When do you know it's time to say, 'OK, that's it?' That is the most difficult part of any decision like that because you don't want to throw the 'R' word out there. I've mentioned it a couple times, but not in the sense that I'm doing it. That word is very fragile. We'll see.

Thome experienced stiffness in his lower back in a game against the Chicago Cubs on April 28. He hit his 599th and 600th career home runs (in two straight at bats) at Comerica Park on August 15 making him only the eighth player to achieve that home run total. When Thome returned to the Indians in 2011 the club again sported the high socks as a tribute to Thome.

He is seventh all-time for most career home runs with 612 and 24th all-time for runs batted in (RBIs) with 1699. In 1996 Thome won the Silver Slugger Award and in 2006 he won the Comeback Player of the Year Award. He was traded to the White Sox before the 2006 season and played in Chicago for three more seasons where he joined the 500 home run club.