A Good Year for the Outlaw

Jim Thome nailed his 500th homer today, and it was a beauty, a game winner to put a good feeling in an otherwise dismal White Sox season.

Like I wrote on Billy’s blog, it’s just too damn bad he played at the same time as the steroid a-munches who have ruined the greatest game. If there were no ‘roids, Barroid Bonds would still be at about 400 homers (and long since retired). Sammy Sosa would still be in the 400’s, too. Only Mark McGwire (who didn’t need them, but took them anyway, the freakin’ moron loser) and Junior Griffey would compare to Thome’s career. But because of ‘roids, lots of guys are putting up big homer numbers the last 10-15 years, and therefore “diminishing” Thome’s accomplishments. Not in my eyes.

He’s one of the best. A big Illinois country boy who worked and worked and worked and now look at him…500 homers. Up there with the greats, like Mantle, Killebrew, Frank Robinson, etc. Good for him. He’s a Hall of Famer in my book. And because of McGwire’s transgressions, one of the two greatest sluggers of this generation along with Junior, who I don’t believe has ever juiced up. But if it’s ever proven that Junior was on the juice, then he goes into the same pile of crap that Bonds and Sosa are in, and Thome stands alone. For right now, I’ll give Griffey the benefit of the doubt.