New Orioles minor leaguer Mike Thomas took a break from his club in late July 1990 to return home - and play football, The Charlotte Observer wrote.
The two-sport star played in his last high school game, an all-star game, as he pursued his pro baseball career and readied to continue his football career at North Carolina.
"Before the draft, I put everything I wanted in black and white," Thomas explained to The Observer. "This was one of the things I wanted to do. And the Orioles have kept their promise."
Thomas continued to play both minor league baseball and college football. The two careers, however, lasted about the same time. His baseball career saw four seasons. He topped out at high-A.
Thomas' baseball career began that year in 1990, taken by the Orioles in the third-round of the draft out of Richmond County High School in North Carolina.
Thomas started with the Orioles at rookie Bluefield. He saw 24 games and hit .203. He returned to Bluefield for 1991. He saw 41 games that year and hit .225.
He stayed with Bluefield in 1991 into early August, when he was allowed to leave early to join his North Carolina football team.
"It's a new beginning for me," Thomas told The Chapel Hill News as he prepared to join the Tar Heels and after testing issues meant he couldn't play fall 1990. "It's a great opportunity, and I'm just glad I'm getting a chance. I'll do everything I can to take advantage of it."
Thomas made four completions on seven attempts that fall at North Carolina. Then, in 1992, he again played at Bluefield, his third campaign there in a row.
The split between football and baseball, however, began to be seen by some as holding Thomas back, including his 1992 manager Mike O'Berry.
"Mike's got the tools. He has a good arm, good speed and good power," O'Berry told The Bristol Herald Courier late that July. "But if Mike is ever going to start making that jump in baseball he's going to have to dedicate himself to the game."
Thomas ended with a .301 average in 43 games in 1992. He then isn't recorded as playing in 1993.
In the meantime, he quarterbacked North Carolina. He recorded 54 completions in fall 1992, with three touchdowns. He then had 20 completions and one touchdown in fall 1993.
He returned to baseball for one more season, in 1994, with the Padres. He saw 35 games at single-A Springfield and nine at high-A Rancho Cucamonga to end his baseball career.
Thomas is then recorded as quarterbacking North Carolina in 1994 and 1995, 39 completions and eight touchdowns in 1994 and 185 completions and 10 touchdowns in 1995 to end his sports career.
- Charlotte Observer, July 25, 1990: Thomas The Focal Point As East's Quarterback
- Chapel Hill News, Aug. 4, 1991: Thomas
- Bristol Herald Courier, July 31, 1991: Mike Thomas straddles line with Orioles and Tar Heels
Made the Majors:1,424-32.0
Never Made Majors:3,027-68.0%-X
More 1990 Minor Leaguers:
- Mark Thomas toughed it out first year to play 5 seasons, 5/1/18
- Mitch Thomas, Baseball History, 1/1/16
- Orlando Thomas, Game-Winner, 5/28/17
- Ron Thomas, Bore Down, 11/26/14
- Royal Thomas, Some Durability, 10/31/15
No comments:
Post a Comment