"The Phillies don't have a lefthanded home-run threat on the bench, which helps explain why they signed Jack Cust after he was released by the Mariners . . . Jim Thome, rapidly approaching the end of his career, has never won a World Series . . . The non-contending Minnesota Twins have already reaped the publicity benefits from Thome hitting his 600th career home run for them earlier this week . . .

It remains to be seen whether these free-floating baseball factoids will coalesce at some point in the next several days. There aren't many fairy tales in baseball, after all.

But how neat would it be if Thome, who helped kick off baseball's resurgence in Philadelphia when he signed as a free agent before the 2003 season, came back to close out his Hall of Fame career and take one final shot at getting a ring?

There are tides tugging events in that direction. Minneapolis Star-Tribune baseball writer LaVelle E. Neal III reported he's heard "indications [Twins management] would be willing to accommodate" him if he wanted to go to a team with a chance to win it all this year."