Milton Bernard Thompson (born January 5, 1959), is an American former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...

pinch hitter In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute Batting (baseball), batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the dead ball (baseball), ball is dead (not in active play); the manager (baseball), manager may use any player who has not yet ...

, and

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

, who played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

, and

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...

. He returned as the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

’ minor league hitting instructor, for the season. Over his MLB career, Thompson compiled a

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

of .274.

Major league career

The Atlanta Braves drafted Thompson in the 2nd round (29th overall) of the 1979 draft, out of

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...

. He made his big league debut, five years later, in . After two years in Atlanta, as a part-time

left fielder In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...

, the Braves traded Thompson, along with

Steve Bedrosian Stephen Wayne Bedrosian (born December 6, 1957) is an American former Major League Baseball player. Nicknamed "Bedrock", he played from 1981 to 1995 with the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, and Minnesota Twins. Bedrosi ...

, to the Phillies, for Ozzie Virgil and Pete Smith. Thompson continued to impress,

batting Batting may refer to: *Batting (baseball), the act of attempting to hit a ball thrown by the pitcher with a baseball bat, in order to score runs *Batting (cricket), the act of defending one's wicket with the cricket bat while attempting to score ru ...

.251, .302, and .288, respectively, in his three seasons in Philadelphia. On December 16, 1988, Thompson was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, for

Steve Lake Steven Michael Lake (born March 14, 1957) is an American former professional baseball backup catcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, and Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Ph ...

and Curt Ford, where he spent four years and posted his highest batting average ever, .307, in . Following the season, Thompson was granted

free agency In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

and elected to return to the Phillies. As a key component in the Phillies’ unexpected, last-to-first 1993 National League Championship team, Thompson platooned in left field with

Pete Incaviglia Peter Joseph Incaviglia (born April 2, 1964), is an American former professional baseball left fielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 12 seasons (–), for six different big league teams, also spending one year in Nippon Professi ...

, in the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

, against the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

. He remained an ever-popular fan favorite, while having another stellar season. Perhaps Thompson's greatest MLB performance came on April 29, 1993. That day, the Phillies left fielder really "brought his 'A' Game" to the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

’

Jack Murphy Stadium San Diego Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium on the west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. The stadium opened in 1967 as San Diego Stadium and was known as Jack Murphy Stadium from 1981 to 1997. From 1997 to 2017, the stadium ...

. He had already gone 3-for-4 at the plate (3

singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

), with 2

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...

(RBI), and one run scored. Then, crowning his day — and quite possibly his big league career: With the game on the line and the Phillies ahead 5-3, in the bottom of the eighth inning and two out, the Padres had the bases loaded, bringing their slugging right-handed

catcher Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...

Bob Geren Robert Peter Geren (born September 22, 1961) is an American former professional baseball catcher and manager, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (–) and San Diego Padres (). Geren managed the Oakland Athletics f ...

, to the plate. David West, the Phillies’ left-handed

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...

, delivered a choice fastball that took a long ride, sailing over from

home plate A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refers ...

, and above the wall in left-center field. The fleet-footed Thompson arrived just in time, planted his feet, and made a surreal leap – seemingly sensing in some sort of inexact prayer, where the ball was – and cradled it into his glove's web, retiring the side and preserving another Phillies win, in that magical

1993 season File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...

, high-fiving

center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...

Lenny Dykstra Leonard Kyle Dykstra (; born February 10, 1963), is an American former professional baseball center fielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets (1985–1989) and Philadelphia Phillies (1989–1996). Dykstra was a thre ...

all the way to the visiting dugout. On July 31, 1994, Thompson was traded by Philadelphia, to the Houston Astros, for

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

Tom Edens Thomas Patrick Edens (born June 9, 1961) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets (), Milwaukee Brewers (), Minnesota Twins (–), Houston Astros (–), Philadelphia Phil ...

. Again, following the season, Thompson was granted free agency, after being with the Astros for only a short time. As a free agent, he elected to re-sign with Houston, for another year. After the season, Thompson was again a free agent, and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers; on June 27, 1996, he was selected off waivers by the Colorado Rockies. His career with the Rockies lasted just over 5 weeks, as Thompson received his unconditional release on August 2, 1996, thus ending his big league playing career.

Coaching

In 1997, Thompson became the minor league outfield/ base-running coordinator in the

Tampa Bay Devil Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home venu ...

organization. In 1998, he joined the Phillies as a minor league coach. Thompson lasted there for two seasons, until taking 2000 off, then returned as a minor league base-running/outfield coordinator, again in the Phillies farm system. In 2004, Thompson joined the major league Phillies staff as first base coach. The next year, he became the team's hitting coach, where he remained for five-plus seasons. During Thompson's tenure as batting coach, the Phillies have led the league twice in runs scored, even though they have alternated between only 2nd and 3rd place in their respective division due to pitching difficulties. He was one of the few coaches not fired by the organization in 2005. As the hitting coach of the 2008 World Champion Philadelphia Phillies, Thompson earned the first

World Series ring A World Series ring is an award given to Major League Baseball players who win the World Series. Since only one Commissioner's Trophy is awarded to the team, a World Series ring is an individual award that players and staff of each World Series ...

of his long career in baseball. He would return to the World Series in 2009, where the Phillies lost to the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

, in six games. Having played for the 1993 National League Champions, Thompson joined

Larry Bowa Lawrence Robert Bowa (born December 6, 1945) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB), who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and New York Mets. Bowa went on to ma ...

and

John Vukovich John Christopher Vukovich (July 31, 1947 – March 8, 2007), nicknamed "Vuk" or "Johnny Vuk", was an American professional baseball utility infielder, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB),

as the only Phillies in franchise history to go to the World Series as both a player and coach for the club. On Thursday, July 22, 2010, Thompson was relieved of his duties as the Phillies’ hitting coach, being replaced by former Minor League hitting coach

Greg Gross Gregory Eugene Gross (born August 1, 1952), is an American former professional baseball outfielder / pinch hitter, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, and Philadelphia Phillies, from –. He was prev ...

. Thompson was hired by the Astros that November, as their minor league outfield/base-running coordinator. He became a coach for the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

’ Class A affiliate, the

Wilmington Blue Rocks The Wilmington Blue Rocks are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Wilmington, Delaware, and play their home games at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium. ...

, in . Thompson joined the Reds organization, as a minor league hitting instructor, in .

Personal life

Thompson has four daughters. He resides in

Washington Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey Washington Township is a township in Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 48,677, an increase of 118 from the 2010 census count of 48,559, which in turn reflected an in ...

, with his family.

Trivia

* Hit .313 with 6 RBI in

1993 World Series The 1993 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) season. The 90th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the defending World Series champion and American League (AL) champio ...

and set a Phillies record with 5 RBI in Game 4 at

Veterans Stadium Veterans Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The seating capacities were 65,358 for footb ...

. * Attended

Colonel Zadok A. Magruder High School Col. Zadok Magruder High School (#510) is a secondary public school located in Rockville ( Montgomery County), Maryland, United States. Magruder is named for Colonel Zadok Magruder, a Revolutionary War patriot and farmer. He was colonel in comman ...

and

* Graduated from high school in 1977, where, among playing baseball, he played

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

and ran

track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...

* Is well known for his incredible feats in left field during the early 1990s, including catching several balls over the fence. One famous play took place on April 29, 1993, in the bottom of the eighth inning against the Padres, with the Phillies up by 2, and the bases loaded, with two outs. Thompson robbed the Padres of a grand slam, to end the inning, snatching a ball back, from over the wall. * Resides in Sewell, NJ (Washington Twp., Gloucester Cty.) * Now with the Reds, as a minor league hitting instructor.

References

External links