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Indians unveil Thome statue at Progressive Field

By WTOP Staff

CLEVELAND (AP) — Jim Thome’s point-the-bat hitting stance, a powerful symbol of the most successful era in Cleveland Indians history, is now a permanent fixture at Progressive Field.

The Indians honored their career leader in home runs on Saturday by unveiling a statue of Thome — his bat pointed menacingly at the pitcher — to rest in the ballpark’s center field monument area.

An emotional Thome, who played for Cleveland from 1991-2002 and again in 2011, said he signed an honorary one-day contract with the team so he could retire as a member of the Indians.

“It feels so good to be home again, in this ballpark, where it all began,” Thome said as voice cracked several times. “It gives me goose-bumps.”

Thome’s statue is just the second erected by the club, joining one for Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller. Thome will certainly join Feller in Cooperstown one day.

Thome, who last played in 2012 for Baltimore, hit 337 homers for Cleveland. With him in the lineup, the Indians won six AL Central titles, advanced to the World Series in 1995 and 1997 and played in front of 455 consecutive sellout crowds.

“I look at that statue and I think of our teams in the ’90s,” he said. “There are so many guys from those teams who could have a statue.”

While there was some debate whether Thome, who left Cleveland after the ’02 season to sign with Philadelphia, deserved a statue, there’s no denying his legacy with the Indians.

“I want to thank the fans,” he said. “I’ll never forget the atmosphere you guys created here every night.”

Thome signed his one-day contract on the field before the game and was given a long standing ovation by the crowd. He threw out the first pitch to former teammate Sandy Alomar Jr., the Indians’ first-base coach.

Indians designated hitter Jason Giambi, currently on the 60-day disabled list with a knee injury, temporarily gave up his No. 25 to honor Thome’s one-day contract. Giambi will assume his number again when he’s activated.

Thome had a most unique stance. He would point his bat toward the pitcher to get ready, then pull it back and prepare to swing. And that swing usually resulted in good things for the Indians.

“There’s an old saying in baseball,” said Mike Hargrove, who managed Thome for nine seasons in Cleveland. “Good players can make a manager, a general manager and a hitting coach look real smart. Jimmy did his part.”

Thome developed an especially close relationship with Charlie Manuel, who was his hitting coach and later his manager with the Indians.

“He’s like my son, in a way,” Manuel said. “Cleveland got better when Jim Thome came to town.”

The left-handed slugger also had a flair for the dramatic. He hit the longest home run in ballpark history, a 511-foot blast on July 3, 1999, against the Kansas City that landed close to where his statue stands. The Indians have put up a plaque nearby to honor the homer.

And in a moment straight out of a movie, Thome homered following a pregame ceremony in which the Indians announced they were building his statue on Sept. 23, 2011.

Thome belted 52 home runs in 2002, the club record for a season. In 2001 he hit 49 homers — the most by a left-handed hitter in club history — and drove in 124 runs, both career highs.

Several of Thome’s former teammates were in attendance this weekend, including Kenny Lofton, Carlos Baerga and Travis Hafner. John Hart, who built the Indians’ team in the 90s as general manager, was also on hand as well as several members of Thome’s family.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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