Eric Thames facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eric Thames |
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Thames with the Washington Nationals in 2020
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| First baseman / Outfielder | |||
| Born: November 10, 1986 Santa Clara, California, U.S. |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: May 18, 2011, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |||
| KBO: April 1, 2014, for the NC Dinos | |||
| NPB: April 27, 2021, for the Yomiuri Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| KBO: September 29, 2016, for the NC Dinos | |||
| MLB: September 24, 2020, for the Washington Nationals | |||
| NPB: April 27, 2021, for the Yomiuri Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .241 | ||
| Home runs | 96 | ||
| Runs batted in | 235 | ||
| KBO statistics | |||
| Batting average | .349 | ||
| Home runs | 124 | ||
| Runs batted in | 382 | ||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .000 | ||
| Home runs | 0 | ||
| Runs batted in | 0 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Eric Allyn Thames (thaymz; born November 10, 1986) is a former professional baseball player from America. He played as a first baseman and outfielder. Eric played in several major leagues. These include Major League Baseball (MLB) in the U.S., the KBO League in South Korea, and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan.
Eric played college baseball for the Pepperdine Waves. The Toronto Blue Jays picked him in the 2008 MLB draft. He started playing in MLB in 2011 with the Blue Jays. Later, he played for the Seattle Mariners. After playing in Minor League Baseball in 2013, he joined the NC Dinos in 2014. He won the KBO League Most Valuable Player Award in 2015. Then, he signed with the Milwaukee Brewers before the 2017 season. Eric announced his retirement from baseball in February 2023.
Early Life and Baseball Start
Eric Thames grew up in the San Jose-Santa Clara area of California. He went to Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose. As a freshman, he was a third string shortstop on the junior varsity team. He became the starting shortstop in his second year. Then, he joined the varsity team in his third year. He was an All-League player for two years. He was also named team MVP in 2004.
Eric later attended West Valley Community College. He had previously spent a year at Cabrillo College in 2005. In 2006, Eric made the Northern California all-state team. He also made the first team all-conference squad. From there, Eric transferred to Pepperdine University. He played for the Pepperdine Waves. The New York Yankees picked Eric in the 2007 MLB draft. He was the 1,191st player chosen overall. He returned to Pepperdine for the 2008 season. In 2008, Eric batted .407. He also hit 13 home runs for the Waves. He was named the West Coast Conference's most valuable player.
Professional Baseball Career
Playing for the Toronto Blue Jays
Due to an injury, Eric Thames was picked later in the 2008 Major League Baseball draft. The Toronto Blue Jays selected him in the seventh round. Eric signed with the Blue Jays. He then had surgery to fix his injury. He started his professional career in 2009. He played for the Dunedin Blue Jays. His playing time was limited by his injury.
In 2010, Eric played for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. He hit 27 home runs and had 104 runs batted in (RBIs). He started the 2011 season with the Las Vegas 51s. In 32 games, Eric batted .342. He also hit six home runs and had 30 RBIs.
Eric made his MLB debut on May 18, 2011. He played against the Tampa Bay Rays. He got his first career hit and RBI in that game. He also got his first walk and run scored. Eric hit his first career double on May 21. On June 29, he hit his first career home run. Eric played 95 games for the Blue Jays in 2011. He finished with a .262 batting average. He also had 12 home runs and 37 RBIs.
In 2012, Eric played 46 games for the Blue Jays. He hit .243 with three home runs and 11 RBIs. The Blue Jays sent Eric to Las Vegas in late May. He batted .330 for Las Vegas after that.
Time with the Seattle Mariners
On July 31, 2012, the Blue Jays traded Eric to the Seattle Mariners. He was traded for pitcher Steve Delabar. Eric made a great running catch on August 15. This catch was the first out in Félix Hernández's perfect game. Eric batted .220 in 40 games for the Mariners.
Before the 2013 season, the Mariners signed new outfielders. The team sent Eric to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers. He batted .295 in 57 games for Tacoma. On June 22, the Mariners removed Eric from their main roster.
Short Stays with Other Teams
The Mariners traded Eric to the Baltimore Orioles on June 30, 2013. He was immediately sent to the Norfolk Tides. He batted .252 with three home runs and 13 RBIs. He was removed from the roster on September 1.
The Houston Astros then claimed Eric on September 5. He played for the Oklahoma City Redhawks the next day. He had two hits, including a home run, in that game.
Success with the NC Dinos
After the 2013 season, Eric played in the Venezuelan Winter League. The NC Dinos of the KBO League noticed him there. The Astros released Eric so he could sign with the Dinos. He signed a one-year contract for $800,000.
In the 2014 season, Eric batted .343. He also hit 37 home runs and had 121 RBIs.
During the 2015 season, Eric made history. He became the first player in KBO history to hit for the cycle twice in one season. Hitting for the cycle means getting a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game. Eric then signed a two-year contract to stay with the Dinos. He batted .381 with 47 home runs and 40 stolen bases in 2015. He was the first KBO player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a season. On November 24, 2015, Eric won the KBO League Most Valuable Player Award. He also won the 2015 KBO Golden Glove Award for first basemen. In the 2016 season, Eric hit .321. He added 40 home runs and 121 RBIs.
Return to MLB with the Milwaukee Brewers
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On November 29, 2016, Eric signed a three-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. The contract was worth $16 million.
On April 3, 2017, Eric was the starting first baseman for the Brewers. He made his debut on Opening Day. He hit a two-run double in the fifth inning. He set a Brewers club record for home runs in April. He hit his 11th home run on April 25.
In April 2018, Eric hit two-run home runs in back-to-back games. These helped the Brewers win against the Cincinnati Reds. In his first 22 games, Eric hit seven home runs. On April 25, he got injured. He tore a ligament in his left thumb. Eric returned to the Brewers on June 11. However, another first baseman, Jesús Aguilar, was playing very well. So, Eric was mainly used as an outfielder.
Eric started 2019 as a bench player for the Brewers. He later became the starting first baseman again. He batted .247 with 25 home runs in 149 games. In the 2019 National League Wild Card Game, Eric hit a solo home run. However, the Brewers lost the game. The Brewers decided not to keep Eric for the 2020 season. This made him a free agent.
Playing for the Washington Nationals
On January 8, 2020, Eric signed with the Washington Nationals. He agreed to a one-year deal for the 2020 season.
The Nationals' usual first baseman, Ryan Zimmerman, chose not to play in 2020. This was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, Eric became the team's starting first baseman. Eric had a tough time in this role. He hit .203 with only three home runs.
Time with the Yomiuri Giants
On December 30, 2020, Eric signed with the Yomiuri Giants. This team plays in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. In his debut on April 27, 2021, he left the game early. He suffered a leg injury trying to catch a fly ball. He was later diagnosed with a ruptured Achilles tendon. He returned to the U.S. for surgery on May 4. On August 23, the Giants released him.
Oakland Athletics and Retirement
On February 18, 2022, Eric signed a minor league deal with the Oakland Athletics. Eric played in 22 games for the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators. He hit .274 with 3 home runs and 16 RBIs. On May 10, he was released by Oakland.
On February 15, 2023, Eric Thames announced he was retiring from professional baseball.
Personal Life
In April 2016, the city of Changwon in South Korea gave Eric honorary citizenship.
In February 2017, Eric won a golf tournament in Palm Springs, Florida. He beat actor Dylan McDermott in the final round.
In January 2019, Eric appeared on the Korean TV show King of Mask Singer. He sang "Isn't She Lovely" and the K-pop song "Americano". Many people were impressed by his singing talent.
