“Now playing third base for the Indians,” the voice of Ryan Pritt, the team’s public address announcer, echoed through Progressive Field, “Number 25, Jim Thome.”
For the first time since 1996 while he was still a member of the Cleveland Indians, Thome dug his cleats into the hot corner, providing a full circle moment to what will undoubtedly be a Hall of Fame career that started on the shores of Lake Erie.
Akin to having senior basketball players leave the floor one at a time during their last game, Thome entered Sunday afternoon’s 6-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins as a pinch-hitter for Shelley Duncan. Being the final game at Progressive Field for the 2011 season, capping off what was a storybook weekend for the Tribe’s slugger, Thome took to the plate surrounded by a standing ovation from the 22,500 fans in attendance. Acknowledging fans with a removal of the helmet, Thome took to the batters box where he would ultimately draw a walk. But wi...
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