It Just Doesn't Add up...

[Alex]

Dolan and Shapiro don't make a realistic "vesting" offer for the 6th and 7th year options...Even a base pay of 6-8 million a year, plus incentives,would have brought the offer much closer to Philadelphia's offer.

Thome's wife is from Cleveland...yet it's now off to see the wizard, in Philly???

Whatever happened to the attendance incentives that Shapiro and Dolan talked about?

Thome's best friend on the team is Charlie Nagy, who was treated with class and dignity by the Indians, who forked over 12-15 million bucks for 2 & 1/2 very unproductive years from Mr. Nagy.

Thome called Charlie Nagy first with the news he was going to Philadelphia. You'd think Charlie might have had the guts to tell Jim how well he was treated, that the Indians would do the same for Jim.

Perhaps Jim Thome called Travis Fryman next, the guy who got 12 million bucks over the past two years yet was ranked last offensively among all third baseman.

The Indians paid out close to 30 million dollars and got nothing in return from two key vets, two players that Thome calls his friends. Thome uses the failures of fellow veteran players, (and his friends) as justification to leave for a team that has a better chance of winning??? After we paid out 30 million dollars to these two former all-stars Nagy and Fryman!!! Huh? Am I missing something here?

We are not competive specifically because Thomes well paid friends did not earn the mega millions the Indians were contracted to pay them, and Thome uses this as an excuse to leave? Huh?

Can't Thome connect the dots, at all? I'm beginning to get pissed off over the whole sordid affair.

Shapiro and Dolan can't even offer 6-8 million for years 6 & 7 as a base, plus incentives???? HUH????

The whole thing has a pre-ordainedness to it.

It's almost as if this was all decided months ago, and everyone involved knew it, except for us Cleveland Indians Fans.

[viper123]

Makes his quote of not wanting to straddle the INdians begin to make sense. Nagy and Fryman reaped the last two years with no production probably made Shapiro/Dolan a little mor gun shy about offering any guaranteed money the last couple of years. Perfromance incentives could have been better written

[Alex]

I think Thome could have hit 200 homeruns over the next 5-6 years...which would have put him at 532.

Everyone would have been rooting for him to reach 600. He could have been our full-time DH for the ensuing those years.

The 6-8 million a year would have been surviveable, especially if we adjust for possible continued player salary inflation.

Heck, I'd rather have a creaky Jim Thome getting his 20-30 homers as a DH 6 years from now then what we got from Travis Fryman or Charlie Nagy the past two years.

Besides, even if Jim couldn't play, they could have given him an office job, and his insurance coverage would have kicked in if he couldn't play.

There is the issue of the back, or was that faked?

The fact that Jim has not really been on the disabled list for the past many years (has he ever) could mean there is at least one in his future, and playing everyday with no chance of "rest" as DH can't help him either.

[Alex]

I wonder if the fact that Jim will probably be used as a late game pinch-hitter on his "days off" negate the lack of a DH in the National League.

Jim can get his rest, and still pinch hit.

[UK Tribe]

If it just came down to years (as the PD said today) I would have guaranteed the sixth. It seems too small a reason to lose him over.

I still cant believe he did it.

He would have his number retired and a statue next to Feller. I think Jimmy will regret this. Some of the things he's saying makes me think he's regretting it already.

He goes on about he daughter and making her leave Cleveland when she's 5. But surely that wouldn't be as bad as what he committed to which is living in Philly in the summers for the next 5 years. Wont his daughter ask whey they have to twice EVERY SINGLE YEAR ?

His logic is seriously muddled.