Thome happy to see Ramirez join 500 HR club

ST. PETERBURG, Fla. -- Jim Thome was playing for Cleveland in 1993 when Manny Ramirez made his major-league debut with the Indians.

Thome knew right away his young teammate was going to be something special.

"From Day One, he has always had a knack for hitting, being relaxed," Thome said. "He made adjustments really well, when he was young and as he's gotten older. His balance is so good that you don't see him out of balance a lot. That's a sign he always was going to be really good."

Ramirez became the 24th player in major-league history to hit 500 home runs Saturday, and Thome said the quirky outfielder deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

"No question," Thome said. "I mean, he's done a lot of great things in the game. That just secured it right there."

Thome, who has 517 career homers, was teammates with Ramirez on the Cleveland Indians from 1993-2000.

"It's great," Thome said of Ramirez joining the 500 club. "You look back at your career, and to accomplish 500 home runs is remarkable. And to do it with a guy as a teammate, it's really that much more special. Ultimately, you've been a part of it, being there on deck and watching it and feeding off of each other all those years when we were there. It's almost like your brother has done it. It's pretty cool."

Ramirez's amazing hitting ability is often overlooked by the goofy things he does on and off the field. During a May 14 game at Baltimore this season, Ramirez made a running catch at the wall and high-fived a fan in the stands before throwing the ball back to the infield for a double play.

"I love Manny," said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. "Like I say, Manny is Manny. Manny likes to have fun. Some people don't like the players to have fun. When he's on the field he likes to have fun, and we're missing that in baseball."

Take a break: Carlos Quentin has been the White Sox' best hitter this season, but the left fielder looked a little run down Friday and Saturday while going 1-for-7 with 2 strikeouts. Quentin was held out of the starting lineup Sunday.

"He's been carrying the load for 1½ months and he deserves some rest," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I'll get some criticism: 'How do you rest your best player?' He needs some rest. He plays hard and needs a break."