Press Release - Wednesday, May 24, 2006
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Jim Thome is the greatest Illinois home run hitter of all time! Lt. Governor declares Wednesday, May 24 to be "Jim Thome Day"
CHICAGO - Today, Lt. Governor Pat Quinn saluted White Sox slugger Jim Thome for his record-breaking 443rd career home run. Thome is now the Illinois home run king, surpassing his boyhood hero Dave "King Kong" Kingman as the Illinoisan with the most major league home runs.
"Jim Thome has come home to Illinois and the World Champion Chicago White Sox," Quinn said. "It is only fitting that a man so committed to his Illinois roots and so dedicated to the community should set the Illinois home run record right here at U.S. Cellular Field."
Quinn presented Thome with a declaration recognizing his historic on-field achievement and saluting his generous off-field community service.
Thome first met Dave Kingman when, as a 10-year-old baseball fan, he jumped onto the Wrigley Field grass in an attempt to get Kingman's autograph. And 25 years later, with a three-run blast off the Royals' Runelvys Hernandez on the evening of May 6, Thome hit homer number 443, surpassing Kingman's Illinois home run record and forever enshrining his name in the Illinois record books. Thome now sits 31st on the all-time home run list with 448 home runs.
Thome is a Bartonville native who starred in both baseball and basketball at Limestone High School. As a junior, he slammed 12 home runs, more than any other high school player in the United States that year. Thome went on to play both baseball and basketball at Illinois Central College before the Cleveland Indians selected him in the 13th round of the 1989 Major League draft.
Thome quickly made a name for himself in Cleveland, putting up numbers that made opposing pitchers tremble. He once smacked a 511-foot home run - the longest ever recorded in a Cleveland ballpark. And in 2002 he hit a career-high 52 home runs, a Cleveland franchise record.
In 2004 Thome moved to Philadelphia where he hit his 400th career home run in front of a home crowd at Citizens Bank Ballpark. In 2006 the Chicago White Sox reclaimed our hometown hero, and on a memorable May evening at U.S. Cellular Field, Thome made history with his 443rd home run to become the Illinois all-time home run king.
"Hitting more home runs than any other Illinoisan is actually the second best thing Jim Thome has done for Illinois," Quinn said. "He also has raised thousands of dollars for Children's Hospital in Peoria, and he has dedicated much of his time and energy to giving back to this community throughout his stellar career."
Widely recognized as an upstanding citizen, Thome was given the 2002 Roberto Clemente Award for his charitable work in Cleveland and his home area of Peoria. He has worked extensively with Peoria's Children's Hospital of Illinois at OSF St. Francis Medical Center, helping to raise thousands of dollars for children's health.
"Jim Thome brings honor to Illinois and his hometown of Bartonville through his work both on and off the diamond," Quinn said. "I am proud to declare this 24th Day of May, 2006 to be Jim Thome Day in Illinois."
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