The Philadelphia Phillies 2012 season was the 130th season in the history of the franchise. The Phillies attempted to win the division title for the sixth year in a row. However, they finished third place in the National League East with a record of 81–81 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

James Howard Thome is an American former professional baseball corner infielder and designated hitter, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 22 seasons (1991–2012). He played for six different teams throughout his career, most notably the Cleveland Indians. A prolific power hitter, Thome hit 612 home runs during his career—the eighth-most all time. He amassed a total of 2,328 hits and 1,699 runs batted in (RBIs). His career batting average was .276. He was a member of five All-Star teams and won a Silver Slugger Award in 1996.