Thome returning to Phillies
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Thome returning to Phillies
Bob Brookover, Inquirer Baseball Columnist
It was no secret that Jim Thome wanted to return to Philadelphia last year at the trade deadline in an effort to win a World Series title because it is the one thing he has not been able to do during his illustrious career.
Instead, he ended up going from the Minnesota Twins to the Cleveland Indians and took a final bow in the place where his career started.
Now, the 41-year-old slugger is going to get his shot at the title with the Phillies.
A baseball source confirmed a story on the team's web site Friday night that Thome has signed a one-year contract with the Phillies.
Thome, who hit his 600th career home run last season with the Twins, will provide the Phillies with a left-handed bat off the bench and could see some significant time at first base early in the season while his former replacement Ryan Howard recovers from the Achilles' tendon surgery he had last month.
The exact timetable for Howard's return is unknown. Thome, for the record, has only played 28 innings in the field since leaving Philadelphia in a trade with the Chicago White Sox after the 2005 season.
You can read more about Thome's return in Saturday's Philadelphia Inquirer.
Poll: Is signing Thome a good move?
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Who doesn't like Jim? The question is: Can he play the field and stay healthy? I hope this doesn't blow up in the Phillies' faces.— AvoidSundanceVacations- Can't be anything but positive...class act,active HOFer for fans to be attracted to, will replace Gload in the LH pinch hitting role (with real pop)...And depending on Howard's status....early in the season he'll see some action at first...Just love this time of year when the action starts, especially when it's a surprise...well a mini surprise. — bearsfriend
- Well, they got the lefty off the bench they needed. If Howard is out for a bit, he should fill in very nicely. Good to have Thome back!— ESFjellin
- Excellent!!— MrLincoln
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- Why did both ESPN and MLB.com break this hours before our crack local reporters— davi
- Murphy, who is a real good writer, was wasting time on DNL defending Jason Avant's ignorant and ill timed comments..Kudos to Todd Zolecki. — bearsfriend
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I heard about it an hour ago and couldn't find it on a few sports web sites. Apparently, the leak was selective. But I love the move. (I'm not in Ryan Howard's corner in a big way.) It's something that shows us that the Phils are serious about getting back in a big way.- Not much to not like about this signing. Only 1 year committment. Insurance in case Howard isn't ready to start season, left handed HR threat off the bench, good clubhouse guy.— holly_ct_brewing_co
- You think the Phillies complained because Ross Gload couldn't play in the field? What do they think they're going to get out of Thome? He may be a decent bat off the bench (and that's a maybe at this point in his career) but they don't dare use him at 1st base. He'll make Ryan Howard look like a gold glover, by comparison.— SteveS11
- I am excited. Sometimes it's fun to root for a good guy.— NCNovaguy
- Dude...it's 1st base. You or I could play 1st for 162 games and our WAR vs Howard would be like -1. Don't sweat Thome's defense. It's not a real concern.— holly_ct_brewing_co
