When your dad is a first ballot MLB Hall-of-Famer, baseball is presumably in your blood. This certainly shows true for high school infielder Landon Thome. Thome’s dad is Jim, the five-time All Star who played 22 seasons in the big leagues. The elder Thome was known as a pure power hitter, becoming only the eighth player in baseball history to hit over 600 home runs. He tallied a total of 2,328 hits and 1,699 RBIs with a career batting average of .276.
Now Landon Thome is taking the next big step in his young career by announcing his commitment over the weekend to play for Tennessee. With the Vols coming off of a championship season, as well as inking a fresh new contract for Diamond Vols head coach Tony Vitello, it’s not at all surprising Tennessee was Thome’s choice.
Like father, like son?
Both dad and son are infielders… but while Jim was a corner infielder, playing first and third base over his career, Landon is primarily a second baseman. Both bat left-handed and throw right-handed. Dad has been on-hand, helping his son develop as a coach of Thome’s high school team, Nazareth Academy in Illinois. “It’s been really special,” Thome told wgntv.com back in April. “Having him, obviously, is a blessing because he gives me tips that most dads don’t give you. I’ve just learned a lot from him being in clubhouses since I was a kid.”
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