Philadelphia Phillies: 3 ways Jim Thome made impact for team in short period of time

In honor of Jim Thome officially being inducted into the Hall of Fame on Sunday, here are three ways he made an impact for the Philadelphia Phillies in such a short period of time.

While the Philadelphia Phillies were coming off a disappointing series against the Cincinnati Reds, the team had another special reason to celebrate on Sunday, as former player Jim Thome was officially inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Emotions were running high for all players that were fortunate enough to receive the honors of becoming a part of Cooperstown, and when looking at the kind of numbers he put together during his 22-year career with six teams, there’s no question that Thome was deserving of the honors.

Even though a majority of his career was spent as a member of the Cleveland Indians (13 seasons), Philadelphia fans will always remember the three years (2003-05) Thome spent in the City of Brotherly Love. Right from the start, Thome proved that he was well worth the hefty six-year, $85 million deal he signed in the 2003 offseason after hitting 47 home runs during the first season with his new team, which was good enough for him to be tied for the lead in all of baseball with Alex Rodriguez.

Sending Thome over to the Chicago White Sox in a trade prior to the 2006 season was tough to see at the time when looking at much respect Philadelphia fans had for the first baseman, but also from a business perspective, this move ended up paying off in the long run. In honor of Thome pulling off one of the greatest accomplishments in baseball by earning a spot in Cooperstown, let’s take a look at three ways he made such a strong impact for the Phillies during those three magical seasons.