jordan shoes cheap-im Thome passes Sammy Sosa for 7th on all-time home run list

Jim Thome hadn’t hit a homer in his first 11 games with the Orioles.

He finally did it in the fourth inning Friday night in Cleveland. The Orioles were already up by six runs, so it was a pretty meaningless bomb.

But when you are 41, have played 22 years and have been as daunting of a slugger as Thome has over his career, no homer is meaningless anymore.

Thome’s 418-foot shot – off the 39-year-old Derek Lowe – was the 610th of his career. That put him in sole possession of seventh all-time on the home run list, breaking a tie with former Oriole Sammy Sosa.

The fact that it came in Cleveland, where Thome has spent roughly half of his career, added to the allure.

Of course, the aw-shucks Thome didn’t bite too much on the line of questioning.

“I'm most happy about winning the game,” said Thome, who gave up a bat and two signed baseballs in return for the souvenir home run ball. “The key was getting the lead against Lowe. He's a guy that once he gets settled can be very good.”

Orioles manager Buck Showalter had no problem praising his new DH.

“There’s nothing Jimmy doesn’t do that I don’t say, ‘Man, you’re pretty lucky to watch this.’ I am honored to have him pass my way. They don’t come like him too often," Showalter said. "Having the great fortune to have him on our club now, I have always admired him so much from afar. Just the way he goes about business and the way he treats teammates and treats the game. He sets such a great example for all of our players. Seeing him walk is an honor. … The game is going to miss him when he is not around anymore, I can tell you that.”

jordans shoes for cheap-Ventura backs Reed; Danks, Flowers in Sox's lineup

DETROIT -- Brett Myers arrived Sunday morning with his new Chicago White Sox teammates and told a team publicist he would speak with beat writers following Sunday's series finale at Detroit.

Manager Robin Ventura, meanwhile, intimated that matchups would determine who would pitch the ninth inning if the Sox had a lead. Ventura's answer was somewhat less firm than what he said on Saturday after Myers' acquisition from Philadelphia.

"It’s always that way," Ventura said of letting matchups dictate who would pitch the ninth. "But (Addison) Reed pretty much is going to get it most of the time."

The Sox hope to hold a lead entering the ninth as they try to regain first place in the American League Central. Jordan Danks will start in left field in place of Dayan Viciedo, and Tyler Flowers will start at catcher in place ofA.J. Pierzynski, who is 2-for-16 with no RBIs or extra base hits in his past eight games.

Second baseman Gordon Beckham, who is 2-for-21, is in the lineup.

Here are the lineups:

cheap jordan shoes-Barrington catcher Lidge commits to Notre Dame

Several days after being named to the prestigious Area Code Games, Barrington catcher Ryan Lidge capped off the most exciting week of his baseball life by orally committing to Notre Dame.

Lidge, a switch-hitter, batted .360 with two home runs and just six strikeouts as a junior last spring -- his first season as a varsity starter.

He's one of just three Illinois players selected to represent the White Sox in the Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif., from Aug. 5-10. Approximately 130 players were invited to try out for the team.

"When I heard about it, it was surreal," Lidge said. "My dad told me when I was at baseball practice. I was like, 'Wait, is he serious?'"

The other two Illinois players to make the team are from Simeon: outfielder Corey Ray and infielder Ronell Coleman.