Class act

I just have to point out what a fan did with Thomes 1,000 RBI ball that i picked up on at ChicagoSports.com.

Jim Thome just loves Wrigley Field.

The Peoria native cranked a two-run home run onto Sheffield Avenue in the third inning of the Phillies' 3-0 victory Wednesday night. Amazingly, a fan returned the ball when he heard it was Thome's 1,000th RBI.

"To accomplish that here with my parents here, it was really neat for sure," Thome said. "I just remember as a kid my dad bringing me here. He always said 'I know you're going to hit a home run here sometime.'"

Thome, who was 4-for-8 "all singles, no RBIs" in his only other appearance at Wrigley when he played for the Cleveland Indians in 1998, said "for sure" he would give the ball to his father.

"Some guy was walking by on vacation from Florida [who got the ball outside on Sheffield Avenue]," Thome said. "Someone told him, 'That was Jim Thome's 1,000 ribbie,' so he turned it in. I signed a bat for him.

"As a kid, 7, 8 years old, playing Little League, growing up a couple hours away … just the tradition of this ballpark and the atmosphere," Thome recalled. "I remember the first time coming in here going, 'Wow. This is baseball.' What a neat ballpark. It's fun to be here."

Thome admitted that as a child he sometimes slept wearing a Cubs helmet.

"If you grow up in Illinois, you better be a Cubs fan," he said.

In the day and age where any meaningful HR ball is held for ransom to the highest bidder, it truely is nice to see a fan simply give it back without any thought of what it might get him.
And i simply love Thomes comments........i mean thats what baseball is all about. And why i love baseball.