Cleveland Indians Roundup: Jim Thome Inducted to Indians’ Hall of Fame; Indians Win; Bullpen Trade Notes

Jim Thome was among those added to the Cleveland Indians’ Hall of Fame

The Cleveland Indians beat the Oakland Athletics by a final score of six to three. Josh Tomlin pitched seven innings of two-run ball to lower his seasonal earned run average to 3.43. Additionally, he struck out seven batters against two walks and six hits. The start was yet another show of excellence from the right-hander, although it marked the ninth game in a row that he allowed a home run. Still, his contributions have been much appreciated this year. 

More from Away Back Gone

• Cleveland Guardians tantalizingly close to locking up AL Central tiebreakers
• Cleveland Guardians: Terry Francona becomes meme in profanity-laced ejection
• Say goodbye to defensive shifts and hello to bigger bases, pitch clock in 2023
• Cleveland Guardians: Shane Bieber second-fastest to 800 strikeouts in major-league history
• The next week will make or break the Cleveland Guardians’ season

On the offensive side of the game, the Cleveland Indians also performed quite well. Seven of their starting nine batters recorded a hit, and they managed to only strike out twice. Jason Kipnis had a big night, hitting both a double and a home run while contributing half of the Tribe’s runs. Mike Napoli also had a nice game. He slugged his 23^rd home run of the year, a two-run shot, and slapped an additional two singles.

Before the game, the Indians inducted several players into the team’s Hall of Fame. Jim Thome served as the major headline player involved, but Albert Belle, Frank Robinson, and Charlie Jamieson also received recognition for their contributions to the Cleveland Indians over their careers. Thome played for the Indians from 1991 to 2002, and he was one of the best players in baseball over that span. He holds the Indians’ franchise record for both the most walks and home runs, and he also lays claim to the seasonal counterparts of those records.

Albert Belle played alongside Thome back in the ‘90s, with the duo forming a formidable power tandem in the Tribe’s lineup. His best season came in 1995 when he slugged 50 home runs along with a .317 batting average, .401 on-base percentage, and average defense. Frank Robinson played for the Indians back during the final two seasons of his career in 1975 and 1976. Although he played in very few games, he still managed to post impressive offensive statistics for anyone, let alone a man nearing 40 years of age. More important were his contributions to the game of baseball as a whole. In fact, he is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The final player noted was perhaps the least known of the bunch. Charlie Jamieson played in parts of 14 seasons for the Cleveland Indians back in the 1920s and ‘30s. He put up some impressive statistics for the Tribe, and he played a big role in the 1920 World Series campaign. As a perennial candidate for Most Valuable Player, his contributions were necessary to help keep the Indians atop the standings.

Finally, our own Matt Bretz has recapped the Indians’ hunt for a bullpen upgrade. The Indians’ bullpen has been a problem all year, but Cody Allen has been excellent for the Tribe. Even so, he has said that he would be willing to change his role to help the greater good of the team. As Matt notes, adding a top closer would provide a huge boost to the Indians by giving them much greater security in the eighth inning. In a way, they would be adding a setup man by proxy.

More from around the American League Central:

Humble Jim Thome Enters the Cleveland Indians’ Hall of Fame – Indians.com

Cleveland Indians Looking at Closers for Bullen Help? – Wahoo’s on First