Cleveland Indians: Jim Thome top 5 memorable moments ranked

Cleveland Indians: Jim Thome’s top 5 most memorable moments ranked

26 Oct 1995: Jim Thome of the Cleveland Indians celebrates his sixth inning home run during the game five of the World Series against the Atlanta Braves at the Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio. The Indians defeated the Braves 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Al Bello /Allsport /

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CLEVELAND, OH – SEPTEMBER 23: Jim Thome /

5. Thome-coming

The Indians were still trying to sneak into the playoffs during the 2011 season, and brought back Jim Thome to improve their chances.

The Tribe missed out on the postseason, but Thome and the city of Cleveland got bond and re-unite through the game of baseball.

It was therapeutic for a lot of fans who blamed Thome for going against his word, promising the Indians a hometown discount, and then leaving the Phillies following the 2002 season.

By the end of Thome-coming, I think a lot of fans remembered why they loved Thome. He was a Paul Bunyan type man from small-town Peoria. He beat the odds as 13th round draft pick to embark on Hall of Fame career, and he gave his best seasons to the people of Cleveland.

Free agents come and go. The memories a fan has, last forever though, and Jim Thomes just don’t walk through the clubhouse everyday.

Thome returned to the organization on Aug. 28, 2011 and he hit his final home run for the Indians on Sept. 23.

The “Thome-coming” put in place the notion that Indians fans would overwhelmingly support making Thome a part of their team’s history beyond retirement. That day came in 2014, when the Tribe unveiled a statue on the spot where he hit the longest home run in stadium history.

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