Mild-mannered Thome deserves all the glory

Los Angeles: Jim Thome and the Hall of Fame.

If you think the two don't go together, you're not alone. But you're also wrong.

Not that the Minnesota Twins slugger would hold that against you because Thome — with apologies to the Angels' Torii Hunter — is perhaps the nicest and most sincere man in baseball. And has been for 21 seasons.

Walk through a ballpark with Thome before the gates open and you'll see him greet the security guards and ushers by name. Sit near the dugout during games and you'll hear him call out to the season-ticket holders.

Watch him afterward and you'll find him standing patiently by his locker, respectfully answering the lamest questions from reporters representing the smallest hometown newspapers.

That wasn't something you would see with Barry Bonds.

Bonds would question your parentage; Thome will ask about your kids, then listen intently to the answer.

When the Minnesota Twins held a memorial service for Harmon Killebrew in May, Thome flew to Illinois to see his family, then flew right back to take part in the service. Never mind that it was the Twins' only day off in a month.

"It's just respect," Thome said. Yet a player who shows respect to everyone doesn't always see it in return. When he hit his 600th home run last week, just the eighth player in history to do so, the milestone was greeted with a wide yawn and far less fanfare than Derek Jeter received for his 3,000th hit.

Jeter, after all, is the toast of New York, lives in a Florida mansion and dates celebrities. Thome comes from Peoria, Illinois — where else could he come from? — and all but carries a lunch bucket to work.

While Alex Rodriguez faces allegations that he has been spending part of his Yankees contract on high-stakes poker games, Thome reportedly is putting his nieces and nephews through college.

Clearly Thome lacks the glitz and glamour, the flamboyance and the egotism to stand out in a tabloid world. Which is why he's thought of primarily as a nice guy and not a great player.

Strong case

Truth is, he's both. He's also crew cuts and blue collars. He's Middle America, right down to the "please" and "thank you."

In his world, guns are for hunting, not for carrying into night clubs. No wonder the licence plate on his pickup truck — what else would he drive? — once read DBTH, shorthand for Don't Believe the Hype. But you can believe the numbers, which make a strong case that Thome should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible.

He hit 40 or more home runs in a season six times, more than Mike Schmidt or Ernie Banks. He has a higher career on-base percentage than Joe DiMaggio or Rickey Henderson. He's scored 100 runs in a season eight times, more than Lou Brock or Cal Ripken Jr. And he's driven in at least 102 runs nine times, more than Frank Robinson or Reggie Jackson. Those players all are in the Hall of Fame.