On Monday, the Detroit Tigers announced they were calling up their No. 17 ranked prospect, Kody Clemens.
The reason for Clemens’ call-up was because the Tigers needed another player to replace Robbie Grossman, who was placed on the IL.
Ready for launch!#Tigers No. 17 prospect per @MLBPipeline INF/OF Kody Clemens has been recalled from Triple A Toledo. pic.twitter.com/owmb9CluBU
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) May 30, 2022
Clemens, who is the son of the great Roger Clemens, is expected to make his Major League debut on Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins.
But the story about how Clemens found out he was heading to The Show is pretty cool.
Kody Clemens was told to turn around by Mud Hens manager Lloyd McClendon
On Tuesday, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic released the story of how Clemens found out he was heading to the Detroit Tigers and is pretty damn awesome.
Like something from the script of a bad baseball movie, Clemens was beginning a drive across Ohio when the hysteria started. The Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens were set to start a road series in Columbus, and Clemens was among several players making the drive on their own. He was already headed south down the interstate when Toledo manager Lloyd McClendon called.
“Where are you?” McClendon asked.
“I’m on the highway,” Clemens said.
“How far out are you? What exit?”
Clemens told McClendon he was nearing Exit 185. McClendon told him to turn around and head toward Exit 179. He needed to meet the team bus in the Home Depot parking lot.
“Is everything all right?” Clemens said. “What’s going on? Did the bus break down?”
McClendon responded: “Just get here.”
“I got out of my car,” Clemens said, “and he was like, ‘Hey, you’re going to the big leagues.’ I was like, ‘Holy shit.’”
In 184 at-bats in Toledo this season, Clemens is batting .284 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs while posting an OPS of .834.
Is Kody Clemens going to come in and turn the Detroit Tigers offense around? Probably not. Can he be a spark to help get things going? We are about to find out.
