Pitarresi: Hats off to old timers

It’s Old Timers Day today.

 

I love old timers, a term that somehow now includes people 25 years or so younger than I am.

 

In any case, I tip my hat to Tom Watson, 59, and Jim Thome, 38.

 

As for Watson, I, like millions of golf fans around the world, was praying that he would win the British Open. He didn’t, and we just missed one of the great sports stories of all time. Still, Watson’s outrageous performance at Turnberry, is something I never will forget. His run there will serve to reestablish his credentials as one of the truly great – maybe top five – golfers of all time.

 

Thome, my favorite big league player for many years, had a huge week last week - seven RBIs in one game, and 14 in three games. A big man with a beautiful lefthanded swing, Thome is one of the great powerhitters of all time. He has hit 557 home runs and 1,545 RBIs, with more than 100 nine times. His lifetime on-base percentage is .406 and he’s scored 100 or more runs eight times. Plus, no one ever has suggested the big guy – 6-foot-4, 250 – uses steroids, and no one ever has accused him of being anything other than a gentleman. I hope he has a couple of seasons left in him and gets to 600 home runs. I think he’s already a Hall of Famer, but reaching that number would seal it.

 

Again, hats off to both of them.