2006

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Thames makes 'M.ajor League' donation to ECCC ~ East Central Community College alumnus Marcus Thames (left}, an outfielder/designat; ed h1tter w1th the American League champion Detro1t Tigers, is shown presenting an auto– graphed baseball, bat and other 1tems to Gail Wood, ass1stant llbranan. to be displayed in the College's Memorabilia Room. located in Burton Memorial Library on the Decatur cam– pus. Thames. a Louisville native, had h1s best season as a major leaguer in 2006, as he posted a .256 batting average with 26 home runs and 60 RBis. He received "Player of the Game" honors dunng Detroit's 4-3 win over the New York Yankees rn game two of the pia~ off senes Thames went 3-for-4 at the late knocked · a run and scored twice m the o– ry. which tied tfl.,. A e can leag e se es a one game apece mes was ra1ted tJy the New York Yankees 1n 1996 followmg h1s freshman year at East Central, but decided to continue his career as a D1amond Warrior, earnmg All-Region 23 and All-State honors tn 1997. After several seasons in the minor leagues, Thames finally got his break as a major leaguer in 2002 and took full advantage of the opportunity by blasung a home run on his first at-bat as a New York Yankee and on the first p1tch from the defending National League: Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson, then Wlth the Anzona Diamondbacks. After a one- year stint with the Yankees, Thames was traded to the Texas Rangers for the 2003 cam- ;: =MOCRAT paign and joined the Detro't Tiger orgamzation 2004. Thames recently dtscuss~d his " -

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career during remarks made mLuet e Woods oductton to Physical Education and

Sports class at ECCC UNION APPEAL _:!_------– \NINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL ---- SPIRIT OF MORTON---- - - -- OTHER ___ __________

MERlbiAN STAR-----– CLARION-LEDGER----- - IMPACT __________________