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Milt Thompson (baseball player)
Encyclopedia
Milton Bernard "Milt" Thompson (born January 5, 1959 in Washington, D.C.
) is a former Major League Baseball
left fielder
and pinch hitter
who is currently a coach in the Houston Astros
Minor League system. Thompson played with several teams (including the Phillies and the Atlanta Braves
), and hit a career average of .274.
, and starting him five years later in 1984. After playing in left field, Atlanta traded Thompson with Steve Bedrosian
to the Phillies for Ozzie Virgil
, among others. Thompson impressed Philadelphia, batting .251 to .303 during his three-year stint there. On December 16, 1988 Thompson was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals
for Steve Lake
and Curt Ford, where he spent four years and batted his for highest average ever, .307. In 1992, Thompson was granted free agency
. As a free agent, he signed once again with the Phillies, playing on their 1993 National League Champion
team and playing left field through the World Series
against the Toronto Blue Jays
. During the ensuing offseason, Thompson was traded to the Houston Astros
for pitcher Tom Edens
. Once again, in 1994, Thompson was granted free agency after being with Houston for only seven months. He resigned with Houston as a free agent, which extended his career there to two years. After that, Thompson was back in free agency, and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers
, which led to him being selected off waivers for the Colorado Rockies
in July, 1996. His career with the Rockies only lasted three months: Thompson was released on August 2 of the same year, ending his career.
organization. In 1998, he joined the Phillies as a minor league coach. He lasted there for two seasons, until taking 2000 off, until returning to become a minor league baserunning/outfield coordinator again in the Phillies' farm system. On September 9, 2003, Thompson joined the major league Phillies staff as first base
coach. The next year, he changed coaching positions to hitting, where he has been for two seasons. Since 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. Thompson was one of the only coaches not fired from the organization in 2005. As the hitting coach of the 2008 World Champion Philadelphia Phillies, he earned his first World Series ring of his long career in baseball.
On Thursday, July 22, 2010, Milt Thompson was relieved of his duties as hitting coach for the Philadelphia Phillies. Former Minor League hitting coach Greg Gross
has replaced Thompson. He was hired by the Houston Astros in the offseason to be their outfield/baserunning coordinator in their Minor League system.
with his family.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
) is a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder 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...
and pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
who is currently a coach in the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
Minor League system. Thompson played with several teams (including the Phillies and the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
), and hit a career average of .274.
Major league career
The Braves began Thompson's career by drafting him in the 2nd round of the 1979 draft1979 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1979 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 5-7, 1979, via conference call.-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1979 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :...
, and starting him five years later in 1984. After playing in left field, Atlanta traded Thompson with Steve Bedrosian
Steve Bedrosian
Stephen Wayne Bedrosian, is an American former baseball player. Nicknamed "Bedrock", he played from 1981 to 1995 with the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants and Minnesota Twins...
to the Phillies for Ozzie Virgil
Ozzie Virgil, Jr.
Osvaldo José Virgil, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played with the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, and Toronto Blue Jays from 1980 to 1990. He was elected to the National League All-Star team twice in 1985 and 1987...
, among others. Thompson impressed Philadelphia, batting .251 to .303 during his three-year stint there. On December 16, 1988 Thompson was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
for Steve Lake
Steve Lake
Steven "Steve" Michael Lake batted and threw right-handed, and is a former professional baseball backup catcher. He played Major League Baseball from 1983-93 for the following teams: Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies, and finishing his career with the Cubs...
and Curt Ford, where he spent four years and batted his for highest average ever, .307. In 1992, Thompson was granted free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. As a free agent, he signed once again with the Phillies, playing on their 1993 National League Champion
1993 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 6, 1993 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaCurt Schilling began the series spectacularly by striking out the first five hitters he faced. The game would be back and forth and low-scoring. A wild-pitch by Atlanta starter Steve Avery allowed Philadelphia to a...
team and playing left field through the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
against the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
. During the ensuing offseason, Thompson was traded to the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
for pitcher Tom Edens
Tom Edens
Thomas Patrick Edens is a former Major League Baseball player. Edens was drafted 14th overall by the Kansas City Royals in 1983 and pitched all or part of seven seasons in the majors between and for six different teams.His best year was 1992 with the Minnesota Twins as a middle reliever, when he...
. Once again, in 1994, Thompson was granted free agency after being with Houston for only seven months. He resigned with Houston as a free agent, which extended his career there to two years. After that, Thompson was back in free agency, and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, which led to him being selected off waivers for the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
in July, 1996. His career with the Rockies only lasted three months: Thompson was released on August 2 of the same year, ending his career.
Coaching
In 1997, Milt became the minor league outfield/baserunning coordinator in the Tampa Bay Devil RaysTampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
organization. In 1998, he joined the Phillies as a minor league coach. He lasted there for two seasons, until taking 2000 off, until returning to become a minor league baserunning/outfield coordinator again in the Phillies' farm system. On September 9, 2003, Thompson joined the major league Phillies staff as first base
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
coach. The next year, he changed coaching positions to hitting, where he has been for two seasons. Since 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. Thompson was one of the only coaches not fired from the organization in 2005. As the hitting coach of the 2008 World Champion Philadelphia Phillies, he earned his first World Series ring of his long career in baseball.
On Thursday, July 22, 2010, Milt Thompson was relieved of his duties as hitting coach for the Philadelphia Phillies. Former Minor League hitting coach Greg Gross
Greg Gross
Gregory Eugene Gross , is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues from 1973-1989, playing for the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, and Philadelphia Phillies...
has replaced Thompson. He was hired by the Houston Astros in the offseason to be their outfield/baserunning coordinator in their Minor League system.
Personal life
Thompson has four daughters. He resides in Washington Township, Gloucester County, New JerseyWashington Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey
Washington Township is a township in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. In the 2010 United States Census, Washington Township's population was 48,559, having grown from 47,114 in the 2000 Census....
with his family.
Trivia
- Hit .313 with 6 RBI in 1993 World Series1993 World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 1993 at SkyDome in Toronto, OntarioThe Series' first game sent two staff aces—Curt Schilling for Philadelphia and Juan Guzman for Toronto—against one another. The result was less than a pitcher's duel, however, as both teams scored early and often.The deciding plays...
and set a Phillies record with 5 RBI in Game 4 at Veterans StadiumVeterans StadiumPhiladelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
. - Attended Colonel Zadok A. Magruder High SchoolColonel Zadok A. Magruder High SchoolColonel Zadok A. Magruder High School is a secondary public school located in Rockville , Maryland.Magruder is named for Colonel Zadok Magruder, a Revolutionary War patriot and farmer. He was colonel in command of part of the Maryland militia and helped establish Montgomery County's government in...
and Howard UniversityHoward UniversityHoward University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States... - Graduated from high school in 1977, where, among playing baseball, he played footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and ran trackTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area... - Thompson was 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 during the bottom of the eighth inning against the San Diego PadresSan Diego PadresThe San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, with the Phillies up by 2, with the bases loaded and two outs. Thompson robbed the Padres of a grand slam in the final moments of the inning, snatching a ball over the wall.