Jim Thome slams his eyes shut, his face showing an odd mixture of anxiety and misery.
They say that time heals all wounds, but whoever coined that phrase never had a World Series championship taken from him.
"I know it happened so long ago," says Thome, the Minnesota Twins designated hitter, "and people think I've gotten over it. I haven't gotten over it. I don't think I ever will. It just eats at you and eats at you. It was the most heartbreaking moment of my career.
"I remember walking off the field, looking at my teammates and having that sick feeling. That feeling never left."
Thome pauses, and says softly, "Really, the only way that feeling might go away is if we get a championship ourselves."
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Thome, whose 589 career homers probably will pave his way into the Hall of Fame, still remains haunted by the night of Oct. 26, 1997.
The Cleveland Indians were two outs from winning their first World Series championship since 1948. They had a 2-1 lead in the ninth inning of Game 7. They had their closer, Jose Mesa, facing the bottom of the batting order. But the Florida Marlins tied the score in the ninth and won it in the 11th. The Indians haven't been to the World Series since.
Neither has Thome.
He signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2003, only to see the Phillies win the World Series three years after he left. He was traded to the Chicago White Sox weeks after they won the 2005 World Series. Perhaps, after 20 years, it's finally his turn.
"Let's face it, I'm not a young guy in this game anymore," says Thome, 40. "I have everything else I want. I just want that ring. You have no idea how badly I want it."
'Modern day Paul Bunyan'
The Twins, who opened the American League Division Series on Wednesday against the New York Yankees, almost crave a championship more for Thome than themselves. Thome has been with them only six months, and it's as if he's Harmon Killebrew and Tony Oliva rolled into one.
He might be a native of Peoria, Ill., but he has become Minnesota's modern-day Paul Bunyan.
"When you hear guys in this game talk about who is the greatest teammate of all time, Jim's name always comes up," says Twins reliever Brian Fuentes, a teammate of Thome's since Aug. 27. "He's incredible. It's like (former teammate) Matt Herges used to tell me, 'If you don't like Jim Thome, you don't like Christmas.' "
Thome is the one who casually bought clothing store gift cards to all of his teammates. He presented Toronto Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston with a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne after his final game last weekend. He never played for Gaston, hardly even knew him, but simply respected him, stunning Gaston.
"You always heard what a good guy he was," first baseman Michael Cuddyer said, "but until you're with him, you don't realize the extent of his generosity. He's the epitome of class."
It was a day game in Cleveland in August when Thome and Cuddyer stood in the on-deck circle. Thome looked at Cuddyer and said, "You think this is what (Lou) Gehrig and (Babe) Ruth felt like on a Sunday afternoon in Cleveland?"
"I don't know," Cuddyer said, "I don't know. Let's find out."
Cuddyer walked. Thome homered. Cuddyer waited at the plate.
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