Interview with Cardinal Minor Leaguer Brad Thompson
Another Birdhouse Exclusive
By Brian Walton
With the Arizona Fall League injury to Josh Kinney, right-hander Brad Thompson got the late call to join the Grand Canyon Rafters. Even though he was pitching against much more experienced competition, typically AA players and above, the 21-year-old Thompson did not disappoint. In his 11-1/3 innings pitched, he struck out six, walked just two and allowed only two earned runs. With just four more innings pitched, Thompson’s 1.59 ERA would have qualified as second lowest in the entire AFL. He picked up one save and held AFL hitters to a collective .200 batting average.
Thompson was drafted by the Cardinals in the 16th round of the 2002 draft, just over one year ago. In his first season as a professional, Thompson played at Peoria (low-A) most of the year, moving up to Palm Beach (high-A) for last few games. For the season, the 6’-1”, 190 pound Thompson won six games, lost three and posted an ERA of 2.66. He gave up only two home runs all year and his strikeout to walk ratio was a solid 47 to 10.
I caught up with Thompson during the Arizona Fall League this month.
BW: Your home is Las Vegas, right? And you were drafted out of Dixie Junior College in Utah. How did you get there from Vegas?
BT: I was supposed to go to CCSN, Community College of Southern Nevada. I was going to walk on there, but Dixie had a scholarship for me, so I went for it.
BW: At what point did you think you would have a chance at a professional career or did you know it all along?
BT: No, definitely not. It was a shock to me. I had a good freshman year at Dixie. My sophomore year, I finally started to get a little bit of exposure. Then, I thought I had a chance to play pro ball.
BW: You were a late addition to the Rafters AFL roster. When did you learn that you were coming?
BT: I was actually in the Instructional League in Florida. They called me in the office one day and said, “We’re going to get you out of here.” I didn’t know what they were talking about. (laughs) But, they said they were going to send me down here. I was excited. This is a big deal.
BW: Did you go straight to the Instructional League after the regular season?
BT: I was home for about a week. A little bit.
BW: Is it a surprise to already be at this level only one year after being drafted?
BT: Oh, definitely, I am just excited to be here. I am trying to take advantage of the opportunity I’ve been given. It’s definitely exciting for me.
BW: You’ve been pitching in middle relief with some success, but you’ve also finished three games. Which do you like better, middle relief or closing out games?
BT: I’m pretty comfortable everywhere they’ve put me in. This whole year, I’ve moved around a lot and I’ve done a lot of different roles. I don’t really have a set role where I need to be. I like it all.
BW: Coming from the Instructional League, they work with you closely on areas to improve. Are you continuing those here, also, and if so, what are they?
BT: One big thing I was working on in the Instructional League was getting a dominant third pitch, which is a changeup for me. I really didn’t have one. I am working on it on a little bit down here. It a little bit tougher to work on pitches here just because of the talent. I am still getting a chance to work on it, especially on the side; just little things which you can always bring into the game.
BW: When you were a kid, did you emulate a particular pitcher?
BT: I like to watch baseball. I see all these pitchers. I don’t really have one person. Types of guys like Nolan Ryan, a big power type guy. Not that I am a power type guy myself, but I like the way they go about it; their presence on the mound.
BW: You played in Peoria most of 2003, moving up to Palm Beach at the end of the season. Where do you hope to be when the 2004 season starts?
BT: I hoping that I can start in AA next year. They told me if I could keep my skills going, I’ve got a chance to do that. That’s where I’d like to be. That’s what I’m hoping for. But if not, it’s something to shoot for by the end of the year.
