CLEVELAND -- Jim Thome already has a statue at Progressive Field. But as his Hall of Fame celebration in Cleveland gets underway, a new surprise honor appears to be in store for the recent Cooperstown inductee.
Entering the Cleveland Indians' ballpark on Friday night, one might notice a recent shift in the team's retired numbers. And hanging over the right-field district appears to be a new addition, which is currently covered by a banner.
It isn't hard to put 2 and 2 -- or in this case, 2 and 5 -- together and figure that the new signage in right field is an indication that the Indians will be retiring Thome's No. 25 jersey at some point this weekend. On Friday, the Indians will honor the first-ballot Hall of Fame selection with a firework display following their 7:10 p.m. matchup with the Baltimore Orioles, while on Saturday, they will hold a pre-game ceremony to celebrate Thome's time in Cleveland and induction into Cooperstown.
PHOTOS | Cleveland Indians prepare for Jim Thome Hall of Fame celebration
Thome spent 13 of the 22 seasons that comprised his major league career in Cleveland, playing for the Indians from 1991-2002 and again in 2011. Appearing in 1,399 games for Cleveland, the Peoria, Ill., native amassed a .287 batting average to go along with a franchise-record 337 home runs and 937 RBIs.
Last month, Thome was officially inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., donning an Indians block 'C' hat on his plaque.