Frank Thomas is stepping away from Major League Baseball after 19 seasons and 521 home runs. The longtime Chicago White Sox first baseman won 2 MVPs playing on the South Side. The White Sox announced that they will retire number 35 in honor of the man nicknamed "The Big Hurt" on August 29th when the Pale Hose host the NY Yankees.

"I am officially retired. It's time. It's in my heart, and it's time to move on," Thomas said. "I'm proud to say I'm ready to retire. I enjoyed a wonderful career and have nothing left to prove. It's a young man's game now."

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported yesterday that a new documentary on Pete Rose is in the works. The film will be called “4,192: The Crowning of the Hit King”. Rose was interviewed at length 4 times for the movie that will be see a limited run in theaters and will be released on DVD to coincide with 25th anniversary of the Ohio native breaking the all-time hit record which was long held by Ty Cobb.

“We want to give a new generation a chance to know about Rose,” Producer Terry Lukemire said to the Enquirer.

Jim Thome is now a member of the Minnesota Twins. The left-handed designated hitter signed a deal worth $1.5 for the 2010 season. The deal also includes incentives which could make the deal more lucrative.

Thome, of course, played his first 11 seasons with the Cleveland Indians. Tribe fans will see a lot of two of the favorites from the Mid-90's teams that went to two World Series. Omar Vizquel will be playing for Thome's last club the Chicago White Sox this year.

It looks like Cleveland Indians fans will get to see a lot of Jim Thome after all in the 2010 season. No, the Tribe doesn 't look like it wants to sign the aging slugger who is parting ways with the Chicago White Sox. It does, however, look like the Thome will stay in the AL Central as the Minnesota Twins are expressing an interest in the left handed DH.

While the Twins are regarded as the team with the most interest in the 39 year olds services, Tampa Bay and Detroit are also showing some interest in the career 19 year MLB vet who is 36 homers away from 600 in his career.

Jose Offerman was banned for life by the Dominican winter baseball league for throwing a punch at an umpire during an argument on the field. Offerman appeared to hit umpire Daniel Rayburn in the face or neck with a fist Saturday. As you may remember, the 15 year Major League Baseball veteran had made headlines a few years back for his attack with a baseball bat that led to criminal charges. Rayburn and the other the umpires working the winter league game quit after the incident because they said the feared for their safety.

Here is the video of Offerman's latest incident:

Mark McGwire made baseball history in 1998 when he set a single-season home run record, smashing 70 home runs balls out of the park. This feat has been credited as helping Major League Baseball rebound from the 1994 players' strike, but has always been surrounded by whispers of steroid use. McGwire retired in 2001, and now almost a decade later is finally admitted to using banned substances to improve his performance.

In a statement released by the St. Louis Cardinals, McGwire said he used steroids in the 1989-90 offseason, 1993, and "on occasion throughout the nineties, including during the 1998 season." The Cardinals hired McGwire as a hitting coach in October, but he had yet to face the media.

In 2005, McGwire's reputation first took a hit during a hearing before a House of Representatives committee when he declined to address the matter of performance enhancing drugs. At the time, he said only:

"I'm not going to go into the past or talk about my past. I'm here to make a positive influence on this. My lawyers have advised me that I cannot answer these questions without jeopardizing my friends, my family and myself."

Andre Dawson today become the 68th outfielder overall elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He received 420 votes which was 77.9% of the total. You need to be on over 75% of the ballots to qualify for the Hall. Dawson played 21 seasons hitting .279 career hitter with 438 home runs, 1,591 runs batted in and 314 stolen bases. A negative on his resume, however, was the fact he never won a World Series Ring.

Two players that were multiple World Series winners and have ties to the Cleveland Indians just missed election today. Bert Blyleven, who had one the best curveballs in the history of the game and has two rings, missed by just 5 votes. Roberto Alomar, who is regarded as the best second baseman since Rogers Hornsby, missed by 8 votes.

Here is the complete voting for the 2009 Hall of Fame:

2010 Hall of Fame voting
Name Votes Pct.
Andre Dawson 420 77.9%
Bert Blyleven 400 74.2%
Roberto Alomar 397 73.7%
Jack Morris 282 52.3%
Barry Larkin 278 51.6%
Lee Smith 255 47.3%
Edgar Martinez 195 36.2%
Tim Raines 164 30.4%
Mark McGwire 128 23.7%
Alan Trammell 121 22.4%
Fred McGriff 116 21.5%
Don Mattingly 87 16.1%
Dave Parker 82 15.2%
Dale Murphy 63 11.7%
Harold Baines 33 6.1%
Andres Galarraga 22 4.1%
Robin Ventura 7 1.3%

The Cleveland Indians signed free agents Austin Kearns and and Shelly Duncan to free agent deals today. Both deals were minor league deals that include invitations to their big league camps.

Kearns is 29 year old outfielder who has played for the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals. The right handed hitter from Lexington burst on the scene hitting .315 with 13 home runs in his rookie season but has been plagued by injuries in recent years. His career best in home runs came in 2006 when he slugged 24 with 86 RBIs but his production last year saw him hit only 3 long balls in 80 games last season hitting only .195.

Duncan is a utility player who can play both infield and outfield positions. Last year the 30 year old won the International League MVP honors in 2009, batting .277 (125-for-452) with 85 runs, 30 doubles, 1 triple, an IL-record 30 home runs and 99 RBI in 123 games. The 30 year old has spent his entire career in the New York Yankees organization. Duncan's father is Dave Duncan who currently serves as the St Louis Cardinals pitching coach.

I gave the nod to Roberto Alomar on the first ballot. Some Hall of Fame voters are opposed to first ballot candidates on principle, feeling hardly anyone deserves the honor. I believe that if you're a Hall of Famer, why wait?

Ty Cobb was one of the first five players enshrined, which meant he was elected on the first ballot. He was a murderer. He shot and killed a hotel bellhop in Cleveland. He didn't even go to trial. The case was dropped. He went directly to the Hall of Fame, as though he were playing Monopoly.

(By the way, "Cobb" is one of the best baseball movies ever made. Tommy Lee Jones plays Cobb. Rent it.)

Here's the rest of my ballot in alphabetical order: Harold Baines, Bert Blyleven, Andre Dawson, Dave Parker and Lee Smith.

Baines and Parker have absolutely no hope of ever getting in. Last year Baines got only 6 per cent of the vote. You need 5 per cent to remain on the ballot. I've been voting for Parker ever since he became eligible and I'll do it until his 15-year eligibility ends, which will be next year. He was a terrific offensive force during the pitcher's era.

My son, John, who now lives in Cincinnati, says I overlooked Barry Larkin. I realize he's right. Too late for this year.

Sports Illustrated has named Derek Jeter their 2009 Sportsman of the Year. The December 2nd edition will have a feature on the Yankees shortstop. Jeter is the 10th Major League Baseball player to be honored with the award and the only the third in the last 34 years.

SI editor Terry McDonell released a statement explaining the selection saying:

"Over all the years SI editors have used the same language to define the award," said McDonell. "It is not for the victory alone that he (or she) is honored; rather, it is for the quality of his effort and the manner of his striving.' And that defines Derek Jeter."