PHILADELPHIA -- Jim Thome, fighting back tears, said the desire to win caused him to leave Cleveland and sign with the Philadelphia Phillies.

	Baseball's Highest Paid
	Baseball contracts with average annual values of $6 million or more. Figures were obtained by The Associated Press from player and management sources and include all guaranteed income but not income from potential incentive bonuses. There is no distinction for money deferred without interest:
	Player	Team	Yrs.	Avg. Salary
	Alex Rodriguez	Rangers	2001-10	$25,200,000
	Manny Ramirez	Red Sox	2001-08	$20,000,000
	Derek Jeter	Yankees	2001-10	$18,900,000
	Sammy Sosa	Cubs	2002-05	$18,000,000
	Barry Bonds	Giants	2002-06	$18,000,000
	Jason Giambi	Yankees	2002-08	$17,142,857
	Jeff Bagwell	Astros	2002-06	$17,000,000
	Carlos Delgado	Blue Jays	2001-04	$17,000,000
	Todd Helton	Rockies	2003-11	$15,722,222
	Mike Hampton	Braves	2001-08	$15,125,000
	Kevin Brown	Dodgers	1999-05	$15,000,000
	Chipper Jones	Braves	2001-06	$15,000,000
	Chan Ho Park	Rangers	2002-06	$15,000,000
	Mike Mussina	Rangers	2001-06	$14,750,000
	Jim Thome	Phillies	2003-08	$14,166,667

''Obviously, everyone knew my ties in Cleveland. And this was a very, very difficult decision,'' Thome said at a news conference Tuesday. ''It comes down to winning. It really does.''

The 32-year-old first baseman, the biggest bat in the free-agent market, agreed to an $85 million, six-year contract, a deal that gives him the 15th-highest average salary in baseball at $14,166,667.

''The Indians are going in a way they want to go and I respect that,'' Thome said. ''I've loved that organization and I still will.''

He had to fight back tears when asked about the role that his wife, Andrea, played in their decision to turn down Cleveland's five-year offer worth between $61 million and $63 million.

''My wife is my rock,'' he said, then leaving the stage to compose himself while Wade and manager Larry Bowa fielded questions. Several minutes later, Thome strode back to the podium and quipped: ''I hate when my allergies kick in.''

The Phillies, unwilling to spend money in the past, are aggressively trying to improve as they prepare to move into their new ballpark in 2004. They agreed to a $17 million, four-year contract with third baseman David Bell on Nov. 24. Philadelphia also has a $30 million, three-year offer out to free agent left-hander Tom Glavine, a two-time NL Cy Young Award winner.

Philadelphia sold 240 season tickets Monday and 480 Tuesday, a sign of the fans' excitement. Thome said Bell's signing had a big impact on his decision to come to Philadelphia, a team that has finished with losing records in 14 of the last 16 years.

''He's a tough player. He makes no excuses. The bottom line is those are the kind of guys you want to go to war with,'' Thome said.

He also said he'd be willing to call Glavine himself, prompting Phillies general manager Ed Wade to jokingly place a cell phone on the podium in front of him.

Wade said his long pursuit of Thome was ''excruciating,'' but well worth it.

''We've taken a huge step forward here, both on the field and in our clubhouse,'' Wade said.

Thome had spent his entire career there and intended to retire in an Indians uniform. But with Cleveland rebuilding after a near-decade of dominance in the AL Central, Thome decided that his best chance to get back to the World Series was with the Phillies.

Cleveland owner Larry Dolan said in a statement that he was ''disappointed'' that Thome decided to leave.

''To go beyond what we offered in that package ... would have been inconsistent with our plans to bring back a championship-caliber team to Cleveland as soon as possible,'' Dolan said.

Thome, who hit a Cleveland-record 52 homers last season, joined the Indians after they selected him in the 13th round of the 1989 amateur draft. The left-handed slugger has a .287 batting average, 334 homers and 927 RBI in a 12-year major league career.

He gets a $10 million signing bonus, $9.5 million next year, $10.5 million in 2004, $11.5 million in 2005, $12.5 million in 2006 and $14 million in each of the final two seasons. Philadelphia has a $13 million option for 2009 with a $3 million buyout. If the option is exercised, the deal would be worth $95 million over seven years.

Thome said the players' association didn't pressure him to take the best offer on the table.

''Not one minute did they say that to my agent and not one minute did they ever call me,'' he said.

Bowa hasn't decided where Thome will bat in the order. Young slugger Pat Burrell will bat between Thome and Bobby Abreu, giving the Phillies one of the NL's best power lineups.

Thome's new teammates were clearly excited by his arrival. Bowa fielded calls from Burrell, Abreu, shortstop Jimmy Rollins, catcher Mike Lieberthal and pitcher Randy Wolf, and ''to a man they said they can hardly wait till spring training starts,'' Bowa said.

Among fans, Bowa said, ''this is the most excitement I've seen since Pete Rose came here as a player,'' helping the Phillies win their only championship in 1980.