Pitching coach Darren Balsley (left) with Mike Thompson. Balsley was Thompson’s coach at Lake Elsinore in 2001.
Right-hander Mike Thompson made his Petco Park debut Tuesday night and won his second big-league ballgame in as many tries. I have a soft spot for guys I saw play at Lake Elsinore, and Thompson is no exception.
Mike Thompson warming up in the bullpen.
With the likes of Jake Peavy, Ben Howard, Eric Cyr, Oliver Perez, Dennis Tankersley, Mark Phillips, Chris Oxspring, Justin Germano, and Clay Hensley running through the Storm staff at the same time, Thompson frequently was “the other guy.” But now he’s pitching for the Padres, and that’s a claim the overwhelming majority of us cannot make.
Mike Thompson delivers a pitch against the Braves.
It’s always nice to see a product of the system “graduate” and make a contribution to the big club. In many ways, it’s even more gratifying when the kid wasn’t highly touted as a prospect.
Aside from checking in at #28 (one slot behind Perez) in Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook 2001, Thompson hasn’t shown up on anyone’s radar. And yet, here is, 5 years later, pitching in San Diego. Pitching in the big leagues.
He reminds me of Brian Lawrence, although BLaw had better minor league numbers. Just win, baby.
I don’t remember him much.
Though, I have his card from the Storm team card set.
Good to see another pitcher made it to the ML.
Oh, I’m surprised to not have seen Justin Germano with the Reds yet.
Anybody knows how he’s doing?
Justin Germano:
W L ERA G GS IP H R ER HR BB SO
3 5 4.36 9 9 53.2 61 28 26 8 10 27
For Louisville this season. Low K numbers, eh?
Anyone seen this article: http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/ballot?event_id=2189 ? It’s a list of each team’s greatest “blunders” (actually, it’s ESPN pushing books for Rob Neyer, but that’s a different story). It lists the Padres’ greatest blunder as the Ozzie-for-Tempy deal. Now, looking back with 20-20 hindsight, yes, this was a bad deal. But back then, Ozzie had hit a combined .230 with one HR in four seasons. Templeton had been an all-star twice and had hit about .300 with more power. Without knowing that Templeton’s knees were shot, wouldn’t you have made that deal?
When I think of great Padre blunders (and what a loooong list that would make), I think of not trading Ruben Rivera for Randy Johnson at the deadline in ’98 or of acquiring Randy Myers and his $30 trillion bad shoulder or of not re-signing Dave Winfield or even drafting Matt Bush #1 overall.
Anyone else think of other true, non-hindsight blunders?
I just must make one point against the Ozzie/Tempy trade being “the biggest blunder” … and I was (and still am) a *HUGE* Ozzie fan (we’re we all?) … but Tempy made a difference in 1984 … if nothing else, I think that an act he did turned the 1984 NLCS … stop me if I’ve posted this rant too many times before … during the intro’s to Game 3, with the Padres down 2-0 in the best-of-5 series, the crowd was flat-as-a-pancake … until Tempy whip’d his hat, encouraging the crowd into a frenzy … Padres went on to win that game 7-1 … and the series 3-2! To me, he enabled the Padres to get to Games 4 & 5 and win our first NL Pennant … and that’s HUGE! For that, I’ve ever since had a soft place in my heart for Garry Lewis Templeton.
… meant to say “weren’t we all?” … in ref to being a *HUGE* Ozzie fan … he was a human-highlight-machine
Thanks, Jesse for the 411 on Germano.
Wow, what happened to his pitches that was supposedly very good and increase his K’s with Portland prior to the trade.
As much as I hate the trade, I wish Germano would get better and make the ML.
LM: I’m with you. I was going to say I’d still make that trade even with the hindsight because I don’t think Ozzie would have done for us in 1984 what Tempy did.