Jim Thome Elected To Baseball Hall Of Fame

COOPERSTOWN, NY – Jim Thome, whose statue is outside Progressive Field, entered the Baseball Hall of Fame with the Class of 2018 on Wednesday. With outsized stats, including 612 career home runs, many outlets pegged the former Indians third and first baseman as a first ballot entrant to the Hall.

Only four players were elected to the Hall. Besides Thome, Vladimir Guerrero, Trevor Hoffman and Chipper Jones were enshrined.

Roughly three-dozen players were eligible for Cooperstown this year. Besides Thome, there was Johnny Damon (another first time candidate) and players like Edgar Martinez and Fred McGriff who were making their ninth appearances on ballots.

According to respected Hall of Fame Tracker Ryan Thibodaux, there were three players who seemed to be sure bets – Thome and Chipper Jones, who were both making their first appearances on the ballot, and Vladmir Guerrero, who was making his second. Hoffman's entry was more of a surprise.

Thome has a mixed history with Cleveland Indians' fans. His statue, which was unveiled in 2014, is flanked by Bob Feller and Larry Doby (the first black player in the American League), two legendary players who won a championship for the Tribe. The reveal of Thome's bronze visage prompted the Ringer to say, "Thome needs to bounce. It’s only apt."

It's a sentiment that was shared by a vocal group of Indians' faithful who remember Thome bolting Cleveland to head to Philadelphia, then to the Indians' divisional rival the Chicago White Sox, then another Indians' divisional rival the Minnesota Twins, and Baltimore.

The Plain Dealer's Bill Livingston said that if the team wanted to add a third statue outside the stadium, they should have put Omar Vizquel out there. Some people agreed.

Still, Thome's career in Cleveland was decorated. He's the team's leader in home runs, hitting 348 during his time in a Tribe uniform. His teams appeared in two World Series, losing both. The good of his time in Cleveland probably outweighs the bad. And certainly his career work is deserving of a spot in the Hall of Fame.

Players need at least 75 percent of the ballots cast by members of the Baseball Writers Association of of America.

The most players ever selected in a single year was five and that was the first class picked.

Here were the players on the ballot:

• Barry Bonds
• Chris Carpenter
• Roger Clemens
• Johnny Damon
• Vladimir Guerrero
• Livan Hernandez
• Trevor Hoffman
• Orlando Hudson
• Aubrey Huff
• Jason Isringhausen
• Andruw Jones
• Chipper Jones
• Jeff Kent
• Carlos Lee
• Brad Lidge
• Edgar Martinez
• Hideki Matsui
• Fred McGriff
• Kevin Millwood
• Jamie Moyer
• Mike Mussina
• Manny Ramirez
• Scott Rolen
• Johan Santana
• Curt Schilling
• Gary Sheffield
• Sammy Sosa
• Jim Thome
• Omar Vizquel
• Billy Wagner
• Larry Walker
• Kerry Wood
• Carlos Zambrano

(AP Photo/Aaron Josefczyk)