), kept his emotions in check just enough July 29 as his daughter Lila sang the national anthem.
Thome was emotional during a Hall of Fame visit in February to tour the museum to prepare for this day, and held it together despite having to wipe away tears after his daughter’s rendition of the anthem. The February visit to the Hall was extra special as he and his father delivered Thome’s 500th home run ball.
“(That) was an incredibly special moment,” said Thome to his dad. “But I’m guessing that you think this is just a little bit better.”
Thome had an MLB record 13 walk-off homers, mostly for the Indians. He also had 1,699 RBI, scored 1,583 runs and drew 1,747 walks.
Among the many he thanked, Thome praised former Indians manager Charlie Manuel, who served as the Indians’ hitting coach in the late 1980s and 1990s. Manuel was in the audience.
“He told me I could hit as many home runs as I wanted to,” Thome said.
“I knew this was someone I could connect with.”
Thome played for five other teams after leaving the Indians — the Phillies, White Sox, Orioles, Dodgers and Twins. He had one last stint with the Indians for 22 games in 2011.
Thome had a clear recollection when the thought of being a Hall of Famer truly sunk in for him.
“When the great Henry Aaron called me and welcomed me into this great brotherhood. I’m in awe of each of the (Hall of Famers) gathered behind me . ... Being here, the overwhelming feeling I have is respect because those who came before me are the shoulders we humbly stand on today.”
Thome recalled growing up in Peoria, Ill., and “hitting rocks in our gravel driveway until my family and neighbors couldn’t take it anymore. This is the ultimate
dream come true.”
He dreamed big, but had to work hard to develop his swing under the guidance of Manual, who was a coach in the minors and helped Thome. He was a 13thround draft pick by the Indians in the 1989 baseball draft.
“I never forgot that dream, even after I became a major-league player because I could see the reflection of those dreams whenever I saw a kid in the stands. Or when a child would come up to just say hello. The significance came when I toured the Hall for the first time as a member. ... At the moment, I realized my dream did not live in my head. It lived in my heart. I still can’t believe this has happened to me, a 13thround draft pick.
I’m so honored to be part of something so special. Baseball is beautiful and I am forever in its service.”
Also inducted with Thome were Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Trevor Hoffman and former Detroit
Tigers teammates Jack Morris and Alan Trammell.
Jones didn’t bow to the pressure of the moment, and it was considerable. He stood there delivering his speech with wife Taylor staring up at him, hours away from giving birth to a son to be named Cooper in honor of the special day.
Faced with that daunting task, Jones delivered flawlessly, just as he did during his 19-year career with the Atlanta Braves.
“She changed my life forever,” Jones said as his wife brushed away tears. “It took me 40 years and some major imperfections in me along the way to find my true profession. Now we’ve taken our two families and blended them together. It has given me what I’ve been searching for my entire life —true happiness.”
A crowd estimated at about 50,000 gathered on a sun-splashed day to honor six former players.
Jones controlled his emotions in a speech that took the crowd through his entire
career, starting with his rookie season when he helped lead the Atlanta Braves to the 1995 World Series title. He was one of the greatest switch-hitters in baseball history, in the mold of his dad’s favorite player, Mickey Mantle, and finished with a .303 career batting average, 468 home runs, and 1,623 RBI, credentials that earned him election on the first try.
Greeted by hundreds of fans waving Dominican Republic flags, Guerrero spoke in his native Spanish in a speech that was translated from Spanish and lasted just five minutes. He thanked his father and mother, who cooked dinners for him and does the same now for his son, and the fans and the people in his hometown of Don Gregorio. His son Vladimir Jr., the top prospect in the minor leagues with the Blue Jays, was in attendance.
The nine-time All-Star outfielder batted .318 with 449 homers and 1,496 RBI and is the first player inducted
wearing the cap of the Angels, the team where he enjoyed his greatest success.
Just as he did in his unflappable role in the bullpen during his career as an ace reliever, Hoffman was flawless in delivering his speech, closing it by thanking his wife.
“You shared with me this amazing journey of ups and downs from the beginning, always never letting me get too high or get too low,” Hoffman said. “I love you.”
Hoffman, chosen in his third year on the ballot, played the bulk of his career with the San Diego Padres before finishing with the Milwaukee Brewers. After failing to impress the front office in three years as a shortstop, he switched to the bullpen and became a star. Using a stultifying changeup, Hoffman recorded 601 saves over 18 seasons, second all-time to Mariano Rivera’s 652.
Morris, now 63, pitched 18 seasons for the Tigers, Twins, Blue Jays and Indians,
and played on four World Series champions. In the 1980s, he led all pitchers with 2,444.2 innings pitched and 162 wins and topped all AL pitchers in strikeouts with 1,629.
The crowning achievement of Morris’ career was his 1-0 complete-game victory in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series while pitching for his hometown Twins against the Braves. Minnesota manager Tom Kelly wanted to take him out after nine innings and the 36-year-old Morris convinced him not to. Morris also thanked Kelly for that decision.
Trammell and Morris were selected together in December by a veterans committee.
Trammell played shortstop for 20 seasons — all for the Tigers — and earned six All-Star Game selections, four Gold Glove Awards and three Silver Slugger Awards. His .977 fielding percentage ranks sixth among shortstops with at least 2,000 games played.