ST. LOUIS - As in many professions, longevity in baseball brings varied emotional experiences.
Jim Thome is quite familiar with the thrill that comes with bashing home runs, the angst pennant races can trigger, the disappointment of failing when a hit is badly needed.
Now, at 39, Thome may be in for something different as his career winds down. As a pinch-hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who can punch their ticket to the National League Championship Series with a win over the Cardinals in their division series tonight at Busch Stadium, he could stand in the way of Phillies manager Charlie Manuel's desire to return to the World Series.
"Charlie's special to me," Thome said before the Dodgers' miraculous 3-2 win over the Cardinals on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. "Charlie's a good guy. He took me under his wing when I was in Cleveland - and I would say he did the same for [teammate] Manny [Ramirez].
"Charlie was a great mentor for us, and he taught us how to play the game, how to go about our business, as far as our routine. Charlie's very, very special.
"Since we departed from each other, he's obviously done very well in Philadelphia. If we do play each other, it would probably be the one time I won't be rooting for Charlie."
Thome and Manuel spent nine years together in Cleveland, where Manuel was his batting coach and then manager. They parted ways following the 2005 season, when Thome's three years with the Phillies ended with his trade to the Chicago White Sox in the deal for Aaron Rowand. The Phils also sent the White Sox $22 million to help pay for the remainder of his six-year, $85 million deal.
In all, Thome and Manuel were together in major-league baseball for 12 years.
Thome was a favorite among Phillies fans. A ballplayer can buy a lot of love when he hits 47 home runs one season and 42 the next. His affable demeanor and sunny disposition, and the enthusiasm he and his wife, Andrea, showed while supporting charitable causes added to his popularity.
But after the '05 season, the Phillies had reason to make him expendable. He was wracked by injuries, and in his long absence a fellow named Ryan Howard proved a more-than-adequate replacement, winning the Rookie of the Year award.
Thome didn't do a quick fade. As a designated hitter for the White Sox, he became one of 23 players with more than 500 homers. He has 564, including the 23 he hit for the White Sox in 107 games.
Thome had a no-trade clause in his contract, which presented him with a tough decision on Aug. 31, the day he was dealt to L.A. Should he stay with the White Sox and increase his chance to hit 600 home runs? Or should he go to the Dodgers and have a better chance of winning his first World Series ring?
Thome said he had one hour to decide.
"I'm giving up 70 to 100 at-bats, and I'm trying to get to 600 homers. It's an iconic number," he said. "But the ring is the ultimate goal. If I had stayed in Chicago and been home in October, I might have been watching these guys [the Dodgers] celebrate, and I would have regretted that."
Thome has had two at-bats in the division series. He struck out on a 3-2 pitch with the bases loaded in the eighth inning of the Dodgers' 5-3 win Wednesday. He was hit by a pitch in the 3-2 win Thursday. He has yet to homer for the Dodgers, but is 4 for 17 with three RBIs.
Thome said he looks forward to his first game at the new Busch Stadium. Born and raised in Peoria, Ill., he said his hometown breeds two groups of fans - one for the Cardinals and one for the Cubs.
"I've got a lot of friends in the St. Louis area," he said.
That means Thome may get the chance to send home a lot of his friends, along with Manuel, disappointed.
Contact staff writer Ray Parrillo at 215-854-2743 or rparrillo@phillynews.com.
