With a three-run homer off Carlos Silva in the first-inning Thursday afternoon, Frank Thomas became the 21st player to reach 500 home runs. It was somewhat fitting that he reached the milestone in Minnesota, as the Metrodome was the site of his first career homer 17 years ago. Of his 500 career long balls, exactly 10% (50) have come against Minnesota, the most he has hit against any opponent.

Before joining the Blue Jays prior to the 2007 season, Thomas had homered 21 times against Toronto, accounting for 4.2% of his total. Here’s a look at his home runs as a Blue Jay opponent …

May 10, 1991: In his first full season in the majors, Thomas belts his first career homer against the Blue Jays and career homer No. 12 off Denis Boucher during a 5-3 White Sox victory at SkyDome.

July 29, 1991: During a 12-4 White Sox rout over the Jays, Thomas hits career homer No. 25 off left-hander David Wells at SkyDome.

July 30, 1991: The following day, Thomas belts No. 26, a two-run shot off Bob Macdonald that turns out to be the winning run in an 8-7 Chicago win at SkyDome.

April 30, 1993: Thomas hits a third-inning grand slam off right-hander Todd Stottlemyre for career homer No. 66. Playing at Comiskey Park, the White Sox cruise to a 10-2 victory and Thomas finishes with 5 RBIs.

July 5, 1993: A solo shot off righty Pat Hentgen marks career homer No. 81 for Thomas, whose White Sox go on to win 4-3 at SkyDome.

July 19, 1993: Dave Stewart serves up career home run No. 84 for Thomas, a solo blast in the first inning. The Blue Jays dominate the game, however, winning 15-7 at Comiskey Park.

July 20, 1993: Thomas’s two-run homer in the sixth inning off Juan Guzman accounts for the winning runs in a 2-1 Chicago win. It marks career home run No. 85 and 22nd of the season for Thomas, who is well on his way to winning the AL MVP award.

August 27, 1995: Thomas belts a solo homer, his 33rd of the season, off lefty Al Leiter during a 2-1 Blue Jays win at SkyDome. The homer is career No. 175.

August 30, 1996: During an 11-2 Chicago rout at SkyDome, Thomas belts a two-run homer off Woody Williams for career home run No. 211.

August 21, 1997: Exactly one week after blasting his 250th career homer, Thomas hits No. 251, a two-run shot off Pat Hentgen in the first inning of a 6-3 White Sox victory at Comiskey Park.

August 26, 1997: Thomas hits career homer No. 252 off Marty Janzen during an 8-5 Chicago win at SkyDome.

April 18, 1998 – Both of Thomas’s home runs against the Blue Jays in ’98 come in the same game, as the ‘Big Hurt’ belts career homer No. 259 off Pat Hentgen (a solo shot in the first), and No. 260 off Carlos Almanzar (another solo in the eighth). The Blue Jays win the game though, 9-4.

July 23, 1999: Thomas enters a four-game series against the Blue Jays at Comiskey Park with 298 career homers. He gets No. 299, a solo blast off Joey Hamilton in Game 1, but the Jays win the game 2-1 and hold Thomas homerless over the next three contests.

May 3, 2000: Career homer No. 307 comes against John Frascatore in the sixth inning of a 7-3 Chicago victory at Comiskey Park.

May 19, 2000: Thomas hits No. 308 off Kelvim Escobar during a 5-3 White Sox win at SkyDome. The homer, a three-run blast in the third inning, accounts for the winning runs.

August 26, 2002: Thomas’s lone homer against the Blue Jays in 2002 comes against Michael Smith in the third inning of an 8-4 Toronto win at Comiskey Park. The solo homer marks No. 370 of his career.

May 2, 2004: Thomas launches career homer No. 423 off Miguel Batista in the fourth inning of a 3-2 Chicago win at U.S. Cellular Field. The long ball serves as the winning run in the contest.

May 10, 2006: In his first series against the Blue Jays since joining the Oakland, Thomas belts career homer No. 455 off Gustavo Chacin (a two-run shot) at Rogers Centre. However, Toronto goes on to win 9-7.

July 28, 2006: During a 4-3 Blue Jays win in Oakland, Thomas manages a solo homer off Scott Downs, marking career blast No. 471.

August 23, 2006: Thomas hits a two-run shot off Gustavo Chacin in the top of the first inning, and the A’s go on to win 6-0. For Thomas, the homer marks career No. 475.

Home run notes:

– 12 of the 21 homers were hit at SkyDome/Rogers Centre
– 8 were hit at Comiskey Park/U.S. Cellular Field
– 1 was hit at Network Associates Coliseum

Toronto’s record in games that Thomas homered (20): 7-13
Number of different pitchers: 18
Pitchers who gave up more than one: Pat Hentgen (3), Gustavo Chacin (2)

Thomas’s career stats against the Blue Jays:
.283 (137-for-484) batting average, .416 on-base percentage, 21 HR, 81 RBI, 81 runs scored, 106 BB, 82 K.