Hat slightly offset, Daryl Thompson stands tall, feet together atop the pitcher鈥檚 mound, holding the ball out in front of him in his right hand, tucked into his mitt, the glove鈥檚 fingers pointed skyward.
He breaks his hands, dropping his right foot into the rubber and his left foot behind him back toward first base and freezes, almost like a dance move. After the hitch, he kicks his left knee up under his glove hand and drives toward home plate, something he鈥檚 done more than nearly anyone who鈥檚 ever pitched in the Atlantic League.
Thompson is many things for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. At 33, he鈥檚 a veteran among veterans in the top independent professional baseball league. He鈥檚 a fan favorite, having grown up just down the road. He matriculated from La Plata High School, not four miles from Regency Furniture Stadium.
In his eighth season on the team, he鈥檚 not just the stalwart of the staff, he鈥檚 also now the pitching coach.
鈥淲hen you think of the Blue Crabs, he is basically the heart and soul of the team,鈥� said outfielder Cory Vaughn, who has played with Thompson since 2017 and said he鈥檚 never seen him have a bad day.
鈥淗e鈥檚 like the hometown hero around here.鈥�
Despite the dual player/coach role, despite the wiry, white hairs infiltrating his jet black beard, despite a right arm that鈥檚 thrown more than 2,000 professional innings everywhere from Vermont, to Vegas, to Venezuela, he鈥檚 putting together the best season in his winding, 17-year professional career, and one of the best in league history.
Thompson will make his final home start of 2019 Sunday at Regency Furniture Stadium. He鈥檚 all but guaranteed two-thirds of the Atlantic League pitching triple crown, with his league-leading 15 wins and 151 strikeouts. But he was on pace to break the single-season strikeout record of 164 before a stomach bug sidelined him and cost him a start. He can still do it with 14 Ks over his final two outings, certainly not an impossible task considering he鈥檚 averaged just shy of six per start in the second half of the season.
He鈥檚 also fast approaching the career strikeout mark of 760 (he鈥檚 at 733), and has a chance at reaching the all-time wins mark of 74 (he鈥檚 got 60) and innings pitched total of 1,150.2 (Thompson is at 973.1) if he throws another season like this one next year.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of fun to watch,鈥� said Blue Crabs Manager Stan Cliburn. 鈥淚t鈥檚 created a lot of electricity not only in the league but around here. Everybody when you go out there asks, 鈥榃hen does Daryl Thompson pitch again?鈥欌��
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Originally drafted by the Expos in the eighth round in 2003, when he was just 17, Thompson found himself in the Washington Nationals system when the team relocated in 2005. But he was moved to the Reds organization in a multiplayer trade along with Royce Clayton and others in the deal that brought Austin Kearns to Washington.
Thompson is no longer in possession of the raw stuff that got him to the big leagues. In his Major League debut with Cincinnati in 2008, he took a no decision despite five scoreless innings at Yankee Stadium against a murderer鈥檚 row of Johnny Damon, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui and Jason Giambi, as the Reds didn鈥檛 score until the seventh inning of a 6-0 victory. He would lose his next two starts and wouldn鈥檛 see the big leagues again for three more years and one ill-fated relief appearance. He threw only 17.1 innings and never earned a Major League win.
The next year, Thompson came home to Charles County to pitch for the Blue Crabs. He had stints in Triple-A and the Mexican League, but would always find his way home for at least some portion of the season and always seemed to find the most success back in Waldorf.
鈥淚n previous years I鈥檝e come here and I鈥檝e pitched to try to get out of here,鈥� he told WTOP. 鈥淎nd those were probably my worst years.鈥�
Thompson knows, despite his sparkling stat line this season, his 0.98 WHIP and 2.99 ERA, that there is likely no call coming this winter from a Major League organization.
鈥淭o be honest, I鈥檓 not really worried about getting picked up or anything right now, he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 just focused more on the pitching staff that I have and doing what I can for those guys.鈥�
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As the cult of velocity infiltrates training facilities and front offices, and hopefuls are signed off the street from in-stadium radar gun performances, Thompson has preached the gospel of pitching to contact, getting ahead, trusting your stuff to get easy outs. It’s what’s fueled his own transformation.
The only other former big league pitcher in his current clubhouse, one-time National Mat Latos, has had a similar reckoning this year. Despite the Trackman technology installed at every park around the league showing a decline in his spin rate 鈥� and with his pure velocity not what it once was 鈥� Latos has discovered a cutter and embraced the movement on his fastball instead of the heat.
As the Blue Crabs鈥� closer, he鈥檚 got a 1.13 ERA and 25 saves, good for a share of the league lead. While he鈥檚 just two years younger than Thompson, Latos said he鈥檚 benefitted from Thompson鈥檚 lead-by-example attitude as teammate and coach.
鈥淚鈥檝e been around a long time. There鈥檚 guys that talk a lot about doing this or doing that. He doesn鈥檛 talk about it 鈥� he just does it,鈥� said Latos.
Thompson and Latos have formed a formidable 1-2 punch, with no need for middle relief. In 12 second-half starts this season, Thompson has gone at least seven full innings nine times, with Latos saving each of his last four victories.
鈥淲hen I come in and I see Thompson on the lineup card, I鈥檝e got one of two options,鈥� said Latos. 鈥淓ither he鈥檚 going to go complete game, or I鈥檓 getting up and getting ready for the ninth.鈥�
Earlier this year, Thompson won 11 consecutive starts. Not 11 straight decisions, mind you. Only 12 pitchers in Major League history since 1908 have ever and only three since 1968 鈥� Brad Radke (1997), Johan Santana (2004) and Justin Verlander (2011) 鈥� who each won 12 straight starts.
While Cliburn compares Thompson鈥檚 approach on the mound to the great control pitchers of the game, Latos likens Thompson鈥檚 mentality to the workhorses of today鈥檚 MLB, Max Scherzer and, sure enough, Justin Verlander.
鈥�(He’s one of) those guys that sit there and say, 鈥楴o, you go sit down, I got this. I鈥檒l handle what I need to handle, then I鈥檒l give up the baseball when I鈥檓 good and ready,鈥欌�� said Latos.
There鈥檚 something to be said about that attitude from a wider lens when it comes to Thompson as well. When Cliburn first offered the player/coach position to Thompson this winter, the suggestion was both humbling and disconcerting. He couldn鈥檛 help but wonder if it was a signal that his playing days were numbered.
鈥淚 did feel honored about it,鈥� said Thompson. 鈥淏ut at the same time I felt like, man, do they think I鈥檓 getting too old? That it鈥檚 time for me to jump on the other side?鈥�
Even in the Atlantic League, where the average age is 29, baseball is a young man鈥檚 game. But that perspective changes when you鈥檙e talking about a coach.
鈥淗e鈥檚 old for the league,鈥� said Latos. 鈥淣ot for the Earth.鈥�
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Every winter for the last seven years, Thompson has traveled south to play in the Venezuelan Winter Leagues. It鈥檚 a chance for another paycheck, sure, but also to keep challenging himself against players in affiliated ball, to keep improving. This last offseason his teammates included Minnesota Twins slugger Willians Astudillo and Milwaukee Brewers middle infielder Orlando Arcia.
But with broader geopolitical forces likely taking that option away from him this year, he expects to stay at home and run some clinics, but with his eyes open for anyone who will give him a chance to keep throwing.
鈥淚 could see him pitching until his arm falls off,鈥� said Blue Crabs catcher Mike Falsetti. 鈥淗e just loves the game. He鈥檚 like a little kid out there.鈥�
Falsetti鈥檚 in his first year behind the plate in Southern Maryland. But he said the learning curve with Thompson was 鈥渘onexistent.鈥� Even the league eliminating mound visits this year, as it serves as a live training ground for potential new MLB rules, didn鈥檛 make things difficult for the battery mates.
鈥淲ith Daryl being as experienced and as knowledgeable as he is, he really doesn鈥檛 need a pitching coach out there,鈥� said Falsetti. 鈥淭here isn鈥檛 one time this whole year, if the rule was not in effect, that I would have had to go out there. I see him, I see his body language, and he鈥檚 got it under control.鈥�
Thompson was voted the organization鈥檚 Greatest of All Time last year by the fans, all before this season and the potential records. To paraphrase another minor league legend, setting an Atlantic League career record might seem to some like a dubious honor, but it鈥檚 one that Thompson isn鈥檛 shy about, even if he thinks he might appreciate them more down the line.
鈥淗aving those milestones with my name next to it means a lot, but I think it will mean a lot more when it鈥檚 all said and done, when it鈥檚 over,鈥� he said.
Latos was a little more blunt about Thompson鈥檚 accomplishments.
鈥淣o matter what happens at the end of this year, the man can walk out of here with his head the highest knowing that he just threw the absolute piss out of the baseball all season,鈥� he said.
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Even as Thompson has improved at an age when he鈥檚 supposed to winding down, he knows nothing lasts forever.
鈥淓ventually it鈥檚 going to run out,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut until then, I鈥檓 going to keep going until I can鈥檛 anymore.鈥�
In the meantime, he鈥檚 not showing any signs of slowing down.
鈥淗e鈥檚 the most energetic guy in the dugout on the days he鈥檚 not pitching and the days he鈥檚 pitching,鈥� said Cliburn. 鈥淲ith his personality, and the way he is, he will never lose that. That鈥檚 why he鈥檚 going to be a good pitching coach someday.鈥�
His teammates think he already is, but Cliburn isn鈥檛 talking about for the Atlantic League. While Thompson may never make it back to the majors or even affiliated ball as a pitcher, his manager sees a bright future for him on a coaching staff.
鈥淭here might be the Washington Nationals come calling, or the Baltimore Orioles,鈥� said Cliburn. 鈥淲hat he鈥檚 done here on his resume, not only as a pitcher but as a pitching coach, speaks volumes as to what he鈥檚 done.鈥�
That鈥檚 the goal for Thompson, eventually, whenever he can鈥檛 take the mound every fifth day anymore. It鈥檚 why he might be more proud of the work he鈥檚 done with the rest of the staff this year than anything he鈥檚 accomplished himself, knowing that the lessons he鈥檚 learned will make him a better coach next year and in the years to come.
Thompson speaks fondly of his teammates, of the improvements they鈥檝e made, from the beginning to now 鈥� not to the end, but to the present.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the one thing I look at,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not how you start. It鈥檚 how you finish.鈥�
