Jim Thome’s return has prompted near-unanimous jubilee in Cleveland.
Just as Kenny Lofton was hailed as a conquering hero when he came back to the Indians in 2007, Tribe fans have embraced Thome like he’d never left. Regardless of the impact he’ll be able to make this season, Clevelanders are thrilled to have him back. The only person I’ve talked to who isn’t thrilled about seeing Thome suit up in Indians gear again is a Twins fan.
Saturday at Progressive Field—he’d already had his big debut—he received a long ovation each time his name was announced. And when he launched a solo shot into the left-field bleachers, the stadium exploded. The cheers were louder and the ovation much longer for Thome’s homer than for the three-run, go-ahead bomb Asdrubal Cabrera hit shortly after.
But it wasn’t always this way. When signed his $85 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies after the 2002 season, Clevelanders thought of Thome more the way t...
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