Thames, Ludwick can relate to each other's road to success

They were teammates for just a month. Twenty-six days, to be exact.

Twenty-six days, five years ago.

Marcus Thames is now batting cleanup for the Tigers because of injuries. (US Presswire)

Barely enough time to say hello, before it was time to say goodbye.

Ryan Ludwick never forgot Marcus Thames. Marcus Thames never forgot Ryan Ludwick.

Theirs was a bond of shared experience, more than of shared time long ago in Oklahoma City. Ludwick could understand what Thames went through. Thames could understand what Ludwick was dealing with.

Each thought he could succeed in the big leagues, if only given the opportunity. Each thought the other could, too.

"We've been in the same situation," Thames said recently. "And now both of us are finally getting a chance."

They sure are.

At 31, Thames now plays regularly for the Tigers. No one in baseball has hit more home runs in the past six weeks.

At 29, Ludwick plays regularly for the Cardinals. He slumped through June, but he has still driven in more runs than Albert Pujols. For that matter, he has more RBI this year than anyone on the division-leading Cubs.

"I just feel blessed," Ludwick said. "I've had opportunities before, but then I'd get hurt."

"You've got to be in the right place at the right time," said Thames. "Hopefully that time is now for me."

It wasn't supposed to be. The Tigers were a team of All-Stars. Thames was a role player. But Jacque Jones was a disaster, Gary Sheffield and then Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera got hurt, and suddenly this week, Thames found himself hitting cleanup for a team with a $139 million payroll.