COOPERSTOWN _ Jim Thome had an off day to remember.
Chicago White Sox designated hitter Thome visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Thursday to donate the ball he hit Sept. 16 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for the 500th home run of his career.
His homer, a two-run drive against Dustin Moseley, came on a 3-2 pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning with the score tied at 7. Thome's shot gave the White Sox a 9-7 victory as he became the 23rd Major League Baseball player to hit 500 home runs and the first to do so with a walkoff.
Thome has since hit 35 more homers and stands 15th all-time. He is one home run behind Mickey Mantle. Barry Bonds, a free agent who did not play this season but has yet to retire, has 762 home runs as the career leader.
Thome and his father, Chuck, toured the museum for 2 1/2 hours Thursday, Hall Director of Communications Craig Muder said. Muder added that the two got a chance to see the Hall's archives room and that Thome got his hands on a bat and a jersey used by Babe Ruth.
"We walked around and got to see the town a little bit," said Thome, who added that snow canceled two previous attempts to deliver the ball during the offseason. "It's a surreal place, a magical place. It's definitely the best off day I've ever spent, I will tell you that. It's wonderful."
The White Sox lost, 11-3, at Baltimore on Wednesday night and start a three-game set at Boston today. Going into Thursday, Chicago led the American League Central Division by one game over Minnesota.
Thome said Thursday's off day was the perfect opportunity to visit the Hall, especially since his team was already on the East Coast.
"What a special place this is. It's special enough to hit your 500th home run, and to share it with your father is even more special," Thome said before handing the ball over to Ted Spencer, the Hall's vice president and chief curator. "As a baseball player, I know why fans of baseball come here now. You get a true appreciation for how special this place is. It's something that I'll never forget. This day has been incredible."
Chuck Thome, 73, fought his emotions during the presentation and while recounting the events of the afternoon. He'll have at least one special souvenir that will help him remember the visit, too.
Upon their arrival at the Hall, Chuck Thome said, he saw a fan wearing his son's No. 25 jersey from his playing days with the Philadelphia Phillies. Chuck Thome said he asked the fan to take a photo with his back to the camera.
"He looked at me kind of funny, but he really looked at me funny when I asked him to turn around because I wanted to get the Baseball Hall of Fame over the top (of Thome's name on the jersey)," Chuck Thome said. "Then I explained it to him, so he understood I wasn't some fruitcake."
Thome, 38, might return some day as a Hall of Famer. In addition to his 535 homers, Thome has amassed 1,475 RBIs, 394 doubles and a .280 career batting average over 18 major league seasons with the Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia and the White Sox.
His homers alone should be enough to make the Baseball Writers' Association of America consider him as a first-ballot selection. As of 2008, the only player in the 500 home-run club who is eligible for election and has been overlooked is Mark McGwire, whose career was marred by allegations of steroid use.
"This is the most awesome place in the world," Chuck Thome said, his voice cracking. "I think he's going to come up these steps one of these days (as a Hall of Famer)."
A total of 24 major leaguers have reached the 500-HR milestone. Seven of those players are still active. The BBWAA passed on McGwire (583) the last two elections and will probably do the same when Rafael Palmeiro (569) _ another former star linked to performance-enhancing drugs _ becomes eligible in 2011.
The other 15 are Hall of Famers, and since Thome has never been associated with the steroids scandal, that number is likely to go up five years after he retires.
"I think that's what we dealt with. It's in our era," Thome said about statistics big hitters compiled during the steroids era, which started in the 1990s and continued past the turn of the century. "The bottom line is baseball has done a good job at cleaning it up and moving on toward positive things. You're always going to have opinions and everybody is going to have their own opinion. Ultimately in the end, you know you did it the right way."
Thome said he believes baseball is making the right call with instant replay as well. As of Thursday, MLB will allow umpires to verify home runs via video replay, if needed.
"I think the one thing that it is going to do, especially with tight races around baseball, it's going to help those close calls," Thome said. "Say they call it foul. Then they can go do the replay and figure out if it's fair or foul. That end of it is good. It'll definitely determine what the right call is. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out and how it goes about."
When asked if instant replay might have given him a few more homers over the years, Thome said: "You know, you never know."
Thome hasn't reached the postseason since 2001 with the Indians. He and Cleveland also lost two World Series, to Atlanta in 1995 and to Florida in 1997. With the 2008 season nearing completion and his White Sox in first place at the moment, Thome said this is a special time.
"I was very blessed for a lot of years in Cleveland to be able to go to the postseason and went to two World Series and lost and both of them," he said. "To get a chance to be on a competing team close to the start of September, that's ultimately why you play. I always say, individual things are great and you accomplish those and are proud of those, but when you walk away from the game, you want to be able to walk away and be able to win that last game of the year played in baseball that year.
"I haven't been fortunate to do that yet, but it sure would be a great thrill," he continued. "It would be something for me that I would always cherish. I think every player strives to get to the last game and win it all."
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P.J. Harmer can be reached at pharmer@thedailystar.com or 607-432-1000, ext. 229.
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