	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

MLB WORLD SERIES: CARDINALS v TIGERS

October 22, 2006

Jim Thome

DETROIT, MICHIGAN: Game Two

Q. Jim, last year and all through your career, it seems like 40 home runs is a benchmark, you go to a different ballclub, put up great numbers again. Thoughts on the last year and your accomplishments?
JIM THOME: Obviously playing in Philly and then getting traded to the White Sox, I really didn't know what to expect from my end, as far as staying healthy. I had surgery, dealt with some back issues a couple of years before that, and it really worked out great.
I enjoyed my summer. I loved playing for Ozzie. Ozzie was a lot of fun. And it worked out great. To hit in the middle of that lineup has been a lot of fun with those guys. It was a great summer.

Q. What were your thoughts about Ryan Howard's season? Kind of ironic how both of you guys had a solid season.
JIM THOME: I think in life things work out for the best for everyone, and I think in Ryan's situation, let's face it, he's had an MVP season, he really has. Even when he was there, he was a tremendous player, and I think in both situations it worked out very well. I went on, got a chance to go on back home, play for a very good club and look at the season he had. It was great watching him, because when you watch somebody that's young that's kind of in your position, it's neat to watch them do well. And I think in life karma like that works out for the best. It worked out for both sides.

Q. Your thoughts, Jim, about Ordonez. He missed it last year, and then of course this year he gets a taste of the World Series.
JIM THOME: Well, I think Magglio has had a great postseason. He's a tremendous player. Obviously playing against him, even when I was with Cleveland, let's face it, Detroit not only Ordonez, but Detroit has had a tremendous summer. And looking at what they've done, you've got to give them a lot of credit. They kind of are very similar to what happened with the White Sox. They started out so great, the final month or so they kind of struggled a little bit and then they've really kicked it in here. I guess from somebody that's watched them all summer, it's neat to see them do what they've done, even though I have to say it would be nice if we were in it. I think they're representing our division very well and you have to give them a lot of credit. It's neat.

Q. For a while the American League Central was really there were a lot of teams that were struggling, it took a while. Your time with Cleveland and now Chicago, can you comment about the pride, just to see the Central so good. The Twins, the Sox, the Tigers, the Royals showed some improvement late. It seems this may be the best division in baseball this year.
JIM THOME: Well, I think if you look around the division the quality of pitching is very good, which I think ultimately takes you on to the World Series. You look at our club. We've got a very good club. Cleveland has got a good club. Minnesota obviously finished very well. It's a great division, it really is.
Going to Philly and stepping away from it for three years and coming back, it was a lot different than my years in Cleveland. And getting back, like playing against Detroit all them years in Cleveland and watching them, I mean it's neat for the city. It's fun to sit back and watch this city enjoy this, because I think every city should deserve it.

Q. Seems like we're going to have a new collective bargaining agreement here, the next few days, and you've been around long enough to have been there during the bad times. Just your thoughts on that?
JIM THOME: Well, hopefully everything will work out for the best. I think in every player's situation you hope for the best and you trust that it's going to work out because ultimately the game is for the fans. Think about it, think about what's going on. You've got a city like Detroit, you've got a city like St. Louis enjoying this, and it would be neat to get something finalized because it's good for the game.

Q. How surprised are you to not be playing in October?
JIM THOME: Well, very, because that's what you work for. You go to Spring Training, you work all winter long, you prepare, you work out, you train, you go to Spring Training and do the same thing for a long, long period of time during the summer and to get in a situation like this is what everyone dreams of.
So, yeah, it is disappointing in a sense, but it makes you work even harder to try to achieve it and get everyone on the same page to get here.

Q. Obviously no one goes into a season saying, hopefully next season I win the Comeback Player of the Year Award. How gratifying is it that you are rebounding from that?
JIM THOME: I think the big key was when I got to Spring Training, listening to Ozzie Guillen talk about winning and talk about having everyone on the same page and going and playing, doing individual things was not the goal. It wasn't the goal to hit 40 home runs or drive in a hundred runs, it was to go back and win the World Series. And I think when you do that and you put things aside, good things happen. And I think that was the case. It was a case of being in a good lineup, from top to bottom, and for me, personally, not knowing what to expect after a surgery, it worked out great. I was very pleased with what happened.

Q. The Comeback Player of the Year Award is pretty much known around the league as the award that you don't want to win, but what kind of an honor is it when you do win it?
JIM THOME: Well, it is, because usually the year before you didn't have a good year. In my case the bottom line here is I had a surgery, I had an injury that limited me of playing.
Any award is an honor. I've always looked at an award as being something that you should cherish and be proud of. I'm happy to be here. I wish I was in the locker room, but it's nice to be here.

End of FastScripts...

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297