LAKELAND, Fla. — Will Rhymes had a delayed flight to New York the last time he got a call to the big leagues. The cargo door on his plane wouldn’t close, and it cost him a spot in the Tigers starting lineup against the Yankees. That was last August, when he was filling in for an injured Carlos Guillen.

He isn’t likely to miss his next Major League start. He’ll be traveling with the rest of the team out of Spring Training on the team plane and, most likely, starting at second base on Opening Day at Yankee Stadium against Yankees ace CC Sabathia.

“I think he deserves the first shot,” manager Jim Leyland said in deciding the Tigers’ second-base competition.

For someone who was left out of big league camp, off the 40-man roster and contemplating his baseball future a year ago, it was big news. But for someone who batted over .300 in just under 200 plate appearances, including a stretch run as the starting second baseman, it was something Rhymes had set as his goal, even as the Tigers received surprising performances from Scott Sizemore and Danny Worth.

“It means a lot to me, obviously,” Rhymes said. “Being in New York on Opening Day, that’s a pretty exciting thought. I feel like if you had talked to me at this time last year, it would’ve been in a little different frame of mind. But all that stuff’s in the past. I’m just happy to be here and get an opportunity and hopefully take advantage of it.”That stretch run, Leyland indicated, played a major role in separating Rhymes from the pack. He had a late July run at second base, then returned in mid-August once Guillen suffered what turned out to be a season-ending knee injury. He got an unexpected shot because he was the best hitter at Triple-A Toledo at the time, and he kept the job by playing his game — putting the ball in play, using the field and using his legs.

“He came to the big leagues and did his job,” Leyland said. “You’re supposed to reward people for success. How can you not reward that? What did the guy do to lose that opportunity? To me, he got an opportunity last year, he took advantage of it and he’s done nothing to lose that opportunity, …

The guy hit .304 at the major league level, was a nice little sparkplug for us. I love Sizemore and Worth. I think they’re all big league players. But right now we had a selection to make, and we selected Rhymes based mostly on his performance at the major league level during the regular season last year.”

Rhymes batted .304 (58-for-191) with a .763 OPS, 12 doubles, three triples, one home run and 19 RBIs. That included a .351 average (13-for-37) against left-handed pitchers for a left-handed hitter.

Not only will Rhymes get the bulk of the playing time at second, Leyland said he’ll likely bat second against right-handed hitters, giving him the coveted spot in between leadoff speedster Austin Jackson and the bulk of Detroit’s order with Magglio Ordonez, Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez.

“I’m not saying he’s going to hit second all the time, but I like that little combination of things he can do to kind of set the table for the big boys,” Leyland said. “And in reality, he’s not afraid to knock in a run, either. He’s pretty good in that spot, and that’s the way we’ll start. …

“I think he’s a very usable offensive player, and I think baseball’s getting back to that more. It’s no longer a slow-pitch softball game.”

The way Rhymes performed last year, it’s no longer a surprise for him to get a call back, even with a close competition. He agreed that Sizemore and Worth have big league ability, but he didn’t want to downplay himself, either.

“I came into spring pretty confident in my ability and how I played last year and how I played my entire career,” Rhymes said, “and feeling that if I came in and played my game and did what I do, that I’d be on the team. And so my goal coming in was not to make the team. My goal was to get ready for a big league season.

“Yeah, I’m happy to get it out of the way, but I’m not jumping up and down about it. This is what I had expected. I’m thankful to the coaching staff and [general manager Dave] Dombrowski, everyone for another opportunity.”

Which infielder gets an opportunity to spell Rhymes has yet to be determined. Worth remains in camp, as does veteran Ramon Santiago, who’s under contract for this season. The Tigers could break camp with both of them if they took just one extra outfielder out of camp. Leyland said they’re still weighing whether that last spot will go to an infielder or outfielder.

Link to official article

As we get ready for the 2011 season, I thought I would share one of my favorite moments from 2010.  This is a home video shot by my twin brother in Tampa a few days after I was called up.

I grew up with Jeff Niemann (pitching) and he is one of my best friends.  It was fitting to face him my first week in the big leagues.  He has always been there for me and supported me throughout the minor leagues.  I have tremendous respect for him and he really helped me get where I am today.

In fairness to Jeff, he got me out the next two at bats.  Somehow those were erased from the camera, sorry Jeff.   And yes he is over a foot taller than me.

That is my family you hear in the background, it must have been weird for them.  Jeff used to mysteriously show up at dinner time most nights, guess now we can call it even.

-Will

Will is a native Houstonian who played at WULL from 1990 to 1995.  He attended Lamar High School from 1998 – 2001.  Will graduated from the College of William and Mary in 2005 with a degree in Biology cum laude.  He was the 27th round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers. In 655 minor league games, he hit .289 with 125 stolen bases, 28 triples, 18 homeruns and 260 RBIs.  Will made his Major League debut on July 25, 2010 against the Toronto Blue Jays, becoming the Tigers every day second baseman and #2 hitter in 54 games.  During his rookie year, Will hit .304 — the first Tigers rookie to hit over .300 since Harvey Kuenn in 1952.

Message from Will Rhymes:  I’ve played baseball with and against some of the best hitters in the game, and I’ve been coached by greats like Jim Leyland and Ryne Sandberg. Along the way I’ve worked hard to improve my own hitting and to understand hitting fundamentals.  I’ve developed methods for teaching these fundamentals to young players — making it simple and above all fun. I’m living proof that every young player can be a better hitter.

Visit the Baseball Clinics page to register for the WULL clinic with Will Rhymes.

Will Rhymes – Houston Baseball Clinic

Presented by Will Rhymes Baseball, Inc., West University Little League and Kinetic Energy

Ages:  12 Years and Under

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Location:  West University Little League

1st Session 10:00-12:00

2nd Session 12:30-2:30

*Children will be split into smaller groups based on age

This camp offers kids a unique opportunity to interact and learn from professional players.  Kids will learn the fundamentals of a Major League swing.  The camp will begin with an introduction of the staff and a brief talk from Will about how the Major League swing works.  Then, the players will go through 5 stations learning different aspects of the swing and drills to practice at home.  The staff will break down the swing into simple terminology and tailor it to the individual’s skill level.  Players will learn about the bat selection, grip, stance, stride and all the other tricks that allow a big leaguer to leverage his body and hit homeruns.  Everything will be presented in language kids understand.  Every player will have a chance to learn directly from Will.  Players and parents will then have a chance to ask Will questions and we will have an autograph session with the whole staff.

Ages: 13 Years and Up

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Location:  Lamar High School

Session:  12:00 – 2:00

This camp will give players a chance to ask questions and interact closely with instructors who have succeeded in high school, college and in professional baseball.  Players will learn what it takes to succeed at the highest levels and will be introduced to the more advanced principles of hitting.  The camp will begin with introduction of the staff and a talk from Will about how the Major League swing works. Players will be split into groups by age and go through stations that will break the swing down into important hitting positions.  The staff will tailor instruction to the level of the individual’s swing and present drills so that each player can reach his potential as a hitter.  There will also be a mental game station where players will work on their routine, on deck and in the box, and learn how to minimize slumps.  It is hard to find good hitting instruction; Will has assembled a staff of good hitters who know how to communicate what they have learned.  This will expose players to a wide range of professional hitters, from contact to power, and every player will benefit from the instruction.  At the end players and parents will have a chance to ask Will and the staff questions.

Price – $80.00

Includes:

• 2 hours of instruction from professional players
• Camp T-Shirt
• Autographed Picture

We have great giveaways that include bats, batting gloves and baseball cards from Will.

This blog will be a combination of many things. You can expect to see the following and more here:

• Q and A – You can submit questions to me by going to the Contact Info page on this site. I will address commonly asked questions, interesting questions, or anything that grabs my attention.
• Baseball tips – Occasionally I will share tips and drills that have helped me.
• Updates about what I’m doing on and off the field
• Anything that I find entertaining and want to share

I hope that the blog will grow and change over time to be useful and entertaining for me and all visitors. I encourage you to comment on the posts here and throughout this entire website. I’ll do my best to respond to comments when I can.

Look for more posts coming soon…

Will

Second baseman Will Rhymes became the first Tiger in more than 70 years to hit at least .300 in his first season while having at least 200 plate appearances, according to Baseball-Reference.com.

The last Tiger to do it before Rhymes was Barney McCosky, who in 1939 played the full season and hit .311.

Harvey Kuenn gets left out of this group because he didn’t have 200 plate appearances in his first year. But he continued to qualify as a rookie the next season, 1953, when he hit .308 and became the American League rookie of the year.

Rhymes wasn’t even in major league camp this spring; he was assigned to the minors before he ever got to Florida. Six months later, sitting in the clubhouse after the last game of the season, Rhymes said, “I ended up kind of far from where I started.”

Rhymes, 27, got his chance because Carlos Guillen got hurt twice. On his final at-bat of the season, Rhymes needed a hit or a walk to finish at .300. The left-handed hitter faced Baltimore’s Mike Gonzalez, a hard-throwing left-hander.

In this one moment, Rhymes encapsulated the determination that took him from being a 25th-round pick to someone who could get most of the playing time at second base next season.

He lined Gonzalez’s pitch to left-center for a double. That put his final average at .304. Hello, Barney McCosky.

Rhymes impressed Tigers officials enough that he has a chance to become the team’s primary second baseman in 2011.

“After I relax a bit, I’ll start looking forward and thinking about goals for next year,” Rhymes said.

If Rhymes wants to make one of those goals hitting .300 for a full season, he has an idea what it takes to do that.

Will Rhymes waited his whole life to hit a major league home run.

Then a blind umpire made him wait even longer.

The result was the strangest, longest (in terms of time, not distance) first home run in baseball history.

Last week, Rhymes, a rookie for the Detroit Tigers, came to bat in the sixth inning with the Tigers trailing the Kansas City Royals and reigning Cy Young Award pitcher Zack Greinke, 5-4. There were two outs and a runner on first base.

The count was 0-1 when Rhymes lifted a fly ball to deep right field. With two outs, the runner on first took off. The ball was going, going …

Gone?

The ball appeared to hit the top of the wall in right and bounce back on to the field. The umpire did not signal home run, so Rhymes kept running full steam and chugged into third with a stand-up triple. Tied game.

It’s not like he’s got that home run trot thing down pat.

Rhymes played seven years in West University Place Little League, from T-ball to the “majors” (age 12). He never hit a home run. All through Poe Elementary, Lanier Middle School and Lamar High School — no homers. He never put one over the wall at Wallin Field.

Today, with kids wielding juiced-up bats, homeowners who live behind Wallin Field have to buy home-run insurance to get their windows replaced.

Last spring, when Rhymes was giving batting instruction to the A’s in the West U Juniors Division, he was smashing the ball over the fence like Babe Ruth. He’s also 27 years old.

On the other hand, his name is a complete sentence – Will Rhymes. He should be a rapper.

Now he’s standing on third base in Comerica Park in Detroit – the first West U Little Leaguer ever to make the big leagues – and his manager Jim Leyland is screaming to the umpires, “That was a home run!”

Rhymes didn’t think it was a homer. It wasn’t like he had any past experience to go on.

“I knew I hit the ball hard, but the ball doesn’t travel very far in Detroit. As I was running to first, I saw Mitch Maier, their right fielder, tracking it. I thought, ‘Wow, he’s got a chance of catching this!’ At first I thought he did catch it. Then I saw the ball rolling on the field, and that was great, so I kept running. I was happy to get a triple. I thought it hit off his glove or the top of the fence. A triple is pretty good for me, you know,” Rhymes said.

Leyland wouldn’t let up. Check the tape – it was a home run!

Since 2008, Major League Baseball has allowed limited instant replay – one of the calls that can be challenged is a home run. Did the ball clear the fence? Or did it hit off the top of the wall and stay in play? Did a fan interfere with the ball?

The official call on the field was a triple.
Time-consuming process

Here’s how instant replay works in baseball. A Major League Baseball official in New York, sitting in front of more televisions than NASA’s Mission Control, reviews different angles of the play and sends them back to the stadium, where the umpires look them over. The final decision belongs to the umpires.

Meanwhile, Rhymes was standing on third base, his helmet off, fussing with his hair like it was prom night.

“My hair comes out from behind my ears, so I have to tuck it back. It’s a little out of control. It’s just a nervous habit,” he said. His hair has become his trademark in Detroit.

His Tiger teammates felt confident it was a home run. There is a video monitor in the dugout, and they saw the local station’s instant replay before the umpires reviewed video from New York. The ball clearly sailed over the fence, hit a railing and bounced back onto the field.

Third base coach Gene Lamont told Rhymes, “Get ready to shake my hand – the umpire is going to walk back on this field and say you just hit your first home run.”

Instant replay isn’t exactly instant, but it’s pretty fast in Major League Baseball. Rhymes stayed put on third base for about one minute (“It seemed like an eternity,” he said) while the umpires checked the video for “clear and convincing evidence” that Rhymes’ ball cleared the fence.

The video is available at www.mlb.com. Do a search on “Rhymes’ first career homer.”

“You never know, but my teammates were screaming at me that it was a homer. Finally, the umpire gave the home run sign, and I ran home. It was surreal.”

It was more than surreal; it was historic – the only time a player’s first home run was the result of a video overrule of an umpire’s decision.

Rhymes’ face lit up in a smile has he jogged home. The next batter, Johnny Damon, gave him a high five. When Rhymes walked into the Tigers’ dugout, the other players gave him the silent treatment – baseball tradition – then mobbed him.

“I could see it happening. I was laughing, debating to myself, ‘What should I do?’ I thought about giving a high five to myself. I took off my helmet, and they jumped on me. It was very special.”

ken.hoffman@chron.com