Mon Feb 13 2012
Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS — Jim Thome has the classic slugger’s swing, a hard uppercut that rarely yields a cheap home run.
He’s sure getting the most out of his first season with Minnesota, too.
Thome homered twice, moving past Mark McGwire for ninth place on baseball’s all-time list and powering the Twins over the Texas Rangers 12-4 on Saturday.
“He never ceases to amaze us,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “He’s just going up and whacking the ball. It’s Babe Ruth all over again.”
At age 40, Thome now has 584 career home runs, continuing to hack away at that hallowed — even if steroid-tainted — leader board. As for the Babe, though, he’s still 130 homers ahead.
“I don’t think so,” Thome said, when asked if he could catch Ruth for third. “I think I’ll be fishing by then.”
Thome went deep leading off the third inning, a shot to the second deck above right field estimated at 449 feet. Then with two on and two outs in the fourth, Thome’s full-count drive into the bullpen behind left-center made it 9-0.
Thome also drew a couple of walks, giving him 1,668 lifetime freebees.
That moved him into ninth in that career category, too, passing Frank Thomas.
“Anything he does, you just like watching him,” said Matt Tolbert, who had a career-high five RBI. “It kind of doesn’t set in that you’re playing on a team with a future Hall of Famer.”
In just 237 at-bats, Thome has 20 homers. He took over sole possession of the Twins lead, passing Jason Kubel and the disabled Justin Morneau.
His back and hip can be a bother, keeping him out for a few days even this week. That’s why Gardenhire limits Thome’s time even with Morneau’s absence creating more need for a designated hitter.
Thome insisted he didn’t have expectations for this year, knowing he would no longer be an everyday player.
It’s not easy for him to sit out, but it might help him down the stretch.
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