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Thome's value is immeasurable

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In 1989 the Cleveland Indians selected a kid out of Peoria, Illinois in the 13^th round. The kid won all-state honors in both basketball and baseball, at Limestone High school. He once awed fans in a High school basketball championship game by scoring 36 points in one game. He led his school to an all around sports record of 60-13 that year. His name? James Howard Thome, known as Jim Thome to all of us Clevelanders.

In October of ’91, Thome crushed the first of his many major league home runs off of the New York Yankees Steve Farr, it was a two-run upper deck shot in the ninth that gave the Indians the 3-2 victory. Right then Cleveland fans everywhere saw only a preview of what was to come for many years from Jim Thome. He played only a brief stint in ’91, and ’92, and did not become a full time Indian until ’93. 

Thome first started out his career as a suspect defensive third baseman, with great power, and was known for being a strike out king.  Later when the Indians acquired Matt Williams, he was forced to move over to first base, a place he has been named an all star. This season Jim Thome passed up Manny Ramirez, to claim the spot of being the Indians all-time home run hitter.

Skeptics of Jim Thome’s power have said, Thome always has hot and cold streaks; he’ll cool back down. Before this year I would have agreed with them, but there is a difference between a hot streak and just a good hitter putting together a tremendous year.?

The best part for Clevelanders is that Thome is showing no sign of slowing up. Thome is only two home runs away from his Career high in home runs (40), with still plenty of baseball to be played. I don’t think people realize the importance of Jim Thome to our powerful line up in Cleveland. I don’t know about you, but if I am a manager for a team and Juan Gonzalez is up I would pitch around him most of his at-bats to get to someone like Ellis Burks, but Jim Thome? Forget it. We have seen on plenty of occasions what happens when teams pitch around Gonzalez to get to Thome. We have Thome to thank in my opinion for a large part of the success of Gonzalez this year.

With only one year remaining on his contract hopefully Jim Thome will return to Cleveland again and bring his long bombs many more great years with him.

Jared