CLEVELAND -- Jim Thome practiced the speech he delivered in Cooperstown last month dozens of times.
He even practiced the speech to an empty field, before it was packed with 53,000 baseball fans during the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony. That day, Thome was inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Alan Trammel, Trevor Hoffman and Jack Morris.
This time, Thome addressed a sold out Progressive Field crowd of 35,007. Though the number in attendance wasn't quite as high as that field in Cooperstown, New York, the energy and love was just as abundant. This time, the crowd was here for him, and only him.
"To have my jersey retired gives me the chills," Thome said. "To see my number hanging in the rafters in the company of Bob Feller, Lou Boudreau, Jackie Robinson, Al Harder, Larry Doby, Earl Averill, Bob Lemon and Frank Robinson, I don't really know what to say. That's some Field of Dreams stuff right there."
The Indians on Saturday retired Thome's number, preserving it beside his name above the stands in right field, nestled between Bob Lemon and Larry Doby. After his tribute, highlighted by a speech from former Indians manager Charlie Manuel and gifts to Thome presented by his former teammates, Thome spoke, delivering a heartfelt thanks to fans.
"I was so proud to go into the Hall of Fame as a member of the Cleveland Indians," Thome said, igniting a round of cheers and applause from nostalgic fans.
Thome praised several members of the Indians front office, the Dolan family and his former teammates. He thanked his family and applauded the fans who showed their dedication through the 90s.
"The 90s were an exciting time in baseball," Thome recalled. "There was no place better than the corner of Carnegie and Ontario."
See Thome's full speech in the video above.