Marcus Thames facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Marcus Thames |
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Thames coaching the Tampa Yankees in 2013
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| Chicago White Sox – No. 99 | |||
| Left fielder / Designated hitter / Coach | |||
| Born: March 6, 1977 Louisville, Mississippi, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| June 10, 2002, for the New York Yankees | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 6, 2011, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .246 | ||
| Home runs | 115 | ||
| Runs batted in | 301 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As coach
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Marcus Markley Thames (born March 6, 1977) is an American professional baseball player and baseball coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a left fielder and designated hitter. His career spanned from 2002 to 2011. He played for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, and Los Angeles Dodgers. After playing, he became a coach. He coached for the Yankees, Miami Marlins, and Los Angeles Angels. Currently, he is the hitting coach for the Chicago White Sox.
Marcus Thames was known for hitting home runs often. He hit a home run about every 15.9 times he batted. He holds a special record for the Detroit Tigers. He hit a home run every 14.8 at-bats, which is the best in the team's history.
Contents
Playing Baseball: Early Years
Marcus Thames went to Louisville High School in Louisville, Mississippi. There, he played baseball, basketball, and football. After high school, he went to East Central Community College in Decatur, Mississippi. He got a scholarship to play football. In 1996, he also joined the baseball team.
Professional Baseball Career
New York Yankees: First Time
The New York Yankees chose Marcus Thames in the 30th round of the 1996 Major League Baseball draft. He decided to go back to college for one more year. Then, he signed with the Yankees. By 2001, Thames was playing in Double-A, which is a lower level of professional baseball. At 24 years old, he had a great year. He hit for a .321 batting average, hit 31 home runs, and had 97 runs batted in (RBI). This made him a promising player.
In 2002, he moved up to Triple-A. On June 10, 2002, Thames played his first game in the major leagues for the Yankees. In his very first time at bat, he hit a home run on the first pitch! This was against Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Texas Rangers
On June 6, 2003, the Yankees traded Thames to the Texas Rangers. The Yankees wanted a left-handed batter, so they traded Thames for Rubén Sierra. Thames hit a home run in his first game with the Rangers too. However, the Rangers let him go after that season.
Detroit Tigers
Marcus Thames signed with the Detroit Tigers in December 2003. He played very well in Triple-A, hitting .321 with 24 home runs. Because of this, he was called up to the major leagues on June 22, 2004. On July 25, he hit his first career grand slam. A grand slam is a home run hit when all three bases are loaded with runners.
In 2005, Thames almost made the Tigers' main team out of spring training. He was called up five games into the season and hit another grand slam in his first game back. He was sent back to Triple-A in June but was called up again in September. He helped the Toledo Mud Hens, the Tigers' Triple-A team, win a championship that year.
In 2006, Thames made the Tigers' opening day team. He was the team's fourth outfielder. He played an important role in a big win against the Chicago White Sox on July 20. He slid hard into second base, breaking up a double play. This allowed the Tigers to score a run and take the lead. That year, he had his best season yet. He hit .256 with 26 home runs and 60 RBI. His OPS (a stat that shows how well a player hits) was .882. Tigers' broadcaster Rod Allen nicknamed him "Country Strong." In the 2006 playoffs against the Yankees, Thames had five hits.
In 2007, the Tigers taught Thames how to play first base during spring training. This was so he could play more often. On July 1, Thames hit a solo home run that was the only run scored in a game against the Minnesota Twins. On July 6, he hit his third career grand slam. Two days later, he hit a very long home run, about 440 feet.
During the 2008 season, Thames hit eight home runs in just seven games from June 11 to 17. This was a first for a Tigers player! He also hit a home run in five games in a row during that time. On June 21, Thames hit a pinch hit home run. This means he batted in place of another player. His home run gave the Tigers the lead in the seventh inning.
In 2009, Thames became the full-time designated hitter for the Tigers. However, he got hurt in April and was out until June. On August 9, Thames hit his 100th career home run. He reached this milestone faster than any other player in MLB history. He was released by the Tigers at the end of the season.
New York Yankees: Second Time
Thames signed a minor league deal to return to the Yankees on February 8, 2010. He didn't hit well in spring training, but he still made the team. This was because he had a good record against left-handed pitchers.
He started the season sharing time in left field with Brett Gardner. But he soon moved to a bench role because his defense wasn't strong. He played more when Gardner moved to center field. He also played right field when Nick Swisher was injured. Later in the season, he didn't play the outfield much.
He hit .288 with 12 home runs in 82 games. He had many important hits that season. On May 17, he hit a walk-off home run against the Red Sox. A walk-off home run ends the game immediately. On July 4, he hit a game-ending single after coming back from an injury. On July 29, Thames played third base for the first time in his professional career. On August 11, he helped the Yankees come back from a five-run deficit. He hit a home run and then a go-ahead single to beat the Rangers. From August 24 to 30, he hit 6 home runs and had 11 RBI in just 21 times at bat.
Thames hit a two-run home run in the playoffs against the Minnesota Twins in 2010. This was his first home run in the postseason. In the next playoff series, he helped the Yankees win Game 1 against the Texas Rangers.
Los Angeles Dodgers
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Thames signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the 2011 season. He hit two pinch-hit home runs in April. Then, he went on the injured list in May with a leg injury and missed five weeks. He played in 70 games for the Dodgers. He was released by the team on July 12. His batting average with the Dodgers was .197.
New York Yankees: Third Time
On July 22, 2011, the New York Yankees signed Thames to a minor league deal again. However, he did not play in any games for the Yankees after that.
Coaching Career
New York Yankees Coaching
On January 10, 2013, Marcus Thames became the hitting coach for the Tampa Yankees. This was a High-A minor league team. In 2014, he became the hitting coach for the Trenton Thunder, the Yankees' Double-A team. A top Yankees prospect, Rob Refsnyder, said Thames helped him improve his batting swing.
After the 2015 season, Thames was promoted to assistant hitting coach for the main New York Yankees team. After the 2017 season, he was promoted again to be the hitting coach for the Yankees. His contract was not renewed for the 2022 season.
Miami Marlins
On November 17, 2021, Thames was hired by the Miami Marlins. He served as their hitting coach for the 2022 season.
Los Angeles Angels
On November 7, 2022, the Los Angeles Angels hired Thames. He became their hitting coach for the 2023 season.
Chicago White Sox
In November 2023, the Chicago White Sox hired Marcus Thames. He is now their new hitting coach for the 2024 season.
Personal Life
Marcus Thames's mother, Veterine, was paralyzed from the neck down. This happened in a car accident in 1982 when Marcus was five years old. Marcus and his five brothers and sisters helped take care of their home. They cooked, cleaned, and took small jobs to earn extra money. Because of her condition, his mother could only watch him play baseball a few times. Veterine passed away in 2012.
Thames's nickname is "Slick." He got this name when he was four years old because his hair was cut very short.
Thames also served in the Mississippi National Guard from 1994 to 1998. He was a leader in his basic training group. After he joined the Yankees, he was allowed to do his Guard duties during the baseball offseason.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players with a home run in their first major league at bat
