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Thome's morale is most valuable

JIM THOME is not the first Hall of Fame-level first baseman to return to Philly for an end-of-career cameo. Jimmie Foxx, the greatest hitter in Athletics history, finished his career with the lowly Phillies in 1945. He was just 37. Maybe young owner Bob Carpenter thought the righthanded slugger who rivaled Babe Ruth's numbers during the great middle years of his career could put a few extra fannies in Connie Mack Stadium's empty seats. He didn't. The Phils drew just over 285,000.

Jim Thome broke the mold of All-Star players who wouldn't be caught dead playing for the Phillies. (Michael Bryant/Staff Photographer)
Jim Thome broke the mold of All-Star players who wouldn't be caught dead playing for the Phillies. (Michael Bryant/Staff Photographer)Read more

JIM THOME is not the first Hall of Fame-level first baseman to return to Philly for an end-of-career cameo.

Jimmie Foxx, the greatest hitter in Athletics history, finished his career with the lowly Phillies in 1945. He was just 37. Maybe young owner Bob Carpenter thought the righthanded slugger who rivaled Babe Ruth's numbers during the great middle years of his career could put a few extra fannies in Connie Mack Stadium's empty seats. He didn't. The Phils drew just over 285,000.

After his stupendous 1932 MVP season (.364, 58 HR, 169 RBI, 1.218 OPS) Connie Mack cut Foxx's salary from $16,666 to $16,300.

Charlie Manuel will take what Old Double-X contributed to that wretched, 108-loss 1945 ballclub in a heartbeat.

Foxx played 40 games at first, 17 at third and pitched 22 2/3 innings in nine appearances. Featuring a knuckleball, The Beast put up gaudy numbers. He was 1-0 in two starts and closed seven games. His ERA was 1.59 for one of the worst staffs in big-league history.

Oh, and in the only part that would interest Thome's surrogate father, Foxx hit seven homers and drove in 38 runs.

Ah, but Jimmie had 224 at-bats to do that. Thome will be heavily used here if he gets half that many. And he won't be playing much first, any third, and will not be pitching. Wilson Valdez has his bullpen spot.

When Britannia ruled the waves, with warships made of wood and sailed by men made of iron, all great ships of the line had ornate figureheads.

What Thome, 41, and never a great pinch-hitter, will do is provide a folksy clubhouse presence, and if he can add a little clubhead production, it'll be all good. Thome can be the media buffer Pete Rose became in 1979. Who needed to wait out some Greta Garbo sulking after his 0-for-4 when Pete would be at his locker firing one-liners and calling all the writers by their first names?

Any time a National League team brings an over-40 American Leaguer aboard, particularly a man who has played in the field just five times since 2006, there is high ballast potential.

A National League manager's moves off the bench are sharply curtailed in an era where most clubs carry 11 or 12 pitchers.

Matt Stairs, hero of the 2008 postseason, could still play an outfield corner. Ross Gload, the most productive pinch-hitter in the game as recently as 2010, could play first and an outfield corner if necessary. Gload was limited in all areas last season by an injury he now is trying to get around without surgery.

Thome will be taking ground balls at first, I'm sure. But you don't want him out there with a game on the line. So he will not be involved in a lot of double moves. Nope, Jim will be up there to drop that big back shoulder and let 'er fly. He will be the first Phils player with more than 600 homers.

If Manuel carries 12 pitchers to open the season, he will have just five extra men, four, really because one is the backup catcher. Michael Martinez was so valuable last year because he could play three infield and three outfield positions if necessary.

Expect to start hearing from perplexed members of the Matt Rizzotti Fan Club. They will want to know why, if a lefthanded power stick off the bench is Thome's only requirement, why not give Matt a chance to do his one thing? And while Rizz is no Keith Hernandez around the bag, the 6-5 first baseman at least can perform the basics.

Jim Thome, a man with symbolic value here because he broke the mold of All-Star players who wouldn't be caught dead playing for the Phillies, is rightfully beloved. He will keep the Bank sellouts in standing-O practice while giving the troops the best morale boost since Bob Hope.

www.philly.com/BillConlin.