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According to Ch.5 news in Cleve. tonite.....Jim Thome is coming back to Cleveland! Deal is for the famous "player to be named later". Personally, I'm glad to see it...tho he's 40 and in final stage(s?) of his career, Hafner is on the DL and perhaps lost for the season with a serious foot injury...perhaps Thome can provide a little spark emotionally to the Tribe, which looked lost over past 6 games or so. Pitching staff has carried this team til now, but really got beat up by Detroit and...Seattle in particular. Hopefully the day off today plus Thome will boost them a bit. Now trailing Detroit by 6 1/2 ( I didn't figure the Tigers to take 3 of 4 with Tampa Bay).

Adding Thome is a nice 'feel good' story, but there is little chance of the Indians catching the Tigers.

Ending his career in Cleveland on a positive note would likely cement him going onto the HOF in a Tribe hat, right?

Class of 61 wrote:I didn't figure the Tigers to take 3 of 4 with Tampa Bay.

Neither did we

Flipper wrote:Ending his career in Cleveland on a positive note would likely cement him going onto the HOF in a Tribe hat, right?

With the Hall now being the decision maker as to what hat the player's wear, there is no doubt in my mind that even if this move didn't happen, he'd be going into the Hall as an Indian. 12 years, Franchise Home Run leader, over half of his home runs in a Tribe uniform. There is no way in hell he goes in as a Phillie or ChiSuck.

Same with Omar Vizquel. He and Thome will both go in as Indians.

Oh yeah...I'd completely spaced on the fact that the hall decides. You're probably right about Thome. Is Vizquel going into the HOF?

Tough call on Vizquel. He might just fall short. He has 2,838 hits in 2904 games and only a .272 career average and 944 RBI.

Redwingtom wrote:Tough call on Vizquel. He might just fall short. He has 2,838 hits in 2904 games and only a .272 career average and 944 RBI.

And most of those numbers compare favorably with the guy most figure is the "best" SS in the hall, Ozzie Smith... O still plays excellent defense in addition to the numbers listed.

Yeah, but the wizard was a special case. Not really deserving at all based on his numbers. He basically got in for doing a black-flip...completing many spectatular plays...and hitting a huge post season home run. Omar lacks most of those.

Redwingtom wrote:Tough call on Vizquel. He might just fall short. He has 2,838 hits in 2904 games and only a .272 career average and 944 RBI.

His offensive numbers may or may not put him in but what he did defensively should!

From Wikipedia:

DefenseAll-time leader in double plays made while playing shortstop
11-time Gold Glove recipient
Oldest shortstop recipient of the Gold Glove (age 38 in 2005, and again at age 39 in 2006)
Highest career fielding percentage by a shortstop (0.9846) with at least 1,000 games played
Lowest number of errors in a season by a shortstop (tie) (3 in the 2000 season)
6th in assists all-time, 3rd in assists at SS all-time

He made tough plays look routine for nearly 15 years at SS.

So did Mark Belanger...he isn't in the hall. If Alan Trammell isn't in the Hall...no way should Vizquel be.

It's silly to only look at one side of the coin. So many average and below average fielders in the HOF. Taking a away a hit it is just as important as hitting one.

With that being said Belanger was a much less, now way less efficient hitter than Vizquel.

Welcome back Jim! Cool to have him back...

Belanger's career OPS+ was 68, Vizquel's is 82....soooo...neither were/are league average for their era with the bat. There is a precedent for great fielding SS with weak sticks beyond Ozzie Smith. Luis Aparicio is in the Hall and his OPS+ is identical to Vizquel's 82. I don't have a problem in thoery with Vizquel in the Hall...it's just that if he's in you HAVE to put Trammell in and you probably should put Belanger in there too...he was a tremendous SS