Milt Thompson (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Milt Thompson |
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Thompson at the White House in 2009
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: January 5, 1959 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 4, 1984, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 28, 1996, for the Colorado Rockies | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .274 | ||
| Home runs | 47 | ||
| Runs batted in | 357 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Milton Bernard Thompson (born January 5, 1959) is an American former professional baseball player. He was an outfielder and also worked as a coach. Milt played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. These included the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Colorado Rockies.
After his playing days, Thompson became a coach. He even returned to the Cincinnati Reds as a minor league hitting instructor in 2019. Throughout his MLB career, Milt Thompson had a batting average of .274. This means he got a hit about 27.4% of the times he tried to hit the ball.
Contents
Milt Thompson's Baseball Career
Starting in the Major Leagues
The Atlanta Braves picked Milt Thompson in the 1979 draft. He was chosen in the 2nd round, which was the 29th player overall. He had played baseball at Howard University before this.
Five years later, in 1984, Milt made his big league debut. He played for two years in Atlanta as a part-time left fielder. Then, the Braves traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1986.
Playing for the Phillies and Cardinals
Milt Thompson played very well for the Phillies. His batting average was .251, then .302, and then .288 in his three seasons there.
In 1988, Thompson was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. He spent four years with the Cardinals. In 1991, he had his best batting average ever, hitting .307. After the 1992 season, Thompson became a free agent. This meant he could choose which team to play for next. He decided to go back to the Phillies.
A Key Player in the 1993 World Series
Milt Thompson was a very important player for the Phillies in 1993. That year, the team made an amazing comeback. They went from last place to winning the 1993 National League Championship Series.
In the 1993 World Series, Thompson shared playing time in left field with another player. They played against the Toronto Blue Jays. Even though the Phillies didn't win the World Series, Milt was still a fan favorite. He had another great season that year.
Thompson's Amazing Catch
One of Milt Thompson's most famous plays happened on April 29, 1993. The Phillies were playing the San Diego Padres. Milt was having a great day at the plate, getting three singles and two runs batted in (RBI).
But his most memorable moment came in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Phillies were ahead 5-3. The Padres had the bases loaded with two outs. Their strong hitter, Bob Geren, came up to bat. The Phillies' pitcher threw a fastball. Geren hit it far, over 370 feet towards left-center field.
Thompson ran quickly and leaped high. He somehow knew exactly where the ball would be. He caught it in his glove, right over the wall! This amazing catch ended the inning and saved the game for the Phillies. It was a highlight of their magical 1993 season.
Later Playing Years
In 1994, Thompson was traded to the Houston Astros. After a short time with them, he became a free agent again. He chose to re-sign with the Astros for another year.
After the 1995 season, Thompson became a free agent once more. He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Then, in 1996, the Colorado Rockies picked him up. His time with the Rockies was short, lasting about five weeks. He was released in August 1996, which ended his playing career in the big leagues.
Milt Thompson's Coaching Career
Starting as a Coach
After he stopped playing, Milt Thompson became a coach. In 1997, he worked for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He helped their minor league players with outfield play and base-running.
In 1998, he joined the Phillies as a minor league coach. He took a year off in 2000. Then, he returned to the Phillies' minor league system. He continued to help players with base-running and outfield skills.
Coaching in the Major Leagues
In 2004, Thompson joined the Phillies' main team as the first base coach. The next year, he became the team's hitting coach. He stayed in this role for over five seasons.
As the hitting coach, Thompson helped the Phillies' batters. The team led the league in runs scored twice during his time. In 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series. As their hitting coach, Milt Thompson earned his first World Series championship ring. He went back to the World Series in 2009, but the Phillies lost to the New York Yankees.
Milt Thompson is one of only a few Phillies in history to go to the World Series as both a player and a coach for the team.
In 2010, Thompson's time as the Phillies' hitting coach ended. He was replaced by Greg Gross. Thompson then worked for the Astros and later the Kansas City Royals' minor league team. In 2017, he joined the Cincinnati Reds organization as a minor league hitting instructor.
Personal Life
Milt Thompson has four daughters. He lives with his family in Washington Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey.
Fun Facts About Milt Thompson
- In the 1993 World Series, he hit .313 and had 6 RBI. He also set a Phillies record with 5 RBI in one game during that series.
- He went to Colonel Zadok A. Magruder High School and Howard University.
- In high school, he played baseball, football, and ran track.
- He is well-known for his amazing catches in left field, especially in the early 1990s. One of these was the grand slam-saving catch on April 29, 1993, which was mentioned earlier!
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
