Pitcher Mike Thompson will take Colorado’s thin air anytime over what he has to deal with in Mobile, Ala., where he pitches for the San Diego Padres’ Double-A team in the Southern League.
Thompson’s choice might sound strange considering the horror stories usually associated with pitching at Coors Field or in Colorado Springs, home of the Triple-A Sky Sox. But a closer look at Thompson’s résumé reveals a clue.
He’s from Lamar, right in the middle of Colorado’s “baseball belt.”
“It’s tough to breathe and I can’t drink enough water when I’m pitching here,” Thompson said. “I think it’s harder to pitch here because of the humidity and the thick, heavy air.”
Thompson has followed the instructions of pitching coach Mike Harkey, who pitched for the Rockies and Sky Sox in 1994.
“You still have to make the pitches and the necessary adjustments no matter where you pitch,” Harkey said. “This is a tough place to pitch because you’re dealing with the elements. It’s going to be 95 degrees with 85 percent humidity just about every time you pitch. It makes for a lot of distractions.”
Thompson has waded through the heavy air and compiled a 15-8 record for the BayBears in two seasons, including a 10-2 record last year when he was among the farm-system leaders for the Padres. He says his fastball “average” is in the low-90 mph range. His best pitch might be a cut slider, and he’s developing a changeup as well as a knuckle-curve.
This season, his 108 1/3 innings are the second-most by any pitcher in the Southern League, and his 3.32 ERA is third-best among pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched. He was the starting pitcher for the Southern Division team Wednesday night in the Southern League’s all-star game at Mobile’s Hank Aaron Stadium.
“We were no-hit for the first six innings,” Thompson said of the game that resulted in a 12-5 Northern Division victory.
Thompson, who has grown to 6-feet-4, 215 pounds and played in a high school all-star game in 1999 at Coors Field, thinks he will get out of Mobile’s humidity one way or the other during or after this season.
Harkey said he believes Thompson will move up to Triple-A before the season ends. If not, Thompson will complete his sixth year in the Padres’ organization and can become a free agent if not offered a contract by San Diego.
“I’m kind of a late bloomer,” Thompson said. “But better late than never.”
Thompson has his baseball roots.
“Baseball is the school’s sport in Lamar,” Thompson said. “We have better baseball weather in the southeast part of the state.”
His goal is to join the likes of Scott Elarton (Cleveland), Doug Brocail (Texas), Mike Oquist (retired) and Tippy Martinez (retired), major-league pitchers from Colorado’s southeastern “baseball belt.”
Thompson returns every offseason to spend time in Colorado’s thin air. He helps his brother on the family farm outside Walsh.
“That farm helped me get to where I am now,” Thompson said. “But it doesn’t take long to remember that I like baseball better than driving tractors.”
Irv Moss can be reached at 303-820-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
