Not About Incentives

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It didn’t take long for the hot stove to heat up as the Phillies wasted no time in making their first acquisition, Jim Thome.  That story HERE.

And the rumor mill is pumping at full strength as to what may come next.  Cleveland interested in Victorino?  Possibly.  Cuddyer coming to the Phillies in free agency?  Thome hopes so.  We’ll keep our eye on these stories and see if anything comes of it.

But as for today, the news is all about a true professional, and a truly great guy – Jim Thome.  Saturday at 3:30, the Phillies held the press conference for Jim Thome, where, as always, he was nothing but nice.  Thome spoke of welcoming challenges, how happy he was to be coming back to a club he played for earlier in his career, and how extremely happy he was to be playing under friend and father figure, Charlie Manuel.  He also said “ya know” roughly a hundred times.  With rumors circulating about the Phillies interest in Thome’s former teammate Michael Cuddyer, Thome said of the free agent that he would put him in the top five of best teammates to play with.  Coming from Jim Thome, that is one hell of a compliment.

But here’s the thing that should impress even the dourest of Philadelphians:  Thome was asked, since his role will be mostly a bat off the bench, whether his contract has incentives for pay bumps if he plays X amount of games at 1st.  Jim Thome couldn’t even recall what was in his contract, and stated that inking the contract wasn’t about incentives, but about doing whatever he could do to help the club.

Now I ask you, when was the last time you heard a professional athlete say that a contract wasn’t about incentives?  I can’t remember.  Jim Thome is a class-act player, and a class-act person.  When his playing days are done, he should be a no-doubter for the Hall of Fame, and a top candidate for a coaching position if he wishes to peruse one, which I think he does.

Welcome back 25, we already love you, now go get a ring.

 

SW-Ian Anderson

Tags: Hot Stove, Jim Thome

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