Dodgers add Jim Thome to collection of ex-Indians
by Jay on Sep 1, 2009 4:56 AM EDT
in News
Email
PrintThe Dodgers acquired Jim Thome at the postseason trade deadline last night, having already added the round mound of the infield, Ronnie Belliard, earlier in the day. Of course the Dodgers already had longtime Indians Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake on their roster. Thome and Ramirez played eight seasons together on the Indians, winning five straight division titles from 1995 through 1999. Blake and Belliard had a somewhat less celebrated run as Indians teammates from 2004 through 2006.
The trade represents a white flag for the White Sox, and no doubt it will draw comparisons to the infamous 1997 "white flag trade." The White Sox assumed an enormous risk when they claimed OF Alex Rios on waivers, accepting a fairly massive contractual burden in the process. They had already absorbed a huge cost on blood and treasure in acquiring weak-elbowed NL ace Jake Peavy ten days earlier. Chicago has won only six games in the three weeks since acquiring Rios, however, and they've now lost eight of their last nine games to fall under .500 and into third place, six games behind division leader Detroit, 2.5 behind Minnesota.
Even more remarkable, the White Sox are getting nothing for Thome. He's owed $2.4 million in salary for the rest of the season, and the Dodgers will pay some but not all of that. The White Sox receive back only minor league SS-2B Justin Fuller, who turned 26 a month ago and has yet to reach even the Double-A level. Fuller is not a prospect, not even in the sense that Josh Rodriguez is a prospect. He's Niuman Romero, an organizational soldier. August 2009 will be remembered by White Sox fans for decades to come as a franchise-shaping crash and burn.
The Dodgers say Thome will be used in a bench role and will not displace 1B starter James Loney. The role-change likely will cost him a few home runs in his climb into the Top 10 all-time home run list. With 564, Thome currently is 12th all-time, five behind #11 Rafael Palmeiro and nine behind #10 Harmon Killibrew. He is the Indians' all-time leader with 334 home runs, and he finishes his stint in Chicago with 134. He spent nearly four seasons with the White Sox after being traded by the Phillies following the emergence of Ryan Howard in 2005. Thome hasn't played even one inning at first base in more than two years, and he's played only four games in the field since June 2005.
The Dodgers are prohibitive favorites to make the postseason this year, which will make this only the second time Thome has appeared in the playoffs since his last Indians division winner in 2001. He returned to the postseason last year with the White Sox but managed only one single, one double and one walk in 17 PA.
179 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Not that it didn’t already, but this locks up his HOF Indians cap.
And with out luck Justin Fuller will be awesome.
Steel Nick
Yes, no doubt some will say this deal is all about bolstering the Winston-Salem roster as they march into the Carolina League playoffs. The K-Tribe is only 1.5 games back!
I think it’s fair to say that this trade has absolutely zero bearing on Thome’s HOF cap.
by Jay on Sep 1, 2009 5:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Some smart folks I know in Cleveland were wondering if a contending Cleveland team would sign Thome to finish his career with the Tribe. Thome still has business ties to Cleveland and speaks highly of the city. But given the direction now, it’s hard to see a reason to bring him back. And we know that Shapiro does not take much stock in sentimentality.
I’d say the Hafner contract sealed the deal on that.
The once and future
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Sep 1, 2009 7:50 AM EDT up reply actions
if anything, Thome would probably reconsider signing with the White Sox. He is a Chicago native after all.
Not to be nitpicky, but the title should include Angels as LA could mean Dodgers or Angels.
by talonk on Sep 1, 2009 10:34 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
by Brick. on Sep 1, 2009 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Wow, just wow. The Valbuena-era Indians look better and better going forward.
The once and future
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Sep 1, 2009 7:51 AM EDT reply actions
i love that you use valbuena as the defining character in this era of indians
The eagle never lost so much time as when he submitted to learn from the crow
by gorilla_baller on Sep 1, 2009 11:11 AM EDT up reply actions
"We’re not bringing him over here to play first base," Colletti said. "We’re bringing him here to come off the bench and be a great influence in the clubhouse. He’s one of the true great guys in the game.
"In fact, the night before the deadline he called me. … He just said: `I just want to be honest with you. I’d love to come. I want to help you guys any way I can. But playing first base is not something I’m going to be able to do— maybe in an emergency situation, perhaps."’
I’m guessing there is some sarcasm here or something, but I am missing it the humor.
Loney will continue to play daily, Thome in a “Matt Stairs role”.
all team additions must be played everyday at the complete expense of an existing roster member’s paying time. there is no gray area.
Does this trade mean Grady will be shut down, or Hafner? That’s the real question. And what impact will it have on Jordan Brown?
The once and future
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Sep 1, 2009 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions
“Honey, I really WANTED and intended to re-sign with you, but …..”
"Lotta heart in Cleveland." - Ian Hunter
by Denver Tribe Fan on Sep 1, 2009 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
August 2009 will be remembered by White Sox fans for decades to come as a franchise-shaping crash and burn.
Awesomeness
I don’t know if I agree. In August 2009, they added Rios and Peavy, signed for years to come. They got rid of Thome, signed only for this year. I think most people looked at the Peavy move, and maybe even the Rios move, more for the future than for this year.
won’t this also allow the sox to absord the rios and peavy contracts with a little more peace of mind?
The eagle never lost so much time as when he submitted to learn from the crow
by gorilla_baller on Sep 1, 2009 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions
Yes … this deal saves them about a million dollars … which really eases the stress of taking on $118 million in salary to Peavy and Rios.
by Jay on Sep 1, 2009 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
i didn’t know… care to look up the info on cot’s site
The eagle never lost so much time as when he submitted to learn from the crow
by gorilla_baller on Sep 1, 2009 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions
supposed to say “I” didn’t care to look up the info on cot’s site
The eagle never lost so much time as when he submitted to learn from the crow
by gorilla_baller on Sep 1, 2009 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions
The ellipsis was standing in for the cumbersome phrase, “or”.
by Logodaedalus on Sep 1, 2009 10:24 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s what I just did.
Are you actually reading what other people post today, or just randomly replying?
I didn’t like it when he hit the HR against us the other night.
"Lotta heart in Cleveland." - Ian Hunter
by Denver Tribe Fan on Sep 1, 2009 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Depression medication.
The once and future
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Sep 1, 2009 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t know how you speel it plurally. It’s not a word they often teach you in school for some reason.
Who needs affection when you can have blind hatred?
What, because I can’t type and I’m too lazy to notice my typos before they are pointed out?
Who needs affection when you can have blind hatred?
Not that, the whole young/sheltered schtick. We all make typos, but … “I’m young and inexperienced and my teachers never taught me to spell ‘monkeys’?”
by Jay on Sep 1, 2009 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Don’t the Mac browsers check your spelling? I know Firefox does, and I think Safari does, too (once you turn it on).
Well they didn’t! It never really came up. How often do you write the word monkeys?Unless you are a zoologist, not very often. I don’t think saying my teachers never really emphasized how to spell monkeys is part of a young/sheltered schtick. And that isn’t my intention. I really am pretty close to how I act on here in real life.
Who needs affection when you can have blind hatred?
How often do you write the plural of mongoose? Doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t know that the plural is mongooses.
Just as long as you remember that it’s “Canada mongoose” and not “Canadian mongoose.”
by fleerdon on Sep 1, 2009 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions
mice – pl. mouse
mongice – pl. mongoose
it’s gotta be right
The eagle never lost so much time as when he submitted to learn from the crow
by gorilla_baller on Sep 1, 2009 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Do you ever, you know, figure something out for yourself, look something up, that sort of thing?
by Jay on Sep 1, 2009 4:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Again, I am lazy. And I typed it and thought it looked strange but I couldn’t figure out why until I posted it. And then I wondered if it was a y word that didn’t get changed and after this conversation I am vaguely remembering something about if a vowel comes before a y you don’t need to change it. This was in elementary school Now I have spell check except in the internet so if I don’t commonly spell it I may spell it wrong.
Who needs affection when you can have blind hatred?
If the school systems are not teaching general rules like pluralization, then we really are in trouble going forward.
from wikianswers:
In written English, regular plurals are formed in one of the following ways:
1. By adding -s to the end:
pig → pigs
2. By adding -es to the end when the word already ends in a sound that is similar to an s:
kiss → kisses
buzz → buzzes
bush → bushes
branch → branches
fox → foxes
3. When the word ends in -y, by replacing the -y with -ies:
family → families
4. In American English, if the word ends with a vowel followed by y, by applying rule #1 and not rule #3.
I told you I vaguely remember these rules but I generally haven’t had to worry about them recently because when you type everything it corrects it for you. You should really be blaming technology for eliminating the need to really think about these rules anymore.
Who needs affection when you can have blind hatred?
I don’t blame technology at all. Spell checker is there to fix typos, not purposefully misspelled words.
My spell check on monkies does not give me a monkeys option to correct it.
Uh, no, Mel, we are all responsible for what we do, including what we type.
Not that a misspelling is a big deal, but there is something bizarre about the way you deflect responsibility for ever knowing anything. Extending this to knowing how to pluralize the word “monkey” is an act of bizarre self-parody.
by Jay on Sep 1, 2009 4:21 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t know what you’re talking about. I am getting very frustrated so I’m not going to say anything more or this will turn into the “irregardless” debate again.
Who needs affection when you can have blind hatred?
sorry, wasnt meaning to pick on you specifically, but rather that if schools are deferring to spell check rather than to teach actaul language skills, our future is indeed in dire straits.
But they aren’t is the point. They did teach us that rule but it was a long time ago. I probably use it right more times than not I just happened to use it wrong this time. I didn’t expect the Spanish Inquisition…
Who needs affection when you can have blind hatred?
And she goes for the deflection. Cunning, really: When surrounded by men who frequent message boards, just lob that Monty Python grenade up there and run.
Steel Nick
Actually, the point is that when someone poked at you a little by pointing out a typo, you didn’t just say “Oops!” Which is what most of us would say, if anything. Typos happen all the time, for God’s sake, it’s the internet and there’s no EDIT button! So no biggie.
But INSTEAD, you gave this bizarre explanation for why you, a college student with obvious internet access, were somehow ill prepared by your teachers to spell a common word correctly, or even to know how to look it up.
by Jay on Sep 1, 2009 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions
We had an irregardless debate? Cool.
Steel Nick
by nickjs21 on Sep 1, 2009 5:15 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Monkees. People say we monkey around but we’re too busy…
I want it. I've been grinding it out for awhile.
You didn’t know our friend spoke Dutch, did you.
de aap dronk het bier en trok zijn broek
by FredOx on Sep 1, 2009 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I don’t know how you speel it plurally. It’s not a word they often teach you in school for some reason.
by stuart dean on Sep 1, 2009 6:18 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
because i’m not contract law savvy, i assume the 2.4 mm thome is owed for the remainder of the season is the value of his contract prorated by the number of games left to play. why doesn’t LA pay this in its entirety?
The eagle never lost so much time as when he submitted to learn from the crow
by gorilla_baller on Sep 1, 2009 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions
That’s a good question, and it seems like a mistake by Kenny Williams. He could have just dumped the whole salary on them.
FYI, not that it makes that much of a difference, but salaries are prorated based on days, not games, with the total number in a season being 183.
I guess Coletti doesn’t value a lot of guys on his 40 man roster? It would seem he might lose a few due to this influx of moves.
Flags fly forever.
The once and future
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Sep 1, 2009 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Oh, if the NL playoffs shake out as Philly, St Louis, Dodgers and Giants that has to be one of the most exciting foursomes the NL has had in quite some time. Especially when you factor in all the ex-Indians on those teams.
And roughly 30 at-bats in September. You wonder if this is it for Thome, and he told Williams to trade him to a sure-fire playoff team.
He’s not going to retire short of 600 unless he gets hurt.
"Lotta heart in Cleveland." - Ian Hunter
by Denver Tribe Fan on Sep 1, 2009 10:14 AM EDT up reply actions
The Rios and Peavy deals were made for more than just this season. I think it remains to be seen whether they are going to cripple the team going forward. Both are serious gambles and may not prove to work out, but I’m not going to bury them just yet.
The White Sox have the makings of a very good rotation next year, just not much of an offense.
This looks like another ridiculous move by Kenny Williams, but it will no doubt pan out when Justin Fuller becomes the surprise player. The Sox will have Gordon Beckham next year, and Alexei Ramirez. Maybe Carlos Quentin. And they’ll get 20 homers from Pierzynski or Podsednik. Alex Rios will revive. Kenny Williams has smoked (and enjoyed) quite a few exploding cigars during his tenure as GM. He’s led a charmed life, and will no doubt continue to do so.
20 homers from Pierzynski or Podsednik
You mean Scott Podsednik?…he of the 10 career HRs with the White Sox?
I do kind of agree with the sentiment though. It’s like the White Sox lay out a well-balanced, perfectly reasonable plan, then they do a bunch of mescaline and start making phone calls.
by fleerdon on Sep 1, 2009 10:46 AM EDT up reply actions
their FO is being run by h.s. thompson?
The eagle never lost so much time as when he submitted to learn from the crow
by gorilla_baller on Sep 1, 2009 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions
It was only the Proper Thing to move Jimmy & we made four bills off the night watchman simply — ha — by taking his bet that we would not do it. Though it pained us to send the Cold Hard Cash along with him to the Dodgers, who are Swine. Cowards! Were it not for the virulent intonations of Mr. Warren Zevon playing loud enough to wake the dead at 4 a.m., this trigger may have gone Unpulled.
by fleerdon on Sep 1, 2009 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions 8 recs
rec’d on account of gonzo front-officing
The eagle never lost so much time as when he submitted to learn from the crow
by gorilla_baller on Sep 1, 2009 11:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Bavasi, of course, channeled a different Gonzo:
Eduardo Perez and a chicken? Done! I get another chicken and only have to give up Valbuena? Deal! Chicken chicken chicken.
by FredOx on Sep 1, 2009 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
The White Sox also dumped Jose Contreras, sending him to Colorado for RHP Brandon Hynick.
I want it. I've been grinding it out for awhile.
I guess this pretty much seals my choice of teams in the NL this year. Sorry Giants and Phillies, you don’t get my tainted, cursed rooting this year.
We got uniforms and everything. It's really great.
I’m still trying to decide my playoff favorite for the year. I like the Angels team, but the Dodgers and Giants are pretty fun to watch too.
The NL is just a boat of fun.
I think I’m going to root for the Giants and bet on the Cardinals.
Steel Nick
Yeah, I’m not rooting against the Garko, but if I want the Giants to win its going to be because of plenty reasons besides him. Namely, Sandoval and Lincecum.
I can’t stand how Sandoval is glorified for being a hacker at the plate.
Everybody should get ice cream every day.
It’s because he’s fat. Baseball fans love fat guys—Wells, Lolich, Ronnie, Prince. If Jhonny was actually obese, he’d be a god.
The once and future
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Sep 2, 2009 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions
Dodgers ALSO acquired Jon Garland. I guess he’s one removed from being part of the collection of ex-Indians.
One of my few Thome memories was looking up at his stats on the scoreboard in early May and seeing a .191 average.
Another one was a homer he hit against the Reds. It was one of the few times I had seats behind home plate. The ball never went higher than 20 feet and went about 40 feet over the wall in dead center. It seemed physically impossible.
unless of course thome could get the ball to revolve at like 10000000000 rpm… then it just might rise
The eagle never lost so much time as when he submitted to learn from the crow
by gorilla_baller on Sep 1, 2009 6:13 PM EDT up reply actions
I was at a game in oh, say, 2001-2002. Weekend afternoon. It may or may not have been Jim Thome Bobblehead Day (I swear it was, but Google can’t give me anything). He didn’t start but hit a walk-off 2-run shot in extra innings with the team down by 1. I had the picture of him rounding first from the paper the next day on my fridge for about a year.
Steel Nick
I remember attending an Indians game around that time when he hit a walk-off home run. No idea if it was the same game or not. It’s a pretty vague memory.
I remember deciding one time to arrive an inning late so we could scarf down some Panini’s. By the time we left Panini’s, Thome had hit a first-inning grand slam.
I was present for at least one of his walk-offs against Percival, I think there was more than one.
by Jay on Sep 1, 2009 8:13 PM EDT up reply actions
One was in a home opener (’97 or 98 maybe, because I watched it on WUAB). Was that the one you were at?
The once and future
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Sep 2, 2009 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions
I was at the game when Thome hit a 2 run walk-off against Percival, I believe in July or August of whichever year it was. The pitch was a curveball, that is all I can remember.
My guess is that I was at the Aug 4 2000 one. We were aware that Thome had a history of walk-offing Percival, so when he did it, it was not only awesome, it was hilarious. The Indians were only down by one run, with Alomar/Ramirez/Thome coming up. It was almost like they were already behind.
It wasn’t just Thome though, it was the Indians in general. Out of his 85 career home runs given up, 14 were to the Tribe, Baltimore was next closest with 9.
Belle, Sandy 2, Thome 3, Manny 2, Giles, Sexson, Fryman, Branyan, Hafner, and Jhnonny have all taken him deep. With the bulk of them coming from 96-00, when he was the dominant closer.
Also, of his 11 walk-offs, 3 were to the Tribe (Thome 2, MRamirez 1).
Here are all Thome’s walk-off HRs. The best fit is April 21, 2001, when he hit a two-run shot off Todd Jones in the bottom of the 11th. Jolbert Cabrera was on 2nd base, having pinch run for Ellis Burks.
And I was thinking of April 10, 1998.
The once and future
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Sep 2, 2009 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions
Also! It appears that April 21, 2001 was in fact Jim Thome Bobblehead Day. Thome was not in the starting lineup, and hit his homer as a pinch-hitter. Thome also hit his 500th homer, a walk-off, on Jim Thome Bobblehead Day in 2007.
Indians have a fun lineup tonight:
INDIANS (58-72): CF Grady Sizemore, SS Asdrubal Cabrera, DH Shin-Soo Choo, 3B Jhonny Peralta, 2B Luis Valbuena, RF Matt LaPorta, 1B Andy Marte, C Kelly Shoppach, LF Michael Brantley. RHP Carlos Carrasco (debut).
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
Featured Stories
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recent FanShots
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- Josh Hamilton on public relapse: ‘It was just wrong. That’s all it comes down to.’
- Photo: The Marlins’ ridiculous-looking home run sculpture is almost complete
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman lures alleged stalker into police dragnet
- Report: Josh Hamilton had a relapse with alcohol
- Happy Birthday Boy! Wes Ferrell, the best-hitting pitcher of all-time, would be 104
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
