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Project or Die: Eric Thames (1 Viewer)

Annyong said:
Is it really that shocking of an accusation? Lackey has been in the league for years, I assume he's seen a juicer or 50. 
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you can't just go around accusing people of cheating because they ####### owned you

 
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Interesting article about the Brewers' pursuit of Thames

“He became a little more contact conscious,” Stearns said. “He has a slightly flatter path through the (hitting) zone than he did previously in the United States. He went from a guy who had a shallower path through the zone, perhaps was trying to hit home runs, to someone who kept his bat in the zone longer. The result of that was harder contact and organically hitting for more power.

“He’s a very different hitter now than he was three or four years ago. The other part of it is his strike zone judgment has advanced tremendously. He gives himself a chance because he swings at strikes. That makes your job easier as a hitter. He does a nice job of laying off pitches outside of the zone.”
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Two homers off Amir Garrett tonight, one of the up and coming lefties in baseball who had not allowed an extra base hit to a lefty this year. 

One question about Thames was playing time because it was thought he might sit a lot vs lefties.  He's now 8-15 with four homers, two walks and an OPS of 2000.  Sure that's a small sample size but damn, he isn't gonna be sitting anytime soon doing that. 

 
Everybody in my league is sending trade offers my way.  The "best" offer I've received so far is Glover and Corbin for Thames        :X       

 
Read somewhere that he has become much more selective at the plate and that the analytics bear this out. He is swinging at fewer pitches out of the strike zone and his walk and K rates have improved. Last I checked, there wasnt a PED that gave you better plate discipline.

 
Bizarro stat, but Thames became the second player ever to hit 8 HRs in April against one team. Willie Stargell hit 8 in April 1971 against the Braves.

 
Tested for 3rd time since spring training

Major League Baseball’s drug testing program is supposed to be conducted randomly in-season but you’d have a difficult time convincing Eric Thames of that.

The Brewers’ slugging sensation thinks MLB might be listening to the chatter.

Thames was drug tested for the third time since the start of spring training Tuesday night, coincidentally after becoming the first Brewer to slug 11 home runs in the month of April. And there are four games to go before May.

All players are drug tested at the outset of spring training, with samples of both blood and urine. Thames was given another urine test while the Brewers were playing the Cubs in Chicago last week. It was during that series that Chicago pitcher John Lackey and pitching coach Chris Bosio made comments and gestures during interviews that seemed to call into question Thames’ power-hitting exploits. There were no actual accusations but it was easy to read between the lines.

After the record-setting 11th homer Tuesday night capped a 9-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Miller Park, Thames was asked to submit both blood and urine again. Random? Thames didn’t think so.

But, bring it on, he basically said to the drug testers.

“If people keep thinking I’m on stuff, I’ll be here every day. I have a lot of blood and urine,” said Thames, still wearing the Band-Aid in the crook of his left arm from the blood draw.

It has been patently unfair to Thames that anyone, much less others wearing major-league uniforms, suggested he must be doing something extracurricular to come back from three years in South Korea and seemingly slug home runs at will. Never mind that he belted 124 homers in 388 games in the KBO.

It doesn’t matter if that league was the equivalent of junior varsity baseball (which it isn't). Forty-plus homers a season shows you have some serious power.

So, Thames keeps belting homers – he has an amazing eight in six games against the Reds – and keeps getting drug tested. Sooner or later, he’ll either cool off and people will lose interest or he’ll keep slugging them and folks will understand it’s legit.

Thames is such an easygoing, likable sort, with a big smile and laugh, it’s easy to assume he’s taking it all in stride. But nobody likes being called a cheater, even in whispers behind his back. In an interview on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight on Monday, after he hit two more homers against the Reds, he said he heard the steroid talk all the way back to age 16.

“I’m getting blown up,” Thames said. “I went the long way around to come back here. This whole thing is surprising me as well. I really had no goals for this year. I’m not trying to break any records or try to set anything.

“I just want to apply what I learned in Korea to see how it would fare here. I’m shocked at all the results. I’m just here to play ball and do my best to stay healthy.”

That’s when Thames made his “I have a lot of blood and urine” comment. He laughed when he said it but it’s really not funny if testing has slipped from being random to following the trail of cowardly whispers in back rooms.

The so-called “Steroid Era” has made skeptics of many of those who witness anyone doing amazing power things. In that regard, it’s the unwanted gift that keeps on giving.
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Left with hamstring tightness. When asked after the game he said they have a day off on Thursday and he'll be back for Friday. Knowing manager Counsell's history he holds him out an extra day on Friday as well. I'd expect him back on Saturday.

 
Owner in my 5x5 roto league is really after my Hanley Ramirez and Carlos Correa and trying to take advantage of their slow starts. I could use OF, and he's offering Thames, Pujols and Cesar Hernandez.

Is Thames for real, this going to continue? Accept the trade? Thanks.

 
Seatown Mofos said:
Owner in my 5x5 roto league is really after my Hanley Ramirez and Carlos Correa and trying to take advantage of their slow starts. I could use OF, and he's offering Thames, Pujols and Cesar Hernandez.

Is Thames for real, this going to continue? Accept the trade? Thanks.
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Jesus Aguilar, I'd pounce all over this. This owner thinks he's pulling a fast one (buy-low/sell-high) with this offer, but it looks foolish to me. Hanley's shoulder could be toast. He looks really bad so far and age and health are not in his favor. All of Correa's numbers have trended downward since his rookie season and its gotten much worse so far this year. I still think he's going to be a stud someday, but not this year. He's young and has a lot to figure out. Thames is the #1 ranked player in FB. Will he continue at this pace? YES! Cesar is looking like a legitimate MLB player with a future. His power has come out of nowhere, but his OBP sills are legit and he'll get plenty of Rs and SBs at the top of the lineup. Pujols is a useful toss-in. Hard accept.

 
Some dudes at lunch were talking about Thames. One guy suggested he's on roids. I wanted to leap across the table and fight him, but it's only my second week at this new job and I think it's too early to pull a move like that.

 
Peyton Marino said:
Some dudes at lunch were talking about Thames. One guy suggested he's on roids. I wanted to leap across the table and fight him, but it's only my second week at this new job and I think it's too early to pull a move like that.
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창녀 입을 다물지 마라.

(Shut your whore mouth in Korean)

 
Dan Lambskin said:
So this guy kinda sucks now
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In the past 7 days (time period since his last HR), he's still getting on base at a clip of .343.  This is his biggest slump of the year and he's still getting on base.  Nothing to worry about yet IMO.  Hopefully nobody thought we were getting Mike Trout.  

 
Something to keep on eye on. Thames "slump" coincided with Braun missing about a week with arm soreness. Braun is back in the lineup but he is lollipopping his throws back in to the infield. Wouldn't be surprised if Braun misses more time or even a stint on the DL.

 
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