Friday night was Jim Thome celebration night down at Jacobs Field and yesterday afternoon was the Thomenator’s last game in a Tribe uniform at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario (again). Big weekend for high socks and Peoria muscle.
The club announced, to Thome’s surprise, that they will build a statue of No. 25 to be located out in center field near where his 511-foot July, 1999 homer landed. “I mean, that’s surreal,” he told reporters after the game. “A statue — that’s as good as it gets. I’m speechless.”
Yesterday, Big Jim received a standing ovation when he pinch hit late in the game and a bigger one after Manny Acta inserted Thome at third base for one pitch to start the ninth inning, the corner where he started his career but hadn’t played in over ten years. Nice gestures all around.
As for the statue, we’re just barely with the side that thinks it’s the right move — we’d prefer Paul Sorrento or Paul Assemaucher, but that’s us. It goes without saying a bronzed Albert Belle in a car chasing kids would be ideal but likely out of the question.
Also, couldn’t the Tribe find a bigger umbrella for Jim to use for his pre-game Friday night speech?
This article appears in Sep 21-27, 2011.
Yeah, the statue should be of Thome ripping an Indians shirt off his back.
I’ve got no hard feelings towards Thome. I don’t have any soft feelings either.
I have no hard feelings for Thome as well, however he does not deserve a Statue in Cleveland, that should only be reserved for players who played their entire career here, or were traded by no choice of their own, and then came back.
I agree with getting a statue, he did a lot of stuff on the field for the team, and Him and his Wife continued to do things for the Kids of Cleveland even after he left. This Man has never once i his entire career ever embarrassed himself, Wife, Parents or the Team he was playing for, unlike some many other “STARS” do nowadays.!!