Thome's spring-training test will be first base
Jim Thome is so eager to get to spring training that he is heading to Clearwater Friday night.
Thome's spring-training test will be first base
Bob Brookover, Inquirer Baseball Columnist
Jim Thome is so eager to get to spring training that he is heading to Clearwater Friday night.
It will just be a three-day stay for the former All-Star first baseman who is trying to complete his sparkling baseball resume by winning a World Series in his second tour of duty with the Phillies. Thome will likely take some ground balls at first base during his brief stay at the team's spring-training facility.
The big test for Thome, 41, will be whether he can play first base on occasion while Ryan Howard recovers from Achilles' surgery on his left foot. Free-agent addition Ty Wigginton is expected to get the bulk of the playing time during Howard's recovery, but manager Charlie Manuel is on record as saying he'd like to put Thome's name in the lineup on occasion, too.
During the winter meetings, Manuel estimated that Thome could make as many as 20 appearances at first base. Since leaving the Phillies after the 2005 season to make room at first base for Howard, Thome has only started four games at first base.
"Charlie and I have talked," said Thome, who was at Citizens Bank Park speaking to the minor-leaguers in the Phillies' prospect education program. "He has a game plan for me of what he wants me to do. I think the main thing for me is that I've all winter to prepare and now I can get to spring training and be ready from day one. To be honest, I don't know how my back is going to react because I haven't played (first base) in seven years, so that's going to be a phase I'll obviously have to adjust to."
Manuel said he has prepared for first base by doing more stretching -- "pilates and yoga" -- than he has in the past and he has also spent two or three days a week fielding ground balls.
"It has been indoors," he said. "When you live in Chicago, that's the challenge, but there are a couple of facilities around Chicago that have field turf and it has been pretty good. It feels good to get back out there a little bit."
You can read more about Thome in Saturday's Inquirer and, for those of you scoring at home, there are only 30 days until pitchers and catchers report to spring training.
I doubt he'll be asked to play first more than once or twice a week, so if he is in any kind of shape, he should be fine. I think this was a great signing. He's not what he used to be, but he's a guy who can still pop one out during any at bat.— Hemingway
Comment removed.- Crusader, I pray to God that your handle doesn't imply a connection to the fine school in NE Philly...your obsession with child abuse scandals is truly disturbing... — stan the man too
- @Ashburn072 - if you remember correctly, Howard came up in 05 when Thome was hurt then won the MVP in 06' so the caption is wrong, not Thome. It has been 7 years....— jeffmd
- rube brings back wade. chollymumbles talks about using his 41 y.o. buddy at first. old boys club?? noooo waaay!— bubba church & granny hamner
- Easy, crazy posters, Thome's here on a cheap contract and this is just a nice winter story. No risk, all reward. Hopefully Big Jim can stick around after his playing career. He's a class act. Unlike some of us.— PhillySubsMac
- Everyone loves Jim but I have a feeling it won't work out at first. I just hope he doesn't suffer a career ending injury at first. I don't think he'll be a very good pinch hitter either because he's never been very good at pinch hitting. Hopefully he'll be a motivator and keep everyone focused on winning and playing hard.— AvoidSundanceVacations
- Its hard to see Thome playing first. I think he should have signed with AL team as DH possibility. No question he's a class guy and I would be happy being wrong....There was stories about minor league players on the site, a sleeper could be Leandro Castro who was at Clearwater last year. His stats were superior to James who gets more ink. Leandro is only 21.— Don w
- I love Thome but there are plenty of guys who can play first on this team, along with plenty who can play right field. This feels like one of those winter story-lines to keep us entertained until spring.— KINGOFZED
- hope he doesn't look at too many 3-2 pitch counts— chesterfield
- Playing first base every 5 or 6 games isn;t taxing. That is the real joke, acting like he can't do it. He already said he is taking more ground balls than he would in ten games at first.— UncleStosh
- Play 1st base? I don't think he can even spell 1st base.This guy was washed up 2 years ago. A waste of a million bucks.— Wilhelm Von Humboldt
- Herr Willie, you sound more like Peacemuffin's angry twin than an esteemed philosopher... — stan the man too
- Hey 1 republican....great point about one of the reasons they signed Thome was to put fannies in the seats. The Phils are heading into 2012 with something like 204 consecutive sellouts. Be careful what you post....ya made yourself look silly. Besides, even if that were true, since Thome is just a pinch hitter and MAYBE occasional part time 1b man, who would come out to see him sit on the bench and MAYBE get an at bat?? seriously, thats hardly a reason they signed him.— Big D phillies fan
- Wish big Jim well. He might be the oldest player ever to start a game at first base for the Phils. Durable Dave Philley may have played a few games at first back in the day for them when he was 39 or 40.— Dull
