The Phillies traded Jim Thome after the 2005 season, but Charlie Manuel said the team should have given him a World Series ring in 2008. That is how much, Manuel said, Thome helped mold the corps of that championship team.
Thome, who was inducted into the team's wall of fame on Friday night, meant more to the franchise than just his 101 homers.
He is the shortest tenured player to reach the Wall of Fame, but Thome will be remembered for making the Phillies immediate contenders when he signed before the 2003 season and for laying the foundation for the 2008 team.