There can be little question as to the positive impact that slugging 1st baseman Jim Thome had on the Philadelphia Phillies organization upon signing with the club as a free agent in the off-season prior to 2003.
Thome was aggressively wooed by the organization following a dozen glorious seasons with the Cleveland Indians. During those years, Thome slugged 334 home runs, drove in 927, and earned every bit of his tremendous .287/.414/.567 slash line without a hint of PED involvement.
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He also had helped the Tribe move from antiquated Cleveland Municipal Stadium, jokingly known as the “Mistake by the Lake”, into Jacobs Field, Cleveland’s version of the new ‘retro’ ballparks that began springing up around MLB during the mid-90’s.