"For the past handful of years we've asked Jim Thome just how long he intends to play baseball. It started when he arrived in Clearwater for a Grapefruit League game during his first season with the Twins, and true to his nature, Thome gave an honest and thoughtful answer.

"I don't think so," Thome said when asked if 2010 will be his last season. "For me, not yet. Maybe soon. I have kids and I want to be with my kids, but I think you know it [time to retire]. When the time is right maybe I'll wake up and say, 'You know what, maybe this is it.' It's not there yet. I love the game and I have an appreciation toward the game and I respect what's been given to me.""