Hall of Fame slugger Jim Thome is being heavily criticized for his appearance at Wednesday’s ALDS game between the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox.
Thomas, a five-time All-Star, played for Cleveland from 1991-2002 before eventually having a stint with the White Sox from 2006-2009. He finished his MLB career with a .276 average, 2,328 hits and 612 home runs.
Even though Thome spent the majority of his career with Cleveland, he was unwilling to represent the Guardians this afternoon.
Jason Lloyd of The Athletic called out Thome for wearing all-black to Game 3 of the Cleveland-Chicago series. He also pointed out the Guardians honored Thome with a statue outside of Progressive Field.
“I have a lot of respect for Jim Thome, but it’s disappointing to see him wearing all black at the game today,” Lloyd said. “There isn’t a statue of him in front of that [expletive] stadium in Chicago.”
Ken Blaze-Imagn Images.
Did Jim Thome diss the Guardians?
While we can understand why Guardians fans feel insulted by Thome’s lack of team apparel, he has good reason for wearing all-black.
For starters, Thome’s son Landon was drafted by the White Sox earlier this year. Landon, a talented shortstop, was the 34th overall pick.
We also can’t forget that Thome is a special assistant to White Sox general manager Chris Getz. Why would he cheer for his employer’s opponent in the playoffs? That would make absolutely no sense.
