Jim Thome traded to Orioles

http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/2604/jim-thome

 

I've always been a fan of Thome and I'm glad he'll be back in the AL where he can hit more often.

I hope before he retires he makes a stop in New York and wins his first World Series ring with the Yankees.

 

I hope he chokes on a crab cake.

 

http://www.foxsportsnorth.com/08/20/11/Jeter-Thome-share-a-milestone-bond/landing_twins.html?blockID=551322

Two legends reflect on their first 20 years in MLB.

 

Thome? I've never heard anyone that didn't like him.

 

Can't say that any more, can you?

And talk to more Indians fans. Not all do, but some are smart enough to hate him.

 

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/89375/

 

Can you blame him for leaving? Their window for winning a championship had closed when he left, and nearly all of the talent from those late 90s teams had departed.

 

I have lived in Ohio. Vizquel is the only 1990s Indian that remains more popular than Thome.

As good as those teams were, they could have been even better. They had the opportunity to make trades or sign Barry Bonds, Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez, and Mike Piazza among others. And they never gave Brian Giles a chance...I think they signed Geronimo Berroa to split at-bats with him then finally shipped him to Pittsburgh for Rincon.

 

Dear Jim,

The Twins and their fans still miss you.

 

Thome at age 42 > Mauer and Morneau combined.

 

"You'll have to tear this jersey off my back."

Belle and Manny Ramirez left, but they never claimed they were staying. IfThome had been forthright with them, the Indians could have gotten a couple prospects for him in 2002, as they were foundering after June. They had already pulled off the heist that was the Colon deal and gotten Coco Crisp for an aging Chuck Finley. The haul for a Thome, who had 52 homers that year, would've moved that rebuild even further ahead.

And then Thome blamed his wife for going to Philly.

In hindsight it was a good thing. The Indians would have been swamped by that contract during their 2002-2005 rebuild.

But Thome was pretty duplicitous heading into free agency.