By Kary Booher (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
He’s lived an, um, interesting minor league life already.
Back in Rookie ball one hot summer, the air-conditioning konked out in the parking lot – just before the 14-hour overnight ride home. Of course, he’s been dinged a few times in Kangaroo Court, too, though details remain sketchy.
Then again, those have been the good times for Lane Thomas. The most challenging ones? Well, go back to this time last summer when, only nine games into his tenure in the St. Louis Cardinals farm system following a trade, a broken foot cost him the rest of the season. Two years earlier, a broken wrist short-circuited his late-season promotion to the low Class A Midwest League.
“I couldn’t catch a break,” Thomas said. “But you’ve got to pick your spots, work hard and try to be healthy.”
Well, talk about picking your spots. Finally healthy (knock on wood), Thomas has carved out quite a summer with the Springfield Cardinals. In fact, as the club opens a six-game set on July 4 at Hammons Field, the center fielder is in the midst of a red-hot stretch (batting .362 since May 24) as a quote-end quote man on a mission. And he’s enjoying life – which may not be good for teammates.
After all, when asked if this year’s club has held a Kangaroo Court, Thomas simply replied, “Hmmm, thanks for bringing it up. That sounds like a good idea.”
Hey, call it a sign of the times for a burgeoning prospect trying to make some noise among a crowded crop of center fielders from Double-A up to St. Louis. He’s got the confidence and swagger now, as evidenced July 5 and July 6 when he was a combined 5-for-9, with four RBI and two runs scored. In fact, his 54 RBI are fourth in the Texas League.
“That was a tremendous acquisition,” Springfield manager Johnny Rodriguez said, noting Thomas had a game-winning hit in a Cardinals big-league spring training game. “We were down 8-1 in Midland early in the season, and he hit a ball to third and the guy dropped it. He hustled to first and beat it out. He plays the game the right way.”
JOURNEY TO THE OZARKS
Thomas is sort of a mystery man – in a positive way. You see, he signed for a whopping $750,000, according to Baseball America, after the Toronto Blue Jays drafted him in the fifth round in 2014.
At the time, Thomas was headed to the prestigious Southeastern Conference and the University of Tennessee. And, unlike many teenagers in the Volunteer State, Thomas seemed destined for baseball, given he didn’t play high school football and only two seasons of prep basketball.
Put another way, his skillset screamed “athlete,” which is likely why the Blue Jays ordered him to try roles as both an outfielder and infielder in his first two seasons.
But he did not make tremendous waves, even on July 2, 2017. Thomas’ name hit transaction wires that day as the Cardinals acquired him in a trade and also sent the Blue Jays $500,000 in international bonus pool money. (According to StLSportsPage.com, it was money the organization would have sat on because St. Louis had exceeded international spending limits in 2016.)
Yet just as Thomas was trying to make a good first impression, he fouled a ball off his foot and hit the DL while playing for the high Class A Palm Beach club. Instead of reaching for a new bat, he reached for the phone.
“My dad has always been there, talking to me and encouraging me,” Thomas said. “He drag-raced and knows the pressure (of the spotlight). He just said, ‘Deal with every day. Take something positive out of it.’”
THIS SEASON
That Thomas has surged this season is a bit of a surprise, considering he had played in less than 85 games in high Class A and with mixed results.
The difference? He arrived to spring training healthy – and ready to make an impression.
“Trying to impression new people … I can’t explain how important that was,” Thomas said. “It was important for me to make the Double-A team. It was important to prove I could win a spot.”
The Cardinals then challenged Thomas to show his skills and did assign him to the Double-A Texas League. It’s paid off for both sides.
Thomas earned a spot in the Texas League All-Star game last month as he has raised his profile, thanks in part to a torrid April. Fortunately, the past six weeks have been even better, as Thomas rallied from a tough May.
You see, he has had a hit in 28 of his past 37 games and is batting a whopping .362 (49-for-135) since May 24. That includes a pair of two-home run games in a matter of days in early June. Additionally, his 54 RBI lead the club and rank fourth in the Texas League.
Defensively, he is trying to enhance his routes. For instance, a hit bounced by him in last Monday’s game at Midland.
“I think you’re always working on something,” Thomas said, noting that his two-strike approach has been a major focus. “I’m just trying to be consistent.”
Put another way, Thomas is fitting in quite well.
“He could go 0-for-4, but it never changes his offensive feel,” Rodriguez said. “You can’t tell if he’s 0-for-4 or 3-for-4. He’s the same guy every day. Over the course of the season, he knows that he can play here and sees that he has an opportunity to play here and above.”
