Is Jim Thome Hall of Fame Worthy?

(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

He has never won MVP.

He has never won a World Series.

He doesn't even play the field.

But with 547 homers and counting, Jim Thome could wind up in Cooperstown and one must wonder if the 500 home run plateau is still a legitimate benchmark for Hall enshrinement in the era of steroid abuse?

While his numbers compare to the likes of McCovey, Killebrew, and Jackson, Thome has only led the majors in home runs once (47).

An All-Star just five times in 19 major league seasons, Thome seems to be a product of health and longevity versus talent and dominance.

The DH has never led the league in RBI's, Hits, Doubles, or Triples, but does have a home run for every 13.6 at bats—leaving him No. 1 in home runs among active players and No. 4 all-time!

With a .278 career batting average and and nearly 7,500 at bats, Thome has just 2,071 hits and 1,506 RBI's that places him fiftieth on the all-time list.

Since 2005, Thome has been, for the most part, a full-time DH with unimpressive field statistics. He has played the field just 29 innings with the White Sox since playing 52 games with the Phillies in 2005.

In the post season, Thome is equally unimpressive with a lifetime .221 average— over fifty points below his lifetime average with just three World Series homers.

In many ways, though, Jim Thome will redefine what it means to be a Hall of Famer. Like the relief pitcher before him, does a specialized player such as Thome deserve Hall status?

For the most part, Jim Thome has been a small market favorite in places like Cleveland and Philadelphia where the national media does not congregate. Had Thome played in the National League longer, his numbers would seem more respectable.

Even though Thome's single season home run at bats have been impressive, his batting average has fallen over time and his inability to have 150 hits per season on a consistent basis will be another number to overcome in reviewing his overall contributions to the game of baseball.

Jim Thome, in my mind, is on the bubble. If he can continue to stay healthy and get enough at bats to push him closer to 600 home runs, it will be difficult to keep him out of the Hall of Fame.

But for now, Jim Thome needs to do something dramatic in his final years to ensure Hall of Fame status.

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