Who’s going to appear on the #BIBpodcast as our Blue Jay of the Week!? A handful of players took part in the Winter Tour including Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar. Was it the man who influenced me to play second base? Or has a previous winner taken the crown again? The real question, what size is that jersey he is wearing?
Jan.6-Jan.12
This weeks Blue Jay of the Week is…. Eric Thames (@EThames14)
Seeing a picture from the Blue Jays Winter Tour this past week there was one thing that stood out more than everything else. ERIC THAMES IS IN ABSOLUTE #BEASTMODE!
After being selected with the 7th round pick of the 2008 amateur draft, the left-handed slugger made his rookie debut last season appearing in 95 games. His 12 home runs and consistent multi-hit games gave a boost to the line-up and he was rewarded with a roster spot replacing Travis Snider.
The question going into 2012 is, who deserves that spot this season? I’m 100% on Thames bandwagon and I have been since day 1, he gets my vote. The way he slid into the second spot in John Farrell’s line-up showing a knack for the extra base hit (24 doubles), he proved that he can get on-base (.313 OBP) in multiple ways.
With the way the Blue Jays line-up shapes up I think that Thames fits more in middle third of the lineup. Maybe he can crack the 45 double and 25 home run mark with a full season of plate appearances? Most likely a stretch I know but I see these as possible numbers in his future.
Of course all of this was a non-factor this past week when Thames and a few other players visited the Montreal Children’s Hospital with other stops across Eastern Canada.
He has also shown a presence on Twitter since joining a short time ago and he has interacted with his fans quite a bit including his confirmation to my personal account that his is not a ‘hoax’.
Eric Thames had a busy week on Twitter and the Winter Tour while unveiling to the world that he most likely changes in a phone booth. This all adds up to him being the Blue Jay of the Week!
What do you think about my Blue Jay of the Week?
Leave a comment or e-mail me at nickhansen@backinblue.ca
About the author: Nick Hansen
Hit me up on Twitter @nickhansen33 and catch me on the weekly BIB video podcast talking Blue Jays!
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3 thoughts on “Blue Jay of the Week!”
95 hits in 95 games last season. Once his strikeouts go down a bit you’ll see even more hits and more homers. I think he has a ton of potential.
Thames is a beast! Expecting big things this season — I think he’ll bring it!
Pipes like that he can hit dingers by mistake.