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Thome Returns to the Tribe

By Aaron Goldstein on 8.26.11 @ 10:19AM

Last night, the Minnesota Twins traded DH Jim Thome to the Cleveland Indians for a player to be named later.

The trade marks Thome's return to the Tribe. Thome played for the Indians from 1991 through 2002. Since 2003, Thome has played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and last season joined the Twins. But the Twins put Thome on waivers and The Indians claimed him. Thome subsequently agreed to return to Cleveland. The Indians became interested in Thome's bat after Travis Hafner went down with a foot injury which will likely force him to miss the rest of the season.

However, it might be too little, too late for the Tribe. Cleveland has fallen below .500 losing seven of its last ten games. They are now 6½ games back of the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central. Not only that but the Indians are only half a game ahead of the White Sox.

But who knows? When Thome was with the Indians they won the AL Central six times in seven years and reached the World Series twice. He might not be the player he was back then but his presence in the clubhouse certainly can't be a bad thing.

Earlier this month Thome made headlines when he hit his 600th career homerun.

View all comments (10) | Leave a comment

Wayne | 8.26.11 @ 10:35AM

Can you imagine Derek Jeter having to go from club to club like Thome has? Something is wrong.

Steve A| 8.26.11 @ 10:40AM

Thome is a class act, no steroid, masher of baseballs. Fun to watch.

Occam's Tool| 8.26.11 @ 2:52PM

Yup. Thome is a class act. I think HOF, as well. Of the guys who did not cheat, only Junior, Mays, Ruth, and Aaron are ahead of him.

mrp| 8.26.11 @ 10:44AM

The Tiger trade with Seattle is looking better and better. Fister is coming on strong.

Dave| 8.26.11 @ 10:54AM

Trading Thome to a team that at least has a chance at a title is perhaps the only thing my home team's pathetic front office has done right in a long, long time. Best of luck, Mr. Thome, and thanks for the memories.

Occam's Tool| 8.27.11 @ 11:44PM

Hey, Dave, at least the Twin Cities have good restaurants and bookstores.

PCC| 8.26.11 @ 10:59AM

Dear Aaron,

A timely post and hopefully a timely trade for Thome and the Indians.

BD57| 8.26.11 @ 2:46PM

Jim Thome is such a credit to baseball. A genuinely nice man, I'm glad he was a Minnesota Twin when he passed Harmon Killebrew on the career HR list & when he hit #600.

As much as I'd love to see a guy like Jim Thome remain with the Twins, I'm glad he's getting to go to his first "baseball home" - and hope Indians fans will show as much class as the Detroit fans did when Thome hit #600.

Gasman| 8.28.11 @ 10:34AM

Nobody is better than Denny Doyle.

yisong| 10.27.11 @ 9:52PM

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