The Philllies are adding a Jim Thome plaque to their Wall of Fame tonight. I won't be there for the induction but do plan on getting down to the park at some point this weekend.
Thome's tenure here was short but he did provide some great memories
2005 Topps #25 Jim Thome
Remember a few years back when there was a buzz regarding Topps giving players card numbers that matched their uniform numbers. This Thome card is pre-buzz but it does fall on his #25.
2005 Topps #25 Jim Thome (b-side)
One of the reasons that I like this card is the fun fact, "On June 14, 2004, Jim Became the 37th Major Leaguer to reach 400 home runs." First off I respect the accomplishment and I am happy that the prodigious home run hitter reached the milestone while with the Phillies.
More selfishly I think it is cool that it was a game attended by Team Phungo.
Citizens Bank Ballpark was brand new at the time, there was always buzz at the stadium - even more so with a potential Thome Milestone. June 14 2004 was a rainy Monday night in which the Reds were in town to make up a game that had already been postponed once. None of this could damper the spirits of the fans there to see if Thome could hit #400. He didn't make us wait long - He homered in the first inning.
Except that there was the issue of a potential rainout - what would happen if the game didn't go the required 5 innings?
The clubs played through some rain and there were delays but the clubs eventually finished the contest (officially) with the Phillies winning 10-7 in a weather shortened 8 innings.
Someday I will dig through my ticket stubs and add one to this post.
Sources and Links
Phungo Jim Thome HR #400 Index
Phungo Jim Thome Player Collection
Phungo Games Index
Baseball-ref
Thome's tenure here was short but he did provide some great memories
Remember a few years back when there was a buzz regarding Topps giving players card numbers that matched their uniform numbers. This Thome card is pre-buzz but it does fall on his #25.
One of the reasons that I like this card is the fun fact, "On June 14, 2004, Jim Became the 37th Major Leaguer to reach 400 home runs." First off I respect the accomplishment and I am happy that the prodigious home run hitter reached the milestone while with the Phillies.
More selfishly I think it is cool that it was a game attended by Team Phungo.
Citizens Bank Ballpark was brand new at the time, there was always buzz at the stadium - even more so with a potential Thome Milestone. June 14 2004 was a rainy Monday night in which the Reds were in town to make up a game that had already been postponed once. None of this could damper the spirits of the fans there to see if Thome could hit #400. He didn't make us wait long - He homered in the first inning.
Except that there was the issue of a potential rainout - what would happen if the game didn't go the required 5 innings?
The clubs played through some rain and there were delays but the clubs eventually finished the contest (officially) with the Phillies winning 10-7 in a weather shortened 8 innings.
Someday I will dig through my ticket stubs and add one to this post.
Sources and Links
Phungo Jim Thome HR #400 Index
Phungo Jim Thome Player Collection
Phungo Games Index
Baseball-ref
Thome's 1st stint with the Phillies was 2 1/2 seasons. Is that wall-worthy? I say no.
ReplyDeleteNot related to Thome specifically, but in recent years the team has really lowered the bar on Wall qualifications, in their haste to generate fan interest & attendance. Who's next, Randy Wolf?