COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – Former Phillies slugger Jim Thome was known for hitting home runs in the middle of a batting order, but his daughter Lila Grace will be in the leadoff position at today’s National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The 15-year-old will begin the festivities by singing the national anthem, a task she has handled brilliantly a couple of times at Citizens Bank Park in recent years.
“Very special,” Thome said Saturday on the eve of his Hall of Fame induction. “I think she has worked really hard to get an opportunity like this. It’s a great honor.