Clete Thomas Returns; Don Kelly Demoted

If he can’t do it, no one can!!!

OT: I got my autographed Curtis Granderson photo today :D

Clete’s batting average versus Greinke this year is .143, as you pointed out, but I believe he has two K’s against him (both from a game in April ’08)

Year of the [Played-Like-A] Depend Adult Undergarment (2008):
This was when Granderson was out, and the Tigers couldn’t buy a win to start the season. Clete led off by sending a 3-1 pitch to deep left-center — alas, this early in the season it did not carry. In the bottom of the 3rd he struck out on a 2-2 pitch with no outs and a runner (Inge) on 2nd (Brandon had advanced on a wild pitch). He got small redemption with a line drive single up the middle with 1 (Inge) on and one out in the 5th, but Polanco and Sheff flied out to end the threat. He came up again in the 7th after Inge had hit a one-out homer, but struck out swinging.

Year of Fret and Redeption
Clete faced Greinke for the second time in his career this past May, batting 7th in the middle of Greinke’s early-season mowing-down of all batsmen. This was the game when Edwin and Greinke went toe-to-toe, with Zach giving up the light run in the 1st then turning out the best performance of his run, while Edwin’s defenders deserted him in the 6th. Clete went as quietly as the rest of the American League, with a full-count foul fly out. At the time, getting the count to 3 balls in and of itself was an impressive feat. His at-bat in the 5th, however, was patented Magglio-bad: coming in with a runner on 1st and no out, and turning the first pitch he faced into a GIDP. His 8th inning appearance was similarly lackluster, a soft grounder to 2nd base on a 1-1 count with 1 out.

Too small of a sample, really. But all told, Clete hit .348 over that KC/Baltimore road trip, with two homers. And though the Tigers stunk in the first week of 2008, Clete was hot then, too, with a .435 batting average (.480 OBP) through the first 8 games. In other words, Clete has been on a hot streak both times he faced Greinke, and basically came up with squat.

Not liking the bode here.

but I’m not going to get too attached. If Clete’s swing HAS improved and he starts driving the ball, I’m afraid he’s just going to be all that more attractive as trade bait. I would love to see him have a career like Kaline’s in Detroit, but I guess that just doesn’t happen anymore. So, while I am a proud member of the Cult of Clete, I will not give my heart too freely, lest it be broken.

Of course, if we can get an outstanding LH starter for him, then it’s “So long Clete, nice knowin’ ya.”

I have to look at the bigger picture. I have to say his performance both at the plate and in RF have been sub-par all season. I hope that Skip puts Clete in RF tonight. Maybe Maggs can get another day off or something. Don’t want to see Thames out of the lineup tonight as he has been pretty hot at the DH position lately.

but I love clete, so yay. I hope we see him in RF tonight, and I hope country strong isn’t sick..