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Hall of Fame Class 30 – Thome Circles the Bases One Final Time Ichiro is a Hit |
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Jim Thome
Ichiro Suzuki
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Class 30 received 85% voter participation,
a slight increase from the historic low turnout of 79.5% for Class 28, but
still below the 90%+ levels that had been the norm. While some argue that the
quality of candidates dictates participation levels, there is no doubt that Jim Thome deserves the honor. Thome’s name appears all over the All-time
lists. But it is his 579 career homers, just 21 behind Babe Ruth, that
created room for Thome. So feared was he as a batter that Thome was walked
1651 times, just eight less than Lou Gehrig. Thome sits comfortably among
some legendary players. Thome played for six different teams in his 19-season
career. Originally drafted by Horseshoe Bay
in 1994, Thome’s impact was felt immediately as the Polos claimed a Division
crown. However, Thome moved quickly to Hoboken for two seasons, where he
returned to the playoffs in 1996, and then on to Newmarket. It was for Ed
Hebscher that Thome accumulated 280 of his homeruns. In 2003, Jim’s 67 homers
led the EH’s to a second consecutive Wildcard spot. In 2004 he moved on to
Pennsylvania/Brooklyn, where he played for six seasons, including four
consecutive playoff appearances and a league championship with the Keystones
in 2006 before ending his career in Newark, where he
had one more post-season fling. Ichiro
Suzuki arrived in TCBA with a lot of hype, and a $158k bid from Bill
Kirwin’s Kennett Komets, 3rd that year behind Albert Pujols $277k
and Adam Dunn’s $180k offers. In 2005, Ichiro’s .383 average topped the
league, leading the renamed Binghamton Triplets to an Atlantic Division
crown. After a wildcard appearance the following season, the team was demolished.
Ichiro was tossed overboard, included in a nonsense trade with Mimosa. In
exchange for four journeymen and a FA pick, none of whom lasted more than two
seasons, Larry Smith received the daily services of
Ichiro Suzuki. During the next three seasons, Ichiro played in every game,
all 486 of them, helping Mimosa to consecutive playoff appearances in 2007-8.
Following the 2008 season, Ichiro moved around a bit, spending time with
Lawton, Edinburgh, Scranton and Brooklyn, before ending his career with
Hilton Head. In his career, Ichiro made six trips to the playoffs. Of the remaining candidates, Tim Hudson
came oh-so-close, but, like the others, failed to gain the 70% threshold. The
voters were torn over the legitimacy of Bonds and A-Rod, evidenced by their
identical 47.9% totals. Voting for Class 31 will be held in early
January 2024. The vote totals for Class 30 are listed below: Class 30 Voting Totals:
· Appeared on
the list for the final time. Source: TCBA Encyclopedia |
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