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.
Thome in 2015
Thome (left) in 2015, during a reunion with his 1995 Indians teammates
Thome with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2005
Thome with the Chicago White Sox in 2008
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run is usually achieved by hitting the ball over the outfield fence between the foul poles without the ball touching the field.
Barry Bonds holds the all-time home run record in Major League Baseball
Sadaharu Oh, pictured here in 2006, holds the officially verified all-time world home run record in professional baseball.
Scooter Gennett had four home runs in a 2017 game, nearly completing a home run cycle.
The Polo Grounds left field foul line with guide rope, as seen from upper deck, 1917
