Touch 'Em All: Thome gets statue, retires as an Indian
Jim Thome's point-the-bat hitting stance, a powerful symbol of the most successful era in Cleveland Indians history, is now a permanent fixture at Progressive Field.
Jim Thome's point-the-bat hitting stance, a powerful symbol of the most successful era in Cleveland Indians history, is now a permanent fixture at Progressive Field.
The Indians honored their career leader in home runs on Saturday by unveiling a statue of Thome in the ballpark's center-field monument area.
An emotional Thome, who played for Cleveland from 1991 to 2002 and again in 2011, said he signed an honorary one-day contract with the team so he could retire as a member of the Indians.
Thome played for the Phillies from 2003 to '05 and in 2012.
Thome, who last played in 2012 for Baltimore, hit 337 homers for Cleveland. With him in the lineup, the Indians won six AL Central titles, advanced to the World Series in 1995 and 1997, and played in front of 455 consecutive sellout crowds.
"I look at that statue and I think of our teams in the '90s," he said. "There are so many guys from those teams who could have a statue." While there was some debate whether Thome, who left Cleveland after the '02 season to sign with Philadelphia, deserved a statue, there's no denying his legacy with the Indians.
"There's an old saying in baseball," said Mike Hargrove, who managed Thome for nine seasons in Cleveland. "Good players can make a manager, a general manager, and a hitting coach look real smart. Jimmy did his part."
Thome developed an especially close relationship with Charlie Manuel, who was his hitting coach and later his manager with the Indians.
"He's like my son, in a way," Manuel said. "Cleveland got better when Jim Thome came to town."
Victorino on DL
Boston placed Shane Victorino on the 15-day disabled list with a lower- back strain. He has played in just 30 games in 2014.
Goldschmidt out
The Arizona Diamondbacks' dismal season got worse with the news that all-star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt has a fractured left hand.
Goldschmidt, runner-up in National League MVP voting last season, was hurt when he was hit above his ring finger by a pitch from Ernesto Frieri in the ninth inning of Friday's 9-4 loss to the Pirates.