Clete Thomas?

by mattyc44 on Apr 4, 2008 3:03 PM EDT

Who the heck is this guy? Yes, I've seen the baseball cube stats

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/T/clete-thomas.shtml

But last year's sub .800 OPS at AA hardly justifies him leading off what Steve Phillips continues to call the "the greatest lineup in the history of baseball"

(sorry, Phillips just bothers me - the man makes me appreciate Joe Morgan's analysis!)

Meanwhile, He is actually hitting big league pitching AND Jose Contreras. Never remember this guy on anyone's radar for any reason.

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He's a decent prosepct

If by decent you mean relative to the farm system he's in. John gave him a C+ (I think) in the BPB, and he's an ok player. He's got decent speed and some power, but he's really just up to fill Granderson's slot on the roster.

And he's been hitting so well because he's new to the league and other teams haven't been able to scout him much at all. He'll be fine as a stopgap for Grandy, but we'll see him back in the minors soon.

by David Tokarz on Apr 4, 2008 3:57 PM EDT reply actions

He's the best bat in the Tigers lineup!

I wasn't sure why Jim Leyland was batting Clete Thomas leadoff, but for a team that's struggled with the bats so far this season, he's pumped some life into that lineup.

A friend texted me during the game, asking "Where did this Clete Thomas come from?"

My response: "The planet Krypton?"

Bless You Boys

by Ian Casselberry on Apr 4, 2008 9:29 PM EDT reply actions

Clete's rise could make sense

I followed him at Auburn. He was an underachiever there, and the scouts who followed him during his junior season felt he could be an excellent player ... once he fully dedicated himself to the game.

Maybe he has turned the corner? He has some good tools. It's not like he's coming from nowhere. Clete was a good SEC player.

by criminal type on Apr 5, 2008 2:15 PM EDT reply actions