Thomecoming: Band-Aid or Genuine Regret?

Less than 24 hours ago, Jim Thome was one of my most hated sports personalities out there. (Even ahead of you know who.) Thome was always one of the “good guys” of the sport, one bastion of charity, class, and kindness. This perception of him always grated on me; this was the man that ultimately left our city whilst still hugging us saying, “Great party man. So 7:00 tomorrow for the game, right?” As a wee boy, Thome was the almost Hollywood like slugger. Poised, powerful, clutch, he was a living legend of baseball, and he was only batting 6th in the line-up.

Perhaps to bring my hate to a boil was his recent jumping around the Central Division. I can’t stand what Thome did, but now, here was this man, this hero of mine, who not only ISN’T playing for us, but he’s playing for a rival team! I’d be lying if I said I didn’t clap for him when he hit 600, bringing back memories of that grade-a lumber dressed in those glorious red, white and blue uniforms.

Now, with the their season on the brink of collapse, the Cleveland Indians have made a move that some would suggest is merely to draw more people to the Jake. To go out on a high note, and to ensure Thome retires where he started. It was a sobering thing, to think that Minnesota only used Thome to do the same; draw fans to count down to his 600th home run. (334 of which were blasted into orbit wearing a wahoo on his helmet.)

I am too much of a Cleveland fan to forgive Thome completely. I hope that this last quarter of the 2011 season isn’t his swan song, because then I’d feel as if he was saying one thing than meaning another all over again like in 2002. Thome had a choice to tell the questionable Indians team to shove it and jump ship to almost coast to a ring. However the once-and-again Indian chose to come back to where the first 12 years of his career made him a star.

I obviously can’t root against him now, and I will passionately cry tears of joy when he takes his first rip back in an Indians jersey. Thinking about the season that is now officially spiraling out of control, this move serves both as a nostalgiac gesture and attendance boost, but also to hopefully spark the Indians' offense into pulling the team out of a 6.5 game hole.

The 11 year old me is still tugging at my shirt, holding his scratched plastic helmet with one of the most famous numbers of Cleveland baseball history painted on the back. He’s crying as I am just thinking about that lonely feeling we all had when Thome originally left, and all he can force in between sobs is, “Why?”

All I can respond to him is,


“What if?”