Former Indians Slugger Jim Thome Reflects One Week Before Entering the Hall of Fame; Four Takeaways

In about one week former Indians slugger Jim Thome will get his final moment in the sun as a baseball player, reaching the highest platform any player can, being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Thome is an Indian at heart, and will wear the teams cap when he's introduced on the steps in Cooperstown, New York on July 29th. He'll be joined by Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, and Trevor Hoffman.

It's been not only a dream come true for Thome and his family since the phone rang in January informing him that he had made the Hall of Fame, but it's been a whirlwind coming to terms that he's ready to go down as one of the best ever.

Friday the former Indian got on the phone with the media in a conference call talking about aspects of his career, as well as moments as a player that he'll never forget.

Here's four takeaways from the comments Thome made, ready to take his rightful place into immortality.

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1. The 600th Homer and the Build Up After 599

The date was August 16th, 2011, and Jim Thome sat at 598 home runs, ready to do battle in a game against the Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit as a member of the Twins.

He came up in the sixth inning and belted a two-run blast to get to 599, meaning that one more homer and he would become just the 8th player in MLB history to hit 600 round trippers.

Little did he know that just one inning later, he'd make history, blasting a pitch off Daniel Schlereth over the wall in left for a three-run shot and more importantly a trip into history.

The milestone came on a 2-1 pitch, and while Thome didn't sit on homer 599 very long, he wasn't sure just when number 600 would come along. To have it happen just one inning later was a moment he'd never forget.

“You know how baseball works, home runs can come in bunches, and home runs can take a long time to hit. The excitement and the build up, I was sure hoping it would come quick, and it did, which was so great for my family and the Twins organization which was a great organization to play for, to get a chance to do it quickly was very special,” Thome said.

“The Detroit fans that night were first class, they gave a standing ovation, you don’t see an opponent get a lot of standing ovations, and that was very special to me.”

The 600th homeurn ball now sits in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, a place where a bust of Thome will sit for eternity come next week.

2. On How Life Has Changed Since the Call Into the Hall

Thome with his wife and family right next to him got the call into immortality in late January, a moment that a player might wait his entire career for.

From hearing from people he's known his whole life to running into fans that cheered for him, it has been a whirlwind for Thome and his family since the phone rang telling him that he was going to be elected into Cooperstown.

“It’s been an absolute dream, from the text messages, to the people that come up and are genuinely happy, it’s truly been a great ride and it’s continued to be that,” Thome said.

“When you get elected into the Hall of Fame, and you see the joy that it brings to your family, friends, and just your coaches, having conversations with Charlie Manuel on the phone, and the impact he’s had on my career, and down the line.

"I don’t want to say my life has changed to much, I try to keep that pretty simple, but it’s been special to share this with the ones that you care about, and the people that are fans that are genuinely happy for you, it means so much.”

3. On Teams and Pitchers He had the Most Fun and Challenge Going Up Against

The Indians teams of the 90's when Thome and his teammates were carving a place for themselves into history was filled with memorable games, matchups and one-on-one battles with some great pitchers.

Who could forget the Indians matches against teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Mariners and Orioles, all teams that were fighting for the same goal as the Tribe at the time.

So what teams and pitchers did Thome enjoy facing off with the most?

“Boston, Pedro (Martinez) because he got to set the bar so high with his abilities. The Yankees with (Andy) Pettite and (David) Wells, and (David) Cone, anytime you can beat the Yankees is special, and it was always a challenge.

“Being in that moment, of ‘are you going to get a chance to go to the World Series or are you not,’ whether it was Boston, or New York or Seattle, just competing against those teams, and those pitchers was special because you knew they were going to bring their ‘A’ game and you knew they would be ready to go.”

4. Thome 2011 Tribute Night at Progressive Field

The night was September 23rd, 2011, a rainy Friday night in which the Indians, who had gotten Thome back about a month before from the Twins, were honoring the slugger with a tribute at Progressive Field.

From fans holding signs to a standing ovation every time he came up, Thome got a hero's welcome coming back to the team that helped him become a future Hall of Famer.

“The signs first of all, I will never forget those signs they made, and not really knowing how I was going to be perceived when I came back,” Thome said.

“It felt very good, I felt welcomed, I felt that the fans were ready to embrace me coming back, and for me it was a huge part of my career that I got to go back, and share that and be a part of that, and to be able to go back to the original organization that took care of me for so many years, it was very special and a very special night."

Thome delivered, hitting a double and homer as the Indians got a little 1995 magic all over again with a 6-5 walk off win over the Twins.

“I’ll never forget the moment that my name was introduced walking to home plate and that standing ovation was just incredible. I have a picture of my kid holding one of those signs ‘Welcome Thome,’ for me that moment really stood out, and then getting a chance to be back in the organization.”

“It’s a fabulous organization, I am proud that I got to be part of it for so many years, and that I get to go into the Hall of Fame as an Indian is so special.”