Phillies

Jim Thome to DL, Phillies Recall Erik Kratz

By Kyle Scott

Published: May 2nd, 2012 · 12:02 PM EDT

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Checking in on the Jim Thome experiment…

Today it was announced that he will head to the 15-day DL with a bad back. Because he’s old. He'll be replaced by catcher Erik Kratz.

Look, I have no interest in saying anything bad about gentlemen Jim. But it’s not going well. He’s 2-for-18 with no extra base hits and 10 strike outs. Those are facts. 

He’s been leaned on heavily in Ryan Howard’s absence, so he can’t really be blamed for, you know, not performing like a starting Major League first baseman. He’s in the twilight (the extended-cut?) of his career and still possesses enough of a power (or sac fly) threat to keep around on the bench, provided he’s healthy. Which he’s not.

This isn’t meant to bash Jim, but more-so to point out that maybe, just maybe, the somewhat sentimental signing shouldn’t have been the Phillies' second biggest move of the offseason.

Of course, if Thome goes yard in Game 4 of the NLCS, then Rube is a genius. A fucking genius, I tell you.