Thome's Homies

How closely acquainted does one need to be to be considered an official "homey" (I'll assume this is the singular spelling...I'm not conferring with Jess on this one)? Must you break bread with your homies? OK, perhaps I don't qualify as an official "Thome Homey." But I have personally met JT (see...that's what his close pals call him) on 2 occasions in the past, ah...8 years. So perhaps I'm a quasi-homey, which is good enough for me. But on this day, for a period of about 15 seconds while this picture was taken, that's what we were. Three big bloated stiffs & AL MVP candidate, Jim Thome.

Looking at this picture, and if you didn't know, it may be difficult to pick out Thome's actual homey of the bunch. It's Chris, of course. The guy who's getting buried by Jimmy's lean-in move (note: our actual homey, Jimmy W., who I have broke bread with on many occasions). Since it was "get away day," Thome had to catch a plane back to Chicago so the Sox could pound on the crosstown minor league Cubies the next day. So this, unfortunately, was our only shot for this photo. Sorry, Chris.

To the game of the ages:

With the Sox going into the final game of the series, being in a NL ball park (minus the DH for you baseball dummies) and facing LHP Zach Duke, we knew Jim would be riding the pines to start the game. Our only hope for an AB would be to see a late inning PH appearance. 8th inning, chasing the Pirate's 6-4, with fossil Roberto Hernandez on the hill in relief, Thome came out on deck to PH for Brian Anderson. But after Jose Uribe lead of the inning with a ground out, Ozzie Guillen pulled back Jim, and instead sent former Buco Rob Mackowiak to the dish instead. See...some of yens may think Ozzie's a little insensitive to the whole gay thing...but he knows his frickin baseball. Chasing 2 runs, he wanted Thome up with a chance to tie it. So Mackowiak pinch hits for Anderson, and promptly delivers in a big mo-fo way.

Next up, with a man on first, MLB's HR leader (at that time, at least), Jim Thome. First pitch...GONE. Literally. One hop into the Allegheny River. Easily the biggest ball I have ever witnessed live. (Sorry, no vid. The AB was over before I could even get the cam outta my pocket. DAMN!)

In the 9th, however, all of the White Sox hopes and dreams came crashing down (OK..."hopes and dreams" is probably a little dramatic for a game in June). Freddy Sanchez delivers the walk-off HR, beating the Sox 7-6, snapping a 13 GAME LOSING STREAK for the Bucs. And the crowd went silly:



OK...I feel a little shame seeing that Jim gave us the tickets. I wasn't exactly cheering for the Bucos, but it was an exciting ending. Let the record show, however...I went even more berzerker the inning prior after Thome hit his river bomb.

All jokes aside, Thome is one of the nicest of people you could wish to meet (and I'm not just saying that cause he signed a ball for my little bro that day). The term "good guy" probably gets thrown around too much by some media types, and perhaps sometimes it's BS. Not with Jim...he's as down-to-earth cool as they come. He's just one of those athletes anyone can root for...someone who doesn't seem to forget his friends. Which may explain why he hangs out with Clarke. OK, Chris...just kidding (I still need that picture autographed, please).

Good times for a nice little Thursday afternoon in the Burgh. Tapas & cosmopolitans at Bossa Nova, followed by Jager Bombs at the Walnut Grill in Shadyside. And NOTHING says manly manly man more like a cosmo at happy hour in Pittsburgh.