Jim Thome Retires an Indian

[Stark]

@Indians: Thome announces he's signed a one-day honorary contract with the Indians and will retire today as a member of the club! #ThomeStatue

 

[shoes22]

I hate lame PR stunts like this.
You're still a money-chaser that lied to the fans, Jim.

 

[shoes22]

They just unveiled the statue though, and I have to admit it looks pretty cool. Partly because it's so huge! It's a lot bigger than I was expecting.

 

[Coyote850]

I hate lame PR stunts like this.
You're still a money-chaser that lied to the fans, Jim.

Facts of the matter are that the Indians at the time were in rebuilding mode. Paying Thome what the Phillies were offering would have put a serious hurt on the payroll. Jim also felt alot of pressure from the players Union to take the Phillies offer. Players back then just didn't reject offers like that when the home team was offering alot less. Did Jim WANT to leave? I highly doubt it. Jim was always a humble man who played the game the right way. He is one of the greatest Indians, EVER. Well deserved honor, just like Omar being put in the Indians HOF.

 

[MoFlo]

Not sure how you could've watched the festivities last night, especially his speech, and thought in any way that he intentionally screwed the fans over.

 

[Maximus]

Still don't understand why they built a statue for him...

 

[col63onel]

Still don't understand why they built a statue for him...

If you accept the premise that because the 1994-2001 run was so successful that they had to give someone a statue, it had to be Thome.

 

[Lee]

When they say retired and Indian, they mean dot, not feather.

 

[Real Deal]

Jim Thome the man, not the just his time as a Indian.

He deserves it. 600+ HR's, no steroids.

 

[macbdog]

Still find it hilarious, even post-LBJ return, how folks will still grind an axe with Thome. Would think folks could still look back and use common sense in all of it- he was right to leave, the Tribe was facing a rebuild, The Phillies offer had more upfront money and the union blessing, and Philly was going to offer his mentor a job right off the bat- the same mentor who was shit-canned late in the season. I forget his name, although he ended up having some success in Philly. Another irony in all of it, too, is how the Tribe was absolutely BLASTED by the fans and media for being cheap with their offer when Thome left, how it was the cheapest thing ever to defer money, blah blah blah... yet after a few years went by, and it was realized what a boondoggle deferred money was for player contracts (And GMs subsequently stopped doing it), the view on the contract changed and those same folks then ty to use it to blast Thome for not signing it. Pretty amusing switch there.

But he said something based on his emotions about how he wouldn't leave, then several months later did. So he is an asshole who can't be forgiven for that. Just sad, I really hope the people who feel this way do not extend that kind of vindictiveness into their personal lives. Kind of doubting that, though.

 

[Maximus]

If you accept the premise that because the 1994-2001 run was so successful that they had to give someone a statue, it had to be Thome.

I just don't think they had to give someone a statue because of that run.

 

[Maximus]

Still find it hilarious, even post-LBJ return, how folks will still grind an axe with Thome. Would think folks could still look back and use common sense in all of it- he was right to leave, the Tribe was facing a rebuild, The Phillies offer had more upfront money and the union blessing, and Philly was going to offer his mentor a job right off the bat- the same mentor who was shit-canned late in the season. I forget his name, although he ended up having some success in Philly. Another irony in all of it, too, is how the Tribe was absolutely BLASTED by the fans and media for being cheap with their offer when Thome left, how it was the cheapest thing ever to defer money, blah blah blah... yet after a few years went by, and it was realized what a boondoggle deferred money was for player contracts (And GMs subsequently stopped doing it), the view on the contract changed and those same folks then ty to use it to blast Thome for not signing it. Pretty amusing switch there.

But he said something based on his emotions about how he wouldn't leave, then several months later did. So he is an asshole who can't be forgiven for that. Just sad, I really hope the people who feel this way do not extend that kind of vindictiveness into their personal lives. Kind of doubting that, though.

Maybe some of this was directed at me, maybe it wasn't. Either way, ill clarify my point. I'm not grinding an ax and I certainly don't think Jim's an asshole. He's one of my favorite players of all time. That said, I don't think he did anything to warrant a statue. We aren't talking about retiring a number or putting him in the Indians HOF...we are talking about a statue. In my opinion, statues are reserved for the Ruth's, Jordan's, Jeter's of the world...not Jim Thome.

 

[shoes22]

From my perspective, he's only getting a statue because he's hit the most HRs in Indians history, making him the best Indians power hitter in Indians history. (Belle, Murray, Ramirez etc could have claimed this title, but they weren't with the team long enough.) So we have a statue for our best career hitter, and a statue for our best career pitcher.

 

[tristan+kyrie=$]

off topic...but my sister met Jim Thome at a restaurant in BG that she works at tonight...must have been eating there on his way back to Illinois

 

[Coyote850]

From my perspective, he's only getting a statue because he's hit the most HRs in Indians history, making him the best Indians power hitter in Indians history. (Belle, Murray, Ramirez etc could have claimed this title, but they weren't with the team long enough.) So we have a statue for our best career hitter, and a statue for our best career pitcher.

There is probably some truth to that. Thome was one of the most popular Indians of a generation. He hit for power and did it legit, never got into any controversy or trouble. He went out and did his job and did it extremely well.

Think of what a batting order that includes Lofton, Visquel, Thome, Ramirez, Belle, Baerga (Robby Alomar) Sandy Alomar........Jesus Christ what that lineup would do today.............