The New York Yankees went their separate ways with hitting
coach Jeff Pentland after what was deemed a successful 2015 campaign by many
and decided to promote Pentland’s assistant hitting coach Alan Cockrell to fill
the void. The Yankees needed someone to fill the vacancy left behind by
Cockrell and that man was former Triple-A hitting coach Marcus Thames. Marcus
Markley Thames, born March 6, 1977, played with four different teams including
the New York Yankees three separate times during his playing career from 2002
to 2011 and has since spent his time in the minor leagues with the club as a
coach. During the 2013 season Thames was the hitting coach for the High-A Tampa
Yankees and was promoted to the Trenton Thunder in the same position for the
2014 season drawing rave reviews from one of the Yankees top prospects Robert
Refsnyder. So without further delay, and with a bit of irony, I bring you this
Meet a Prospect: The Marcus Thames edition.
Thames was originally drafted by the New York Yankees in the
30th round of the 1996 MLB Draft but did not make a true impact in the
minor leagues until 2001. Thames was with the Double-A Norwich Navigators that
season and he batted .321 with 31 home runs and 97 RBI where he was named to
Baseball America’s minor league All-Star team and where he put himself on the
map for the Yankees. New York was so impressed with Thames that they called him
up before a June 10 game in 2002 and Thames responded immediately. Thames,
facing the Arizona Diamondbacks big left-hander Randy Johnson, hit the first
home run of his career on his first at bat becoming just the 80th player
in MLB history to do so. Thames earned his first curtain call from the Bronx
faithful, what a moment if you were fortunate enough to see it live.
Thames’ tenure with the Yankees ended on June 6, 2003 when
he was traded to the Texas Rangers for Ruben Sierra. Thames went on to hit a
home run in his first at bat with the Rangers as well before moving on to the
Detroit Tigers for the 2006 season. For the 2006 and 2007 seasons Thames spent
time with Detroit and their Triple-A affiliate the Toledo Mud Hens due to the
plethora of talent in the Detroit outfield. After injuries to Dmitri Young,
Craig Monroe and others Thames worked his way into the rotation of outfielders
and set career highs in every offensive category including a .256 average, 26
home runs and 60 RBI in just 348 at bats along the way. The Tigers tried to
find at bats for Thames anyway they could in 2007 and had the lifetime
outfielder learn first base in spring training and the team was rewarded in
2007 and in 2008 when Thames continued to impress with his power. Thames hit
eight home runs in seven consecutive games from June 11 to June 17, 2008
becoming the first member of the Detroit Tigers to achieve the feat.
Thames spent the 2009 season in Detroit as well without any
notable achievements but was back in the New York groove in 2010 when he signed
a minor league deal with the club. Thames made the Opening Day roster and was
set to be a platoon partner with Brett Gardner in left field before his defense
forced him to accept a bench role. Thames was delegated to the bench behind
Gardner, Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher and Austin Kearns who was traded for
before the trade deadline and ended up playing in just 82 games that season. In
half of a season Kearns hit .288 with 12 home runs, mainly against left-handed
pitching.
Thames elected free agency in November of 2010 but was right
back with the team on July 22, 2011 after New York signed him to another minor
league deal. Thames never played a game for the Yankees at any level that
season and would retire from the game a member of the New York Yankees before
pursuing his career in coaching with the ball club. Thames has continuously
defied the odds and has defied the odds once again with his promotion to
assistant hitting coach with the club. Congratulations to him and his family.
You have to think that Thames is on the short list for hitting coach after
Cockrell’s contract expires, no?