Minnesota Twins designated hitter Jim Thome is closing in on one of the most hallowed achievements in baseball: the 600 home run club.
With a three-run blast off Kansas City Royals starter Felipe Paulino in the sixth inning, Thome broke a 1-1 tie, in a game that was eventually won by Minnesota.
His blast traveled 490 feet, the longest home run in the history of Jacobs Field. He now has the three longest home runs in Target Field history, and six of the top eight.
Thome's home run was his seventh of the season and the 596th of his career. He moved within four homers of becoming the eighth member of the 600 home run club, a club that currently has the following members (Barry Bonds: 762, Hank Aaron: 755, Babe Ruth: 714, Willie Mays: 660, Ken Griffey Jr: 630, Alex Rodriguez: 626, Sammy Sosa: 609).
Of those members, Ruth is widely considered the greatest player in baseball history. Aaron and Mays are just a step below Ruth. Rodriguez, Bonds, and Sosa will have their legacy severely hindered by their steroid usage (although all three should be first-ballot Hall of Famers). Griffey Jr has never been linked to steroids, and despite a disappointing second half to his career, will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Thome, who will probably be the worst player in the 600 home run club, will make for an interesting case when he is eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
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