Neyland Stadium wasn’t the only sporting venue where Rocky Top was blasting on Saturday.
The Cleveland Guardians are going to play for the American League Championship thanks in large part to a fifth inning grand slam from Lane Thomas. The Guardians acquired Thomas at the trade deadline and he provided their biggest swing of the season when he turned a 1-1 tie into a 5-1 lead as Cleveland went on to defeat Detroit 7-3 in game five of the ALDS.
Thomas is a Knoxville native who played his high school baseball at Bearden High School and as the Guardians celebrated the series win in the locker room, the team blared Rocky Top in honor of the game five hero.
Rocky Top for Tennessean Lane Thomas. pic.twitter.com/Yfl6btKoeb
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) October 12, 2024
Thomas is not only a Knoxville native but also signed to play baseball for Dave Serrano and the Vols before the Toronto Blue Jays selected him in the fifth round of the 2014 MLB Draft. The outfielder elected to sign professionally and forego his college eligibility.
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During the regular season with both the Nationals and Guardians, Thomas hit .237 with 15 home runs and 63 RBI in 130 games played. Thomas last two seasons have been his best in professional baseball after debuting in the 2019 season.
Cleveland is in the ALCS for the first time since 2016 when they defeated the New York Yankees to advance to the World Series. The Guardians lost to the Chicago Cubs in the legendary seven-game World Series. Cleveland hasn’t won the World Series since 1948.
The Guardians will face the New York Yankees in the ALCS again in 2024. Game one is on Monday night at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
