Former Indians Slugger Jim Thome Reflects One Week Before Entering the Hall of Fame; Four Takeaways

3. On Teams and Pitchers He had the Most Fun and Challenge Going Up Against

The Indians teams of the 90’s when Thome and his teammates were carving a place for themselves into history was filled with memorable games, matchups and one-on-one battles with some great pitchers.

Who could forget the Indians matches against teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Mariners and Orioles, all teams that were fighting for the same goal as the Tribe at the time.

So what teams and pitchers did Thome enjoy facing off with the most?

“Boston, Pedro (Martinez) because he got to set the bar so high with his abilities. The Yankees with (Andy) Pettite and (David) Wells, and (David) Cone, anytime you can beat the Yankees is special, and it was always a challenge.

“Being in that moment, of ‘are you going to get a chance to go to the World Series or are you not,’ whether it was Boston, or New York or Seattle, just competing against those teams, and those pitchers was special because you knew they were going to bring their ‘A’ game and you knew they would be ready to go.”

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