Thome’s AMAZING!!

Cait Higgins, Sox Superfan

I was incredibly lucky to have gotten the opportunity to attend three Sox games this weekend. Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day is one of my favorite games to go to, because I love seeing all the green hats, and how we’re going to somehow manage to pull the game off. It’s always a good time.

What I really wanted to talk about is one of the biggest honors of all time, and that is being able to see a great ballplayer hit his 500th career home run. I got the pleasure of seeing Mr. Jim Thome hit his 500th into left center today. It was such a celebration! I got really emotional when the rest of the team stormed the field and met him at home plate, as if he had hit a walk off home run in the World Series. It was comparable to that night, seeing the whole team band together in support of their teammate. It was such a great experience. They had a whole movie and special banners and things to put on the Jumbotron to honor one of baseball’s truly great players. We got to see him relive his entire baseball career, with his first home run at Yankee Stadium, his 100th at the Ballpark at Arlington, his 200th at the Metrodome, his 450th against his old team at Jacob’s Field, to his 500th against the Angels at home on the Southside of Chicago. Seeing Bobby Jenks and Jermaine Dye carry him on their shoulders gave me a bittersweet rememberance of a couple of years ago when they were walking off the field for the final time at home, October 23, 2005. “Hoist the city up on your shoulders, and they will return the favor.” I hope that is what we did for Thome today. Now, our next goal is to get this man a 2008 World Series ring!

What I like best about Thome is what a stand up guy he is. He seems like there isn’t a mean bone in his body. He doesn’t yell at umpires, carry on, hit other players, or go crazy in the dugout when he strikes out. He doesn’t break bats over his neck, throw his bats, or slam down his batting helmet. Some of the Sox fans call him “Mr. Incredible.” My family calls him “Mr. Baseball” because he always is one of the first guys on the field, ready to warm up for the game. He always seems ready to play, even when he’s hurt. He is one of those guys that you know has developed some serious friends in the dugout.

It was a great day for baseball, if you look past the adventures of our bullpen. That was pretty scary for a little while there. Unfortunately, it’s too late to remember how to play Grinder Ball. Oh well, live, learn, and leave Buckvich in Arizona next year. Thanks, Thome, for an exciting end to an almost disasterous day!