Former Indians Slugger Jim Thome Reflects One Week Before Entering the Hall of Fame; Four Takeaways

2. On How Life Has Changed Since the Call Into the Hall

Thome with his wife and family right next to him got the call into immortality in late January, a moment that a player might wait his entire career for.

From hearing from people he’s known his whole life to running into fans that cheered for him, it has been a whirlwind for Thome and his family since the phone rang telling him that he was going to be elected into Cooperstown.

“It’s been an absolute dream, from the text messages, to the people that come up and are genuinely happy, it’s truly been a great ride and it’s continued to be that,” Thome said.

“When you get elected into the Hall of Fame, and you see the joy that it brings to your family, friends, and just your coaches, having conversations with Charlie Manuel on the phone, and the impact he’s had on my career, and down the line.

“I don’t want to say my life has changed to much, I try to keep that pretty simple, but it’s been special to share this with the ones that you care about, and the people that are fans that are genuinely happy for you, it means so much.”

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