Jim Thome

Jim Thome entered this mid-September matchup between the Angels and the White Sox just one longball shy of 500 for his career. After an 0-for-4 start to the game, the 37-year-old from Peoria, Illinois, had one more opportunity at the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning with the score tied, 7-7, and a runner on first base. Thome connected on a full-count, 96-mph fastball, delivered from Dustin Moseley, and sent it over the center-field wall to become the first player in MLB history to hit a walk-off homer for his 500th career blast.