New Arrival: Jim Thome, 1b, Cleveland Baseball
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I have a couple of Jim Thome autographs, but not too many certified ones. I was able to get this for a good price, so I pulled the trigger. I am bummed that Topps decided to pull the plug on Gypsy Queen; the set always had a decent checklist, on card autographs, and was slightly more affordable than some other autograph sets Topps pumps out.
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One thing I will say about Thome: the man aged well. If you’re going to be a bat-first player playing a non-premium position, you better be able to keep that production up as you get older. And boy did he. In the twilight of his career, from 2006-2012, he still averaged 26 HR and a 140 OPS+. In 2012, his last season in the majors, he still hit 8 HR with a 112 OPS+.