Justin Thomas
Encyclopedia
Justin Joseph Thomas is an American professional baseball
pitcher
for the Boston Red Sox
of Major League Baseball
. Thomas stands at 6'3" and weighs 215 pounds. He throws and bats left-handed
.
and Cardinal Stritch High School in Oregon, Ohio and was a four-year letterman for the varsity baseball team and set the school record for most home runs and tied the school record for most home runs in a season. Thomas was named to the USSSA World Series first-team all-tournament team and was a two-time first-team All-GLL selection. He was also named first-team all-district and was an honorable mention selection as a pitcher and helped lead Clay to a league championship. He was named team MVP and received the James F. O’Brian Award for Best Male Student Athlete. In addition to being a four year letterman in baseball, he also lettered in golf and was a three-year letter winner in basketball.
from 2002 to 2005. The lefty starter helped the Penguins capture a Horizon League
Title in the 2004, pitching the team into the finals and making their first ever appearance in the College World Series
. In 2005 he was named First Team All-League and Horizon Pitcher of the Year boasting a 7-5 record with a 3.42 ERA and 4 complete games. He left Youngstown State ranked 2nd in strikeouts with 250 and is the only pitcher in school history to pitch back-to-back seasons of at least 7 wins.
as the 113 overall pick of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft
. After signing with Seattle in June of that year, Thomas made his professional debut for the Everett AquaSox
of the short-season A affiliated Northwest League
.
for Thomas will be remembered with relative success. He led all Mariners farmhands with 14 wins
, finished second with 162 strikeouts and sixth with a 3.73 ERA
. He was named the California League
Pitcher of the Week in August and MiLB.com's Class-A Advanced Playoff Performer of the Year.
In , Thomas was promoted to Double-A West Tenn Diamond Jaxx
, but began the season on the disabled list
with a strained left elbow
. Upon being activated from the DL, Thomas struggled with control problems posting a 4-9 record with a 5.51 ERA and a career high 61 walks
.
marked an improvement for Thomas as he reduced his ERA with Double-A West Tenn to 4.32 and increased his strikeouts to walks ratio from 100 strikeouts/61 base on balls in '07 to 106 strikeouts/56 base on balls in '08. He was placed on the disabled list once again with a left hand laceration but came back to work out of the bullpen. Thomas received a mid-season call up to Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers
posting a career low 3.71 ERA.
On September 1, 2008 the Seattle Mariners
purchased Thomas' contract from Triple-A Tacoma. Thomas made his major league debut on September 1, 2008, taking on the Texas Rangers
. In one inning of work, he gave up no runs, no hits, no walks, and striking out Marlon Byrd
to end the game. Thomas pitched the rest of September with the Mariners posting an 0-1 record and a 6.75 ERA.
In , Thomas was re-signed by the Seattle Mariners to a one-year contract and was placed on the 40-man roster.
.
In November, Thomas was designated for assignment
. He cleared waivers and was out righted to Triple-A.
On June 24, 2010, he was purchased from Triple-A to replace Dana Eveland
, who was designated for assignment.
Thomas signed a minor league contract with an invitation to 2011 spring training with the Pirates.
signed Thomas to a minor league contract on November 22, 2011.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. Thomas stands at 6'3" and weighs 215 pounds. He throws and bats left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
.
High School
Thomas attended Clay High SchoolClay High School (Oregon, Ohio)
Clay High School, also known as "Clay High, Stay High", is a public high school in Oregon, Ohio, United States, east of Toledo, known for its success, not academically, but in bed. It is a part of the Oregon City School District. It is the only high school in the district.Over the last few years...
and Cardinal Stritch High School in Oregon, Ohio and was a four-year letterman for the varsity baseball team and set the school record for most home runs and tied the school record for most home runs in a season. Thomas was named to the USSSA World Series first-team all-tournament team and was a two-time first-team All-GLL selection. He was also named first-team all-district and was an honorable mention selection as a pitcher and helped lead Clay to a league championship. He was named team MVP and received the James F. O’Brian Award for Best Male Student Athlete. In addition to being a four year letterman in baseball, he also lettered in golf and was a three-year letter winner in basketball.
College
Upon graduation, Thomas attended Youngstown State UniversityYoungstown State University
Youngstown State University, founded in 1908, is an urban research university located in Youngstown, Ohio, United States. As of fall 2010, there were 15,194 students and a student-faculty ratio of 19:1. It is recognized as being one of the premier schools in the country, comparable to Ivy League...
from 2002 to 2005. The lefty starter helped the Penguins capture a Horizon League
Horizon League
The Horizon League is a ten school, NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in five of the Midwestern United States....
Title in the 2004, pitching the team into the finals and making their first ever appearance in the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
. In 2005 he was named First Team All-League and Horizon Pitcher of the Year boasting a 7-5 record with a 3.42 ERA and 4 complete games. He left Youngstown State ranked 2nd in strikeouts with 250 and is the only pitcher in school history to pitch back-to-back seasons of at least 7 wins.
College accolades
- 2003 Second-team All-Horizon League 5-5 4.87 ERA 80 strikeouts
- 2004 First-team All-Horizon League 7-3 5.11 ERA 4 CG 82 strikeouts
- 2005 First-team All-Horizon League 7-5 3.42 ERA 4 CG 83 strikeouts
- 2005 Horizon League Pitcher of the Year
- 3 time Horizon LeagueHorizon LeagueThe Horizon League is a ten school, NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in five of the Midwestern United States....
pitcher of the week
Seattle Mariners
Thomas was drafted by the Seattle MarinersSeattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
as the 113 overall pick of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft
2005 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2005 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 7 and 8. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams...
. After signing with Seattle in June of that year, Thomas made his professional debut for the Everett AquaSox
Everett AquaSox
The Everett AquaSox are a minor league baseball team in Everett, Washington, USA. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League, of which they are the current defending champions...
of the short-season A affiliated Northwest League
Northwest League
The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...
.
for Thomas will be remembered with relative success. He led all Mariners farmhands with 14 wins
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
, finished second with 162 strikeouts and sixth with a 3.73 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
. He was named the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
Pitcher of the Week in August and MiLB.com's Class-A Advanced Playoff Performer of the Year.
In , Thomas was promoted to Double-A West Tenn Diamond Jaxx
West Tenn Diamond Jaxx
The Jackson Generals are a minor league baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The team is located in Jackson, Tennessee, and plays their home games at Pringles Park; opened in 1998, the park currently holds 6,000 fans.From their inaugural season...
, but began the season on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
with a strained left elbow
Elbow
The human elbow is the region surrounding the elbow-joint—the ginglymus or hinge joint in the middle of the arm. Three bones form the elbow joint: the humerus of the upper arm, and the paired radius and ulna of the forearm....
. Upon being activated from the DL, Thomas struggled with control problems posting a 4-9 record with a 5.51 ERA and a career high 61 walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
.
marked an improvement for Thomas as he reduced his ERA with Double-A West Tenn to 4.32 and increased his strikeouts to walks ratio from 100 strikeouts/61 base on balls in '07 to 106 strikeouts/56 base on balls in '08. He was placed on the disabled list once again with a left hand laceration but came back to work out of the bullpen. Thomas received a mid-season call up to Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers
Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are a minor league baseball team that plays in the Pacific Coast League , and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners...
posting a career low 3.71 ERA.
On September 1, 2008 the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
purchased Thomas' contract from Triple-A Tacoma. Thomas made his major league debut on September 1, 2008, taking on the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. In one inning of work, he gave up no runs, no hits, no walks, and striking out Marlon Byrd
Marlon Byrd
Marlon Jerrard Byrd , popularly known as The Position or The Possish or Sish, is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs...
to end the game. Thomas pitched the rest of September with the Mariners posting an 0-1 record and a 6.75 ERA.
In , Thomas was re-signed by the Seattle Mariners to a one-year contract and was placed on the 40-man roster.
Pittsburgh Pirates
On October 29, Thomas was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
.
In November, Thomas was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment
Designated for assignment is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball. When a player is designated for assignment, he is immediately removed from the club's 40-man roster. This gives the club 10 days to decide what to do with the player while freeing up a roster spot for another...
. He cleared waivers and was out righted to Triple-A.
On June 24, 2010, he was purchased from Triple-A to replace Dana Eveland
Dana Eveland
Dana James Eveland is a left-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers.Eveland throws a four-seam fastball, slider, changeup, and curveball. He is 6' 1" and weighs 230 pounds....
, who was designated for assignment.
Thomas signed a minor league contract with an invitation to 2011 spring training with the Pirates.
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red SoxBoston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
signed Thomas to a minor league contract on November 22, 2011.