DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Surprising Tribe down the stretch

I agree with the "nice gesture" part of it, and I will be glad to see him finish as an Indian if they can work out a deal - but I'm also not quite ready to throw in the towel on the season just yet. 6 games out with 35 games to go is a steep hill, but stranger things have happened. Thome could help them with some timely hitting that they are desperately missing lately.

of course he could tell the Twins he'll use his no-trade clause and end up in Philly

Hoping he can provide that same spark that Lofton did when we brought him back in 2007. 6 games out of 35, isn't too crazy. If anything, it could be a blessing in disguise if we DO somehow start making a stretch run, we'd be hitting on all cylinders when the playoffs arrived.

That's what happened to the Giants last year, and the Rockies in 2007. They hit their stride in September and erased a huge deficit to force a playoff, and eventually win the division. By that time, they were already in a "playoff baseball" frame of mind, and went on to the World Series.

http://scott-miller.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6270335/31556119

Thome accepts deal to Indians

Jim Thome is going home: The slugger has accepted a trade to the Cleveland Indians, multiple CBSSports.com sources have confirmed. The Indians will send a player to be named later to the Twins to complete the deal.

Thome accepted the deal late Thursday following the Twins' 6-1 loss to Baltimore.

Cleveland is struggling to hang on in the AL Central, where Detroit has opened up a 6 1/2-game lead over the Indians and a seven-game margin over the White Sox. Thome fills an immediate need for designated hitter in Cleveland, where the Indians this week lost Travis Hafner to a foot injury. There is a good chance Hafner will miss the rest of the season.

Thome, 40, had full no-trade powers in Minnesota, and his return to Cleveland undoubtedly will become one of the final month's most emotional storylines. Thome began his career in Cleveland in 1991 and played there until leaving as a free agent after the 2002 season.

He is not the player he once was, but he still has long-ball power every time he steps to the plate. He is hitting .243 this season with 12 home runs in 238 at-bats. He became only the eighth player to reach 600 home runs last week when the Twins were in Detroit.

Despite being gone for most of the past decade, Thome returns to Cleveland as the Indians' franchise leader in homers (334) and walks (997). He also ranks second all-time in club history in RBI (927), fifth in runs scored (917), fourth in total bases (2,633) and third in on-base percentage (.414) and extra-base hits (613). He is a five-time All-Star.

"Jim Thome is a Hall of Fame-caliber player and person," Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said in a statement. He has meant so much to this organization -- both on and off the field -- and it is an honor to bring him back in an Indians uniform where he created so many great memories. Having his bat and presence in the middle of the lineup certainly improves our team."

Thome's reception upon returning to Cleveland over the years has not always been pleasant, due largely to an unfortunate comment he made in 2002 to the effect of people would have to rip the uniform off of him before he left Cleveland.

That winter, however, after the Indians had fired manager Charlie Manuel -- who is as close with Thome as anybody in the game -- and with the landscape changing in Cleveland, Thome accepted Philadelphia's free agent offer of six years and $85 million. Some in Cleveland never forgave him for that. This homecoming, a fitting bookend to the first several chapters of Thome's career on the banks of Lake Erie, should, by all rights, make Thome an Indian once and for all.

On a side note, Twins president Dave St. Peter tweeted that Jim Thome Wind-Up Walker Night -- seriously, set for Friday night in Target Field as the Twins host Detroit -- will go on as scheduled.

"The Twins org wishes Jim Thome the best," St. Peter said Thursday evening in a separate tweet. "It's been an honor to have him wear a Twins [uniform]."

I agree they still have a slim chance, but that mariners series was hard to take. Besides oakland they have the worst offense in baseball, and pretty much a minor league roster. I know some of those guys have great potential, but there's no excuse getting whacked like that at home. If we can't beat those guys, it's pretty hard seeing this team get on a roll. Something they havn't done since mid-may.

I always liked Jim, it's good to see him finishing where he belongs.

Does #25 get retired now?

I like he's back. Thats great. Sentimental. Whatever. Lets look at production.

Look at the numbers. Hafner has been no better then he has been over the last 4/5 years. Thome has been better over that period. There may be a real possibility that Thome signs one year contract (is he a FA after this year?) for next year with Hafner on the bench, and being trade bait. Take the emotional game winners away from Travis this year, and he's been him same old self. Just sayin.

Love Thome.....Many great memories watching him in a Tribe uniform, My son who was 10 back than use to sit in front of the TV with his Thome uniform & signs while we cheered on the tribe....Sons now 21 has a son of his own and we dont get to watch many games together anymore....so ya having Jim back bring back alot of wonderful memories.....fitting Jim comes back to cleveland a place he has always needed to be....

Welcome Back

I'm glad he's back....but right now, he has about the same chance at a title as he did on the Twins = 1% chance. Detroit will win the division.

He probably wouldn't have made it all the way to the Phillies but that's where he should be. He deserves a ring.

JIM-JAM IS COMING HOME TO MASH TATERS AT THE JAKE!

Can't wait.

Good outing by Jiminez tonight. Let's see if he can put two good starts together in a row. Baby steps.

Even though he went 0-fer, it was cool to see Jimmy back in an Indians uni. Brings back a lot of good memories. Big sellout crowd tonight to welcome him back too. Pretty awesome.

So is trading for Thome the official White Flag?

We're not ganna win the division this year, so we need a reason to fill the stadium...Come see Jim Thome!

J/C, Is this Thome trade for just this year or is he signed for next year too ???

BTW his is the only Tribe Jersey I have ever wore.

The night he hit 600 he pretty much said he's retiring at the end of this season. (MLB network interview)

JC........what happens happens welcome back Jimmy

Ubaldo finally has a good outing.

Glad to have Thome back. I don't think he helps much but a good guy who starred for us back in the day. Nice to have him retire as a member of the Tribe.

If this were a movie, Thome would return and magically summon up the hitting prowess he possessed in his prime, while leading the Indians on an unlikely charge to the Central crown, through the ALCS, and to their first world championship since 1948. With the rag-tag group we have on the field right now, it would rival "Major League" as one of the best feelgood movies ever. But this ain't Hollywood, it's Cleveland. What we have instead is a 41 year old former slugger with an aching back being asked to make up for the absence of Sizemore, Choo, Kipnis, and Hafner to injury, or at the very least, put some fannies in the seats for the remaining home games. Watching the game last night was kind of bittersweet, because you remember what he was and, if you watch with honest eyes, see what he has become. Still, you watch and hope that somehow the hands of time get turned back, and his back loosens up, his bat gets quicker, and the pitches look like beachballs instead of BB's, and the wins start coming in bunches for this team and this town.

What better way to end the city's suffering than with the most incredibly unlikely of stories?

I haven't given up hope yet.

The problem, though, is that the Indians no longer control their own destiny. Not only do they need to win 2/3 of their games, they need Detroit to falter heavily. Problem is, Detroit is one of the hottest teams out there right now, despite their mediocre pitching outside of Verlander.

After the first 45 games, all the Indians needed to do was play .500 ball the rest of the way out. 88 wins would take the Central, probably by several games, too. Now they have to win at least 20 of their last 32 to even have a chance.

Winning 20 of 32 isn't out of the question - they did go 30-15 at the start - but it got that much more difficult with the addition of Tomlin (elbow) and Brantley (wrist) to the DL. It has been an unbelievable string of injuries for this team; I can't remember ever seeing anything like it. I heard on the radio yesterday that our lineup has been completely intact for only 17 games this whole season. I have not been a big Acta fan, but I have to say that their record is a credit to him, given the adversity.

You guys entertain me.

It's not out of the question, but it happening while Detroit simultaneously loses 20 games probably is. The Tigers produce runs, which is enough to overcome their average starting pitching. It doesn't matter if your stars give up 3 or 4 a game when you're scoring 6 or 7 yourself.

If it were purely in a vacuum then yeah, there's a chance the Indians could pull it off. But its not; they're 6.5 games back which means they need to win 7 more than the Tigers. Sweeping the last six from Detroit is almost mandatory, and its doubtful that it happens.

As for injuries, that's not the reason the Indians have one of the worst offenses in the AL. That falls on our three prospectively biggest bats all taking a season-long crap in their pants.

Is it our optimism or our misery that amuses you?

Both.

You love us, and - next to the Reds - you love the Indians. Admit it.

No, nobody expected Hafner and Sizemore to be big for us this season after the way the last few years have gone for them. Nobody rational, anyway. Sizemore was coming off microfracture surgery and Hafner hasn't been right for years, what with the shoulder and everything.

I'm referring to Choo, LaPorta and Santana. Three guys who all should be hitting at or near .300 with OPSs over .900. Huge disappointments, all three of them. Plenty of excuses made for Choo and Santana but when it comes down to it they just hit like crap for most of the season. Personally, I think they bought into their own hype just a little too much. LaPorta just looks lost at the plate and in the field, and should probably be jettisoned with the quickness once the season is over. Chalk that one up to failed potential and falling far short of expectations, and start calling it the "Michael Brantley trade".

I think I'm rational, but I was encouraged by how Hafner was swinging the bat early on ... he was driving the ball the way he used to, and I let myself think he had finally found his way back. I was not expecting that much from Sizemore early, but thought he would get into playing shape by June. As it turned out, he showed some flashes of his old self early - had a few big games, but not often enough.

I wasn't counting that much on Santana or LaPorta, and they didn't let me down. They are young and undisciplined at the plate, and I was hoping they would have years to build on but never thought they could lead the offense. I have doubts now that LaPorta will ever hit, since it seems he has a "slider-speed" bat. Santana will be a good hitter, if he learns the strike zone.

I don't recall what game it was recently, but at one point, The opposing team walked Asdrubal Cabrera so they could get to Travis Hafner...

I asked my dad that if 3 years ago, I told him someone walked Cabrera so they could face Hafner what he would have said...

He just shook his head...

I meant prior to the start of the season. Once it started and Hafner came on like gangbusters I had high hopes, but then he got derailed by little injuries.

If you truly didn't expect LaPorta or Santana to contribute at the plate this year, then you're probably the only one. It's especially humorous to go back and read scouting reports of LaPorta and takes on the CC trade from right around the time it went down...power to spare and on the verge of being a multiple All-Star, one of the best minor league prospects in baseball.

As for Santana, I just don't think he has the mental makeup to be anything more than mediocre. Plenty of physical talent, but either an inability or unwillingness to improve his game.

I think I was expecting 70-75 wins, and - best case - hoping for a .500 season when the season began. I expected Santana and LaPorta to contribute to, but not to lead the offense. 12-15 HR, 65-70 RBI, .250-ish ... along those lines.

Regarding trading for prospects, the jump from AAA to the Majors is so big, that its really hard to project a player's ceiling. Thats one reason I wasn't too upset at the Jimenez trade. Prospects for proven talent. You just don't know about a guy until you see them over an extended period at the higher level. Thats also why I never get too excited about September call-ups doing well, because they're often playing against teams that have mailed it in, or are playing their prospects.

See, I was actually expecting a pretty decent year this year. Low-to-mid 80s in the win column. Santana had looked good prior to his injury last year and by all accounts had healed completely. Grady was coming back healthy. LaPorta was going to get out of the back and forth between the majors and minors finally, and a lot of people thought that was the reason for him playing poorly last year. Choo was hot last year and was supposed to be even hotter this year. Asdrubal would be solid and Brantley looked to have the makings of a big-league outfielder. Plus it was a given that at some point Chisenhall and Kipnis would be called up, and everyone was high on those two.

My big question mark going into the season was actually our starting rotation. Fausto had struggled since '07, Masterson looked average last year, and Tomlin, Talbot and Carrasco were young and relatively inexperienced.

Needless to say, things were kind of a 180 from what I expected in terms of how our pitchers and position players would be.

Agree with you there. Starting pitching and the bullpen are why we are still even talking about Indians' baseball in late August. I didn't really expect to contend this year, so its all been a bonus. The Indians actually got us to football season for a change. And there is still a slim chance they can get us to October.
( Jules >>> )

Ah but they do, for the most part, still control their own destiny.

The Indians play Detroit 6 more times this season. We have one more game to play than Detroit does. We would need a win in that extra game, a sweep of the 2 remaining series, and we'd be in a tie based on how the rest of the games go.