Jim Thome will receive the Musial Lifetime Achievement Award for Sportsmanship during the annual Musial Awards, held in St. Louis on Nov. 17.
The Musial Awards, presented by Maryville University since 2011, celebrates the year’s greatest moments of sportsmanship and the biggest names in sports who embody class and character.
In July, Jim Thome’s accomplishments and impact on the game earned him baseball’s greatest honor: induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. This fall, the class, civility and integrity that defined his Hall of Fame career will be recognized with the highest award for sportsmanship.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to an iconic sports figure who exemplifies sportsmanship. Thome joins Joe Torre (2014), Arnold Palmer (2015), Cal Ripken Jr. (2016), and Jackie Joyner-Kersee (2017) as recipients.
A native of Peoria, Ill., Thome hit 612 home runs, ranking eighth on MLB’s all-time list. He is one of only five players in history – along with Barry Bonds, Mel Ott, Babe Ruth and Ted Williams – with at least 500 home runs, 1,500 runs scored, 1,600 RBI and 1,700 walks. His stats made him a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Thome began his career with the Cleveland Indians (1991-2002, 2011), before joining the Philadelphia Phillies (2003-2005, 2012), Chicago White Sox (2006-2008), Los Angeles Dodgers (2009), Minnesota Twins (2010-2011) and Baltimore Orioles (2012). Thome currently serves as an analyst on MLB Network as well as a special assistant to Chicago White Sox SVP and GM Rick Hahn.
Thome’s integrity, humility and consistency make him a natural to receive the sportsmanship award.
The Musial Awards are named for Stan Musial, the late St. Louis Cardinals legend who was the ultimate good sport. Produced by the St. Louis Sports Commission and the National Sportsmanship Foundation, the awards show takes place annually at Stifel Theatre (formerly Peabody Opera House) in Downtown St. Louis.
At the Musial Awards, Thome will be honored alongside several individuals recognized for acts of sportsmanship that represent the best in sports and humanity. Honorees include Ty Koehn, the Minnesota high school pitcher who received widespread acclaim for his selflessness when he struck out opposing player Jack Kocon to end a regional championship game, but instead of celebrating with his teammates, he hugged and consoled Kocon.
The Musial Awards will also honor Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the Loyola men’s basketball chaplain, who at age 98 captured the hearts of fans around the country with her positive spirit, wit and graciousness during March Madness. Sister Jean is receiving the Musial Award for Extraordinary Character in recognition of the way she embraced her newfound fame and inspired so many.
For a full lineup of honorees, visit musialawards.com.
MUSIAL AWARDS TICKETS:
Tickets for the 2018 Musial Awards are on sale through Ticketmaster. Tickets range from $10 to $50 and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, in person at the Stifel Theatre box office and all Ticketmaster ticket centers, or by phone at 800.745.3000.
TELEVISION SPECIAL:
In addition to the live awards show on Nov. 17, the Musial Awards will air as a primetime one-hour television special in December on 5 On Your Side (KSDK Channel 5), St. Louis’ NBC affiliate, with potential syndication in other markets. Past Musial Awards broadcasts have been recognized with eight Mid-America Emmy Awards, five Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, and the Associated Press Award for best TV sports story.
MORE ON THE MUSIAL AWARDS:
The Musial Awards takes place annually the Saturday before Thanksgiving at the Stifel Theatre in Downtown St. Louis. The show is produced by the St. Louis Sports Commission and the National Sportsmanship Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit organization. In addition to keeping alive the legacy of Stan the Man, the mission of the Musial Awards is to encourage selflessness, integrity and civility in sports and society – and to inspire people across the nation to be good sports.
This marks the 13th year the Musial Awards has taken place in St. Louis. Since 2011, Maryville University has served as the event’s presenting sponsor. The school’s involvement, leadership and generosity have helped make the show one of the great nights in sports.
THE ST. LOUIS SPORTS COMMISSION
The St. Louis Sports Commission is the privately-funded nonprofit organization that grows, strengthens and moves St. Louis forward through sports. The organization uses the power of sports to enhance the area’s quality of life and generate economic and social benefit for the St. Louis region.