Thome’s Reasoning Is Off Base to Some

Terry Pluto of the Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal cited three reasons Jim Thome left the Cleveland Indians to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies:

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“Thome was the Cleveland Indians to most fans, standing for what was supposed to be all the right things about baseball,” Pluto wrote. “But now, he sold himself to the highest bidder. Now he’s just a hired bat in Philadelphia, where it will be interesting to see how the fans react when he has his usual dismal April, hitting much less than his weight of 240.”

Added Pluto: “He’s a Midwestern guy, a native of Peoria, Ill., who grew up a Cub fan and then fell in love with Cleveland once he signed with the Indians in 1989. He had no interest in playing for the Phillies other than they came calling with a fistful of dollars.”

Another view: Bill Lyon of the Philadelphia Inquirer called Thome’s signing an unexpected coup.

“Here in the city where losing teams are regarded as a birthright and championships seem to be limited to one per generation, the sporting news is suddenly top-heavy with promise,” he wrote. “The news is so good, we may not be able to stand it, let alone handle it.... The city that braces always for the next bit of bad news now has to chew on uncommon good fortune. Relax. It tastes just like chicken.”

Trivia time: Which NHL coach won the most Stanley Cup championships without coaching the Montreal Canadiens?

Big Mac: Teammates of pitcher Dave McNally, who died Sunday of cancer, remembered him as a quiet but strong man who was integral to the Baltimore Orioles’ success.

“I caught a lot of 20-game winners,” catcher Andy Etchebarren told the Baltimore Sun. “Nolan Ryan, Frank Tanana when he first came up, and Jim [Palmer] is going to be mad at me, but I always say Dave McNally is absolutely the best pitcher I ever caught.”

Said former Oriole outfielder Don Buford: “He helped make our great clubs go. You knew every time he went out there you’d get a complete game or close to it.”

Just say no: Arizona Republic columnist Pedro Gomez declared the Cardinals the worst franchise in professional sports after their 49-0 loss to Kansas City and suggested fans protest their ineptitude by boycotting Sunday’s game against Detroit.

“This team has not earned the right to have fans in the stands,” he wrote. “The ultimate statement needs to be sent to ownership.... Even though Sunday’s game represents the Cardinals’ best chance to stop what could be a disastrous 10-game losing streak -- St. Louis, San Francisco and Denver follow the Lions’ visit -- don’t go.

“Don’t buy a ticket. If you’ve already bought one, don’t show up.”

Trivia answer: Hap Day, who won five with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1942-49.

And finally: Darryl Sutter, fired as coach of the San Jose Sharks Sunday, didn’t linger to hear General Manager Dean Lombardi’s explanation. “I wasn’t interested in listening, because it’s always the cliches that you read in the paper,” Sutter told the San Jose Mercury News. “When coaches in any sport are let go, they’re all the same.”

-- Helene Elliott