So, I had this bright idea, right? Let’s make “Jim Thome 2024” a thing. Not like he’s playin’ again, obviously, but I wanted to see if that kind of old-school baseball appreciation still had a pulse in this day and age. My whole practice was tryin’ to bring some of that Thome-era vibe into the now.
I started off pretty simple. Thought I’d talk to some of the younger folks I know – my nephew, a couple of the neighbor’s kids. Show ’em some highlights, talk about what made guys like Thome special. You know, the pure power, the quiet professionalism, the whole package.
Well, that was an experience.
Here’s kinda how it went down, almost every time:
- First attempt: Pulled up some classic Thome home run reels. Kid looks at his phone after about 15 seconds. Asked me if Thome had a TikTok. A TikTok!
- Second attempt: Tried to explain the context. The different era of baseball, no launch angles, just see-ball-hit-ball-far. Blank stares. Like I was speakin’ ancient Greek.
- Third attempt: Mentioned his numbers, the consistency. Got a shrug. Then they showed me some video game streamer yelling about a virtual player. That was apparently more impressive.
- Fourth attempt: I even tried to relate it to modern stuff. Like, “See, this is the foundation, this is where today’s power hitters kinda evolved from!” Nope. Didn’t land.
It wasn’t just the kids, either. I brought it up with some guys my own age, guys who grew up watchin’ him. A few got it, nodded along. But a lot of ’em? They’re more into the analytics now, the fantasy leagues, the gambling odds. The sheer joy of watching a guy like Thome just… be Thome? Seemed lost on many.
So, why was I even botherin’ with all this?
Good question. It ain’t like I got shares in Jim Thome nostalgia. The truth is, it got me thinkin’ about somethin’ deeper. My old man, he wasn’t a huge talker, but baseball was our thing. We’d watch games, he’d point out guys like Thome, tell me to watch how they carried themselves. It wasn’t just about the home runs; it was about the work, the quiet strength. He’d say, “That’s a man you can respect, son.”
After he passed, those memories, that connection to the game, it became somethin’ I held onto pretty tight. Tryin’ to share that Thome appreciation in 2024, I guess it was my clumsy way of tryin’ to pass on a little bit of what my dad gave me. To see if that kind of simple respect for a certain kind of athlete could still find a place.
And when it mostly just bounced off folks, yeah, it was a bit disheartening. It felt like more than just people not gettin’ an old baseball player. It felt like a whole way of lookin’ at things, a certain kind of value, was just… fadin’ out. Maybe it’s just me gettin’ old. Or maybe some things, some heroes, belong to their time, and tryin’ to drag ’em into the future just doesn’t work the way you hope.
So, the “Jim Thome 2024” project? I’d say the practice showed me it’s a tough sell. Still got my memories, though. And I still think those guys were somethin’ else.