Mark Thompson (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Mark Radford Thompson is a former right-handed pitcher
in Major League Baseball
. He graduated from Logan County High School
in Russellville, Kentucky and he then attended the University of Kentucky
.
Standing at 6'2" tall and 205 pounds (one source has him at 213), Thompson was selected by the Colorado Rockies
65th overall in the second round of the 1992 draft
. In his first two minor league seasons, he was an effective pitcher, posting a record of 14-6.
He spent less than three seasons in the minors before making his big league debut on July 26, against the San Diego Padres
. He earned the win
in that game, but his overall earned run average
in his rookie season (which consisted of two games) was 9.00.
He spent most of the rest of his career bouncing between the majors and minors. He spent only one season entirely in the majors-, when he posted a 9-11 record with a 5.30 ERA. He was ninth in the league in shutout
s that year (with one), but he was also ninth in runs allowed (100) and fourth in hit batsmen (13).
He finished his major league career with an 18-24 record, with a 5.74 ERA. He struck out
198 and walked
161 in 337 innings pitched
.
He had a .154 batting average
in 104 career at bat
s, with the highlight of his batting career being the home run
he hit off of Kent Bottenfield
in a game. He appeared in one postseason game in his career, pitching a perfect inning for the save in the 1995 National League Division Series
. He played his final major league game on July 27, .
He stuck around in the minors until 2003, when he finished his career with the independent Long Island Ducks
.
In 2006, he was the pitching coach for the Casper Rockies
.
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe 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 a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in 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...
. He graduated from Logan County High School
Logan County High School
Logan County High School is a four-year public high school in Russellville, Kentucky with an enrollment of 1,034 students in grades 9 through 12. The principal is Casey Jaynes. Professional baseball player Mark Thompson attended the school. Professional football player Joseph Jefferson is from there....
in Russellville, Kentucky and he then attended the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
.
Standing at 6'2" tall and 205 pounds (one source has him at 213), Thompson was selected by 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...
65th overall in the second round of the 1992 draft
1992 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1992 Major League Baseball draft.-Other notable players:*Raúl Ibáñez, 36th round, Seattle Mariners...
. In his first two minor league seasons, he was an effective pitcher, posting a record of 14-6.
He spent less than three seasons in the minors before making his big league debut on July 26, against the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The 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...
. He earned the win
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
in that game, but his overall earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in his rookie season (which consisted of two games) was 9.00.
He spent most of the rest of his career bouncing between the majors and minors. He spent only one season entirely in the majors-, when he posted a 9-11 record with a 5.30 ERA. He was ninth in the league in shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s that year (with one), but he was also ninth in runs allowed (100) and fourth in hit batsmen (13).
He finished his major league career with an 18-24 record, with a 5.74 ERA. He struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
198 and walked
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
161 in 337 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
.
He had a .154 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
in 104 career at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s, with the highlight of his batting career being the home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
he hit off of Kent Bottenfield
Kent Bottenfield
Kent Dennis Bottenfield is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1992 to 2001 for the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Anaheim Angels, Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros...
in a game. He appeared in one postseason game in his career, pitching a perfect inning for the save in the 1995 National League Division Series
1995 National League Division Series
-Cincinnati Reds vs. Los Angeles Dodgers:-Game 1, October 3:Coors Field in Denver, ColoradoGame 1 was a match-up between aces: Greg Maddux for the Atlanta Braves and Kevin Ritz for the Colorado Rockies. Ritz and Maddux worked their way out of minor trouble early on, but, in the top of the third,...
. He played his final major league game on July 27, .
He stuck around in the minors until 2003, when he finished his career with the independent Long Island Ducks
Long Island Ducks
The Long Island Ducks is an American professional baseball team based in Central Islip, New York. They are a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
.
In 2006, he was the pitching coach for the Casper Rockies
Casper Rockies
The Grand Junction Rockies are a minor league baseball team in the Pioneer League based in Grand Junction, Colorado, United States, where they play at Suplizio Field...
.