CHICAGO -- Former Chicago White Sox designated hitter Jim Thome has been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
 
Thome will join Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Trevor Hoffman, Jack Morris and Alan Trammell in the Class of 2018, with the 79th induction ceremonies to be held on Sunday, July 29 in Cooperstown, N.Y. 
 
Thome, 47, becomes the 40th former member of the White Sox organization elected to the Hall of Fame and the second inducted on the first ballot, joining Frank Thomas in 2014. Thome received 89.8 percent (379 of 422 of the votes), surpassing the required 75.0 percent.  
 
"I am honored to offer my congratulations to Jim Thome on his first-ballot election today into Baseball's Hall of Fame," said Jerry Reinsdorf, White Sox chairman. "We are so happy for Jim, his wife, Andrea, their children, and Jim's family in the Peoria area. One of the most feared left-handed power hitters in the history of the game, Jim remains one of the most respected players of his era and one of the most generous people you could ever meet. He epitomizes what it means to be a professional athlete, from his positive attitude to his Midwestern work ethic, from his good works in the community to his honest concern for others. The adjectives come easily when describing Jim Thome … class, strength, honesty, integrity, character, Hall of Famer."
 
Thome, a native of Peoria, Ill., played 22 major-league seasons with Cleveland (1991-2002, 2011), Philadelphia (2003-05, 2012), the White Sox (2006-09), Los Angeles-NL (2009), Minnesota (2010-11) and Baltimore (2012), hitting .276 (2,328-8,422) with 451 doubles, 26 triples, 612 home runs, 1,699 RBI, 1,583 runs scored, 1,747 walks, a .402 on-base and .554 slugging percentage in 2,543 career games. 
 
He ranks among baseball's all-time leaders in numerous categories, including home run ratio (5th, 13.76), home runs (8th), walks (7th, 1,747), OPS (18th, .956), slugging percentage (23rd, .554) and RBI (26th, 1,699). Thome's 612 homers are the fourth-highest total in major-league history by a left-handed hitter, trailing only Barry Bonds (762), Babe Ruth (714) and Ken Griffey Jr. (630). 
 
A five-time All-Star (1997-99, '04, '06), Thome won the Silver Slugger Award in 1996 after hitting .311 with 38 home runs, 116 RBI and 122 runs scored, and was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year in 2006 after finishing the season batting .288 with 42 home runs and 109 RBI in his first season with the Sox. He hit 40 or more home runs six times and drove in 100-plus runs nine times. 
 
He reached the postseason 10 times as a player, making an appearance in the 1997 World Series with the Indians. His 17 postseason home runs are tied with David Ortiz for the seventh-highest total in major-league history.
 
Thome batted .265 (469-1,770) with 88 doubles, 134 home runs, 369 RBI and 335 run scored over 529 games with the White Sox from 2006-09. He ranks among single-season leaders with 42 home runs in 2006 (4th) and a .598 slugging percentage in 2006 (10th). He also ranks second on the Sox all-time single-season bests lists with a .542 slugging percentage and .933 on-base plus slugging. 
 
Thome helped guide the Sox to the 2008 ALDS after hitting a home run in the seventh inning of a one-game playoff vs. Minnesota to give the White Sox a 1-0 victory. 
 
Thome currently serves the White Sox as a special assistant to Rick Hahn, senior vice president/general manager.