by | May 1, 2022 | FRONT STREET

Veteran MLBbro Niko Goodrum’s versatility continues to pay off as he makes his second consecutive start at second base on Sunday for Houston Astros.

Detroit Tigers Player Niko Goodrum Donates 275 Cases Of Water To Flint Community

Detroit Tigers Player Niko Goodrum Donates 275 Cases Of Water To Flint Community

by | Jul 22, 2021 | THE THREE SPOT

The Detroit Tigers have sent utility player Niko Goodrum to the Injury List Saturday after his hematoma started bleeding.

The initial injury occurred July 10 when Goodrum fouled a pitch off his lower extremities in the seventh inning matchup against the Minnesota Twins.

 

 

Although he is down and out, some minor nicks and bruises didn’t stop the newly found tradition as the infielder/outfielder is a man of the people.

 


For the third time in the past four years, Goodrum joined forces with the Asbury United Methodist Church in Flint, Michigan, where he donated 275 cases of water to the residents who are still without clean water. 

 

Partnering with the United Way of Genesee County, the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, and the Detroit Tigers Foundation, Goodrum’s, “do GOOD things,” foundation started in June of 2020 before the pandemic shortened season as he and the league had a lot of time on their hands.

“I’ve been giving water back to Flint for two years now, dating back, this is my third year doing it,” said Goodrum to Detroit Tigers TV.

He said, “That sparked the idea of, let me get something going where people can donate to me if they want to contribute. I was getting checks from random people to the stadium. I talked to Jordan Field (Director, Player Relations & Detroit Tigers Foundation), and I was like, ‘what do I do with this money?’ and that’s how the foundation came about.

 

“When there is a need, when there is something, I can do in Detroit and Flint or back home in Georgia, whenever I see a need, I always want to give back. It is very important to me as my parents instilled in me at an early age to give back to people, and that is what we are here for, to give back to people.”

Teammate “Real Deal” Akil Baddoo was also at the giveaway, passing out clean cases of water. He chimed in on his experience and said, “this is what it’s all about. I play this game for the families like this, the unfortunate, and come out here and see the smiles on their faces and the joy we bring. That’s what it’s all about.”

The church, which serves about 300 members, gives out cases of bottled water every Tuesday since the inception of the Flint Water Crisis came into effect in 2014.

The event, which runs like your favorite fast-food chain, gives insurance that those of the community in need will have safe and clean drinking water.

 


Goodrum has proven to be more than an athlete. The people affected most will remember his humanitarian work long after his baseball career comes to an end. 

Now it’s time for Goodrum to return to the field better than he was before and help fellow MLBbros,  Baddoo and Daz Camron, make a possible playoff push down the stretch.

Dillon Thomas’ MLB Debut Was 10 Years In The Making | Nobody’s Doubting Him Now

Dillon Thomas’ MLB Debut Was 10 Years In The Making | Nobody’s Doubting Him Now

by | Jun 10, 2021 | THE LEAD OFF

After ten seasons of professional ball, 2,300 at-bats in the Minor Leagues, three organizations, and independent ball, outfielder Dillon Thomas finally got the call that the Seattle Mariners were picking up his contract from Triple-A Tacoma ahead of Tuesday’s matchup vs. the Detroit Tigers.

Thomas didn’t waste any time flashing the stellar defense that he’s displayed throughout his decade in the minors, robbing MLBbro Niko Goodrum of a potential extra base hit in his Big league debut on Wednesday night.

 

Then, he flexed his prowess with the wood, delivering his first Major League hit and RBI in the 11th inning.

 

The 28-year-old was filled with emotions as he described his big-league call-up to the media, prior to the game.  

He told reporters, “My daughter was playing with her Barbies on the hotel floor, and I just looked at her and a wave of emotions came over me. My girlfriend woke up as she heard me on the phone. I looked at her, we both started crying, and my daughter came up to me and asked, ‘Daddy, what’s wrong?’ I was like ‘daddies going to the big leagues,’ and she got excited and said, ‘Daddy’s a big leaguer.'”

Holding back tears, he added, “My parents were the first call. That’s a moment I thought about for years, and I wanted to share that moment with them. To have them and all my family here is truly a blessing, and I am grateful for the opportunity.”

He played with that same passion in his debut as he manned the Mariners outfield with fellow MLB bro Taylor Trammell.

Before the life-changing call-up, Thomas was raking. 

In 80 at-bats, Thomas accounted for 19 runs batted in, six homers, five doubles, and four bases on balls to average .338 with a .459 on-base percentage, a .625 slugging percentage, and an OPS of 1.084 with the Triple-A affiliate Tacoma Rainiers.

 

 

Thomas was selected in the fourth round (138th overall) by the Colorado Rockies during the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Westbury Christian School (TX), where he spent six seasons in the team’s farm system. 

The super athlete had stints with the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2018-2019 season and the Oakland Athletics during the pandemic shortened season before ultimately signing with the Mariners as a minor league free agent on January 14.

 

 

How bad do you want it? How long will you follow the rainbow before you reach that pot of gold? 

During this long and arduous journey, Thomas’s dedication, hard work, patience, and sacrifices proved that his hunger for greatness was more potent than the negativity he received from all the naysayers who told him to give up on his dreams.  

The man is living proof of the saying “Be so good that they can’t ignore you.”

Wednesday night was a great start. Everyone should embrace this Black Knight’s story.

 

The Detroit Tigers Let Niko Goodrum Do Him & It’s Working

The Detroit Tigers Let Niko Goodrum Do Him & It’s Working

by | May 17, 2021 | THE THREE SPOT

The Detroit Tigers might not be on the top of the standings, but Niko Goodrum remains a favorite in Motown.

Despite the Tigers’ recent struggles – currently 14-26 and fourth place in the AL Central – there is some talent on that team.

Goodrum is one of the OG veterans on the team. He joined the Tigers in 2018 and has become a mainstay in the D. 

 

 

Our MLB bro is a versatile player who can finesse almost every position on the field. One day you might see him playing right field and the next day he’ll be playing second base.

This season, Goodrum got off to a rocky start at the plate. For the month of April, he hit .191 with an on-base average of .257 and 31 strikeouts.

Those are some numbers that will have fans pulling their hair out. But this is a long season and Goodrum went into May looking to turn things around. There was little doubt that he would get it going. He’s known for wrecking shop when he’s in the zone.  

 

 

On May 1, Goodrum had an impressive performance against the New York Yankees, going 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run and a stolen base. That’s the performance Goodrum needed to turn his slump around. He put together a six-game hitting streak during the early part of May and had two multi-hit performances during that stretch.

This is the player that the team and fans have wanted to see all season and now he’s starting to become the productive player that the team knew he could be. They just needed to let him play his game. 

 

In this past series against the Chicago Cubs, Goodrum was held hitless in three games. But before that series, he was hitting .361 during the month and he has been one of Detroit’s top hitters.

He’s currently batting .230 with 10 RBI and four home runs. He’s also Top 15 in MLB in stolen bases with 6. Tigers’ manager AJ Hinch has been pleased with Goodrum’s performance at the plate and on-base during May.

“It’s great to see him getting on base,” Hinch said of Goodrum in an article from The Detroit News. “He’s on pace to steal a lot more bases.”

Goodrum has also had success being down in the count. When you put the bat on the ball good things happen.

“Some two-strike hits, too, that’s been nice to see,” Hinch said. “He’s making that adjustment. A little while back he started choking up for a little more bat control. He’s understanding more about hitting in lanes and picking pitches he can handle.”

Before Goodrum joined the Tigers, he spent part of the 2017 season with the Minnesota Twins. He only appeared in 11 games that season, recording one hit. The Twins selected Goodrum in the second round of the 2010 MLB draft.

After 2017, Goodrum elected to become a free agent and that’s when Detroit was quick to grab him. He makes things happen between the lines. 

 

 

All he needed was an invitation to the Tigers’ 2018 spring training camp where he put together an impressive performance. 

He hit four home runs during spring training and the Tigers decided to add him to the 25-man opening day roster.

Since then, Goodrum has improved his game and has made a case for himself on why the Tigers should keep him around.

 

 

Look for our MLB bro to continue to swing a hot stick in May and for that to carry on throughout the remainder of the season.