Well, here's something that's never happened to me before.
I was in the middle of writing a blog about how much I love a guy and how much joy he brings me on a nightly basis... when he got traded. (And yes, that’s how long I’ve been trying to get this one out the door.)
Oh Jim Thome. I miss you already!
Now, I know this trade is good for everyone involved. This little experiment just didn't work out. The Phillies need bodies on the bench who can play the field, and Thome has a bad back that no amount of yoga can fix. So, the Phillies traded him to a place where all he has to do is hit dingers and sit back down on the bench.
It just wasn't supposed to go this way.
My heart – still broken from the whole losing to the Cardinals thing – grew three sizes that day Jim came back to us in December. It may not have made a whole bunch of "on the field" sense, but I hoped adding a guy like Thome could help a team that seemed to forget that playing baseball was supposed to be fun. I had visions of him lifting a very large trophy and retiring to Cooperstown in red pinstripes, not being part of a season gone terribly, terribly awry. He couldn’t keep the Phils from scuffling, but, even when things were at their worst during the first half, there was one of the best homerun hitters of all time belly laughing in the dugout, smiling that Jim Thome smile.
I'll never forget the way I felt when Thome signed here before the 2003 season. It was just a few months removed from when my future husband, Scott Rolen, was traded – and made his less than fuzzy feelings for the organization and the city very public. At the time, I just couldn't believe that one of the best homerun hitters in the game would choose to come to Philly. (I was also in complete shock that Ed Wade could pull of such a signing.) I don't think anyone realized it then, but things changed big time that day. Thome was the catalyst for Philly becoming a destination, not a baseball death sentence. Thome ended the string of awful signings, like the Andy Ashbys, David Bells and Adam Eatons of the world and brought on the Placido Polancos, Roy Halladays and Cliff Lees. It was a major swing in the history of the organization, and Thome deserves a lot of credit for seeing beyond the losing seasons to the potential of the team. Combined with the new ballpark, he helped put butts in the seats and more money in the front office's pocket. That money enabled them to keep the up-and-coming stars in the organization and eventually win the 2008 World Series. Thome certainly isn’t the only reason the organization is where it is today, but you can’t deny the parallels and his role in its rise to success.
I think that following Thome's career – all 609 homeruns of it – is and always will be one my favorite parts of following this amazing game. He is a man who knows how lucky he is to play baseball for a living, and does it with the joy of a really big toddler in a candy store. He brings fun and passion to the field every day, and has showed an entire generation how to be a good teammate and leader – just ask Chase Utley (here, 1:50 mark).
No, things aren't great with the Fightins at the moment, but that doesn't mean we can't appreciate what we've gotten the opportunity to witness during Thome’s time here. A player like this just doesn't come along very often...
