reviewjournal.com -- Sports: Thompson makes strong impression in Cards' bullpen

Friday, May 20, 2005
Copyright ? Las Vegas Review-Journal

Thompson makes strong impression in Cards' bullpen

Local posts 1.29 ERA in four appearances

By TODD DEWEY
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Brad Thompson Cimarron graduate earned save in major league debut May 8

Brad Thompson was resting in his hotel room in Omaha, Neb., when he got the call.

His manager with Triple-A Memphis summoned him to the hotel restaurant to discuss a dispute over the bill.

"He told me the waitress said I stiffed her on the bill, but I said 'that's not true,' " said Thompson, a former Cimarron-Memorial High School standout. "He said 'I paid for it so you have to pay me, but don't worry about it. You can afford it now. You're going to the big leagues.' "

After a sleepless night, the baby-faced 23-year-old right-hander hopped a flight to St. Louis to join the Cardinals on May 5.

Thompson made his major league debut May 8 against San Diego, giving up a run on two hits in three innings to earn a save. He's 0-0 with a 1.29 ERA in four appearances overall.

Relying on a sinker -- his best pitch -- a slider and a change-up, Thompson has given up one run on four hits and a walk in seven innings, with four strikeouts.

"It's pretty exciting. It's a whole new world up here," he said. "Everything's better, from all the fans you get to the stadiums, the meals, the hotels.

"It's a great place to be and it's somewhere I'd like to stay for a while."

Thompson, who was mired in Class A two years ago and was thrilled just to be in Double A last season, acknowledges he didn't expect to reach the big leagues so soon.

"My goal was to hopefully become a September call-up at the end of the year when they expand the rosters," he said. "When I got the call to go this early, it came out of nowhere. It was totally unexpected."

Surprisingly, the 6-foot-1-inch, 195-pounder pitched sparingly in high school.

"I think that was something good for me. It saved my arm quite a bit," Thompson said.

He went 11-2 his sophomore year at Dixie State College, the only school to offer him a scholarship, and he was a 16th-round draft pick of the Cardinals in 2002.

Thompson made a dominant debut with the Double-A Tennessee Smokies last year, setting a Southern League record with 49 consecutive scoreless innings. His streak was 57 2/3 innings going back to 2003, a modern minor league mark.

"I was lucky last year to even make that Double-A team, and to have that start there put my name on the map," he said.

Thompson made nine relief appearances, going 2-1 with a 3.29 ERA, for Memphis this season before getting called up.

He made a strong impression with the Cardinals in just his third outing when he escaped a first-and-third, no-out jam in a 7-6 win over the Mets.

He gave up a go-ahead hit, but then caught Jose Reyes stealing second -- after faking a throw to third -- and retired Miguel Cairo and Carlos Beltran to limit the damage.

"That's another check mark in the column for him," Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "He was sent into a very scary situation, and he handled it with real composure.

"I've seen veteran pitchers be spooked in that situation, and he was not. That was a big plus for him."

Bruce Manno, the Cardinals' director of player development, said Thompson has exceeded expectations.

"He's been very effective and he has a chance to be a real good big league pitcher," Manno said. "He has a good sinker and he can get ground balls in key situations."

Fellow reliever Ray King raved about Thompson to mlb.com.

"Brad's got unbelievable stuff, and he's not afraid," he said. "He's got a nasty sinker and great change-up. I think he's opened some eyes, and knock on wood, I hope he's here the rest of the year."

Thompson said he just wants to stay consistent.

"The main thing is I'm throwing my sinker down in the zone and getting ground balls," he said. "That pitch has been working for me all the way up and it will be in my arsenal for a long time."

Ironically, Thompson has tried to model himself after another pitcher from Las Vegas, 300-game winner Greg Maddux.

"He's a guy I've always looked up to, especially being from Vegas," Thompson said. "He's a big control guy, changing speeds and making the ball move, and that's what I try to do."

Source: http://reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/May-20-Fri-2005/sports/26561118.html?imw=Y

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