Nine Congratulate Thum on 19 Years, 3400 Hits
Yellow Springs, OH
The Yellow Springs Nine issued the following press release today:
As the 2057 season concludes, no matter how disappointing it was, the Yellow Springs Nine wish to congratulate one of our all-time greats and soon to be Hall of Famer, Dong-po Thum on reaching the elite 3400 hit mark on September 20th, as part of our season-ending homestand, which sadly was a loss for the home club against the Twin Cities River Monsters.
In the game, we appreciate the restraint of Mr. Thum, a total class act, for not making a large deal of his landmark hit, simply hitting yet another double down the first base line in the bottom of the fourth and hoping to score a run to help the team. Sadly, he was stranded there before the scoreboard operator could do more to celebrate the achievement.
We further appreciate that he offered no complaints about the apparent snub, with no leaks to the press.
"That's the kind of person Hunter [Thum] is," said owner Bo Jordan. "Whether we were fighting for the Brewster or just a high draft pick, he was always there for the team. It's been an amazing 19 years."
"I'm so glad Thum was able to return and get number 3400. After his fractured finger on August 8, I thought maybe he'd be stuck on 3399 forever," added GM Rob McMonigal. "I'm glad he was able to get the big one and a few more besides."
Thum is now at 3407 hits, ranking him 12th all-time and just two hits ahead of his Class of 2039 peer, Angel Hernandez. It's likely Hernandez, who appears to be ageless at this point, will surpass Thum in 2058. Thum is also 15th all time in stolen bases with 826, just ahead of Hall of Famer Armando Santos. He stole 6 against 1 caught stealing in 2057.He is also 12th all time in WAR with 102.7.
"Nineteen years, all with the same team," said McMonigal. "That's a rare accomplishment. We cannot wait for the next stage in Hunter's life. There's a place for him wherever he wants in the organization."
As part of the recognition, the Nine have also announced they will be sponsoring 3400 youth baseball scholarships in the area. All of them will be invited to opening day as guests of the club to participate in pre-game ceremonies for what is already being planned as One for Our Thum Day.
