500 Home Runs: Who in MLB will be Next to Join the Club?

Hitting 500 or more home runs over a career is considered a major milestone for major league baseball players. In the history of baseball, twenty-five players have hit 500 or more home runs, including four players who joined the club in 2007. Alex Rodriguez, Frank Thomas, and Jim Thome hit their 500^th home runs last year. Some fans and sportswriters claim that as the 500 home run club grows, it loses some of its significance. The 2008 season may lend some credence to these people's opinions, as two other players could potentially hit their 500^th home run this coming season. In this article, we will look at these two players, and then look down the road to see if the club will be gaining more members in the near future.

Manny Ramirez enters the 2008 season (his 16^th major league season) with 490 career home runs. In an off year (by his lofty standards) in 2007, he hit 20 homers at the age of 35. It was only the second time he's hit less than 30 home runs in a full season in his career. There have been whispers that Manny may be slowing down as he approaches age 36, but all reports from this winter have him working out with renewed vigor. Barring a major injury, he's a near lock to get his 500^th home run in 2008, and if he plays a few more seasons, could approach 600 before he hangs up his spikes. When he does finally hang them up, Ramirez, who is considered one of the best right handed hitters of this or any era, is a near lock for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. While Manny is sometimes criticized for his lack of focus on defense and on the base paths, there is no doubting his greatness as a hitter.