Filed Under » Jim Thome

Minnesota Twins slugger Jim Thome has become just the eighth player in baseball history to hit 600 home runs. Yet many Americans don't know his name and wouldn't recognize his face, as his Q-rating was never boosted by a headlines-grabbing steroid scandal.

"If I had to do it all over again – sure, I'd probably at least try to have my name linked to BALCO or that Galea guy," said Thome. "It's really the only way to get attention in modern baseball. But back when I was young, I didn't have the wisdom to know to surround my accomplishments with question marks."

Thome's push for 600 home runs received little fanfare — same as with his 500th home run in 2007 — but he soldiered on.

"I remember how much attention Bonds and McGwire and Sosa and Manny Ramirez got for their career milestones, while I'm pretty much ignored," said the 21-year veteran. "It's frustrating. I even had my wife draw some bacne on me in red pen last week in hopes it would catch the attention of reporters, but no one noticed."