Results tagged ‘ Tommy Thompson ’
Friday funnies
The Dash and Mudcats are a few hours away from kicking off a three-game series at Five County Stadium. With many of you approaching a long weekend, we figured to give you some quick laughs and quirks before heading off to your holiday destinations.
After last night’s game in Salem, the Dash hit the road for Zebulon, N.C. There was some, well, unique deliberation about the movie choice on the bus.
The team wanted to watch Mighty Ducks on the bus. Coaches didnt want to. So, Naturally, we ‘Quacked! Quacked!,Quacked!” Until we got our way
— Grant Buckner (@GrantBuckner) May 24, 2013
No Mighty Ducks the coaches said? Well our team answered… “QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, QUACK!!!!” Now we are watching Mighty Ducks 2.
— Chris Bassitt (@C_Bass419) May 24, 2013
Also last night, 2012 Dash skipper Tommy Thompson had quite an exit last night when Low-A Kannapolis played Hickory.
(H/T to @TepidP for the link on Twitter)
The Intimidators and Crawdads played in arguably the wackiest game of the minor league season thus far this season. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Hickory’s Jordan Akins hit a long fly down down the left field line. It was originally ruled a home run, but the umpire duo reversed the call AFTER Akins rounded the bases and celebrated with his teammates.
Take a listen to the highlights from the ninth inning from Kannapolis play-by-play broadcaster Josh Feldman.
Unfortunately, the ‘Dads rallied from a four-run 12th-inning deficit to stun the Intimidators 7-6. You can check out the full Kannapolis game story here. Plus, Feldman covers it more in his Intimidating Insight blog here.
The Dash and Muddies kick off their series tonight at 7:15 p.m. The Pregame Dash begins at 7 p.m., and you can listen live here. Talk to you then.
- Brian
Catching up with Tommy Thompson
Tommy Thompson (middle) and the Dash did plenty of celebrating in 2012 (Steve Orcutt/W-S Dash).
The 2012 Carolina League Manager of the Year, Thompson is now with the Kannapolis Intimidators, and many of his current players will suit up for the Dash soon. Last week, I talked with Tommy about his current club and the thrill that was the 2012 season in the Triad.
Plus, Tommy is officially off the market! He’s getting married today, and his comments about this are fantastic (skip to the 2:45 mark if you’d like).
Congratulations to Tommy. It was great to catch up with one of baseball’s most fascinating people. And sorry ladies, he is off the market.
- Brian
Thursday News And Notes
Bobby Thigpen spent three years in Winston-Salem before his recent promotion to the White Sox coaching staff (Brian Westerholt/Sports on Film).
December is almost here, so the Dash front office is busy spreading holiday joy, hanging out with Santa and gearing up for the holiday season. With 2013 approaching, big league organizations are making some important decisions for the upcoming season. Here are a few notes to quench your baseball thirst on a Thursday afternoon:
- Congrats to Bobby Thigpen, who will join the White Sox staff as the bullpen coach. Thiggy was the Dash’s pitching coach from 2009-11 before spending this season with Double-A Birmingham in the same role. Thigpen was certainly a fan favorite here in Winston-Salem, and Chicago skipper Robin Ventura has known him for his entire career.
- The Sox also announced that Daryl Boston, who spent 12 seasons as the organization’s outfield instructor, will join the big league staff in 2013 as the first base coach. Boston made a handful of stops in Winston-Salem this season, and it was good to occasionally chat with him. Congrats to him, too.
- The only Carolina League team to announce its field staff for 2013 is the Carolina Mudcats, who will have a new look when the Dash open the campaign in Zebulon April 5. David Wallace becomes the Muddies’ manager after guiding Lake County, the Indians’ Low-A affiliate, to the playoffs this season. Hitting coach Rouglas Odor and pitching coach Jeff Harris will accompany Wallace, who replaces 2012 skipper Edwin Rodriguez. The former Marlins boss will lead Cleveland’s Double-A affiliate in Akron.
- The White Sox have yet to announce their minor league staff assignments for 2013, but this news should be released soon. Last year, Dash fans learned that Tommy Thompson was Winston-Salem’s 2012 manager in mid-November, while the 2011 staff decisions were made public a few days before Christmas.
- Earlier this week, the BBWAA released the 37-man ballot for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. More than 600 voters have until December 31 to submit their vote, and some notable (and controversial) names are on the list. A few players linked to performance-enhancing drugs (Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa) will prompt many debates on the standards to reach the Hall of Fame. It should be fascinating to watch.
The Dash’s season opener is only 127 days away. We can’t wait!
- Brian
Why The Dash Are Thankful
Thanksgiving week is here, and the Dash wish you and yours a tremendous holiday weekend. We are thankful for so much, so we wanted to share some of these things with you, our loyal readers.
The Dash are thankful for…
- all 305,515 fans who visited BB&T Ballpark for the 2012 season.
- an All-Star season, capped by a 9-1 victory in the Midsummer Classic.
- having the MVP (Dan Black) and the Manager of the Year (Tommy Thompson) in Winston-Salem.
- the decimal .630. It was the Dash’s 2012 winning percentage, good for the best in full-season minor league baseball.
- large windows in the control room so that they can see T-Rock bust a move to “Tricky” and “Call Me Maybe.”
- Brady Shoemaker’s first-half dominance.
- Kevan Smith’s playoff prowess.
- having the opportunity to see highly-touted prospects Jackie Bradley, Dylan Bundy, Billy Hamilton and George Springer, among others, play at BB&T Ballpark.
- the potential of the 2013 squad, with players like Courtney Hawkins, Erik Johnson, Scott Snodgress and Keenyn Walker candidates to begin the season in the Triad.
- the fact that things like Bolt, Lemonheads, ZOOperstars mean something to folks in Winston-Salem.
- a beautiful ballpark that features family-friendly entertainment all summer long.
- the 2013 season, which is just 136 days away.
Have a tremendous Thanksgiving, and thank you so much for reading this blog all season long. Enjoy your turkey.
- Brian
Thanks For The Help, Winston-Salem
The Dash have done plenty of high-fiving after games at BB&T Ballpark (Steve Orcutt/W-S Dash).
The offseason brings with it a chance to reflect on the Dash’s season and recent history. With that as the motivation, I explored Winston-Salem’s successes both at home and overall, and some tremendous facts came from this research.
First off, the Dash boast the best home record in full-season minor league baseball since 2010, the debut season at BB&T Ballpark.
In other words, BB&T Ballpark is the toughest place to play in the minor leagues since its opening April 13, 2010.
Winston posted a 48-23 mark at home this season, which was tops among the 120 full-season clubs. The Dash also thrived at home in their debut season at BB&T Ballpark in 2010 (47-22) before following up with a solid 2011 showing in the Triad (39-32).
Also, the Dash’s drive to the top mark in the minors this season propelled Winston-Salem into the conversation for best minor league team since 2010.
The franchise is 237-180-1 (.568) over the last three seasons, which is the third-best overall record in the minors during that span.
Only the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (244-177; .580) and San Jose Giants (241-179; .574) have been better than the Dash in the last three seasons.
The Dash have had some great players come through Winston-Salem, but fan support helps a ton, too. You, the fans, have brought almost one million fans to BB&T Ballpark since its opening, and this support, the best in the Carolina League, has aided the Dash’s incredible three-year run.
Thanks, fans!
- Brian
Tommy Thompson For President?
Photo courtesy of the Washington Post.
The Winston-Salem Dash will have a presence in this year’s election. During last night’s Presidential Debate, challenger Mitt Romney said this (h/t to the New York Times):
“And I remember as a governor, when this idea was floated by Tommy Thompson, the governors, Republican and Democrats, said, please let us do that. We can care for our own poor in so much better and more effective a way than having the federal government tell us how to care for our poor.”
Romney was referring to Tommy Thompson, the Republican U.S. Senate candidate here in Wisconsin. However, those with a Dash background made the connection with the reigning Carolina League Manager of the Year.
I promise you will not have to read political views on this blog (except “Vote for Dash 2012“), but this was too good not to pass along. Tommy for President!
- Brian
Vote For the Dash As MiLB’s Best Team
VOTE HERE
Thanks to an 87-51-1 mark that was the best in full-season minor league baseball, the Dash are one of the 12 nominees for the 2012 MiLBY “Team of the Year” award.
The Dash finished with the second-best record in Winston-Salem history since the franchise joined the Carolina League as a charter member in 1945. Winston also finished with a 48-23 record at home, which was good for the best in full-season minor league baseball.
Winston-Salem featured more than 20 players who were promoted to Double-A or Triple-A by the end of the season. Slugger Dan Black earned the CL’s Most Valuable Player award, while skipper Tommy Thompson took home the Manager of the Year honor.
In addition to the Team of the Year nomination, Keenyn Walker’s home run against Dylan Bundy, a highly-touted pitching prospect who recently joined the Baltimore Orioles, has been nominated for the Home Run of the Year. The home run was Walker’s first in High-A, and it came during his first at-bat at BB&T Ballpark.
To vote, click the link above and navigate through the bar on the right-hand side. You do not have to vote for every category, but you do have to fill out the information at the bottom of the page.
Support the Dash in the MiLBY awards!
- Brian
Dash Top 10: #6 – Dash Dominate Postseason Awards
Dan Black and the Dash were well-represented on the year-end All-Star roster (Jody Stewart/W-S Dash).
This is the fifth installment of the “Dash Top 10,” where we rehash the top 10 moments from the Dash’s historic 2012 season. Stay tuned to the Dash Board Blog for the rest of the series over the next few days.
Previous Top 10 Moments:
#10: Second-half clinch
#9: Hankerd’s walk-off
#8: 10-game win streak
#7: 5-run 9th sinks Salem
Moment #6 (August 30): Dan Black and Tommy Thompson take home top league honors, while five Dash swingers earn year-end All-Star spots.
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This is the only Top 10 moment that did not take place on the field, but it probably embodies the Dash’s 2012 success better than any other moment this season.
On an otherwise typical Thursday morning, the Carolina League made an announcement that simply confirmed what everyone already knew: Winston-Salem was the circuit’s signature team this season.
First baseman Dan Black earned the CL’s Most Valuable Player award, and skipper Tommy Thompson took home the Manager of the Year honor. Black also joined four other Winston whackers on the year-end All-Star squad.
Carlos Sanchez was the All-Star second baseman, while Michael Earley, Brady Shoemaker and Trayce Thompson all made the squad as outfielders.
These five men, along with the other 52 who donned the Dash purple this season, helped Winston-Salem reach new heights in 2012. Winston posted the franchise’s second-best record since joining the CL 67 years ago. The Dash churned out a league-leading 21 double-digit run outputs. They led the Carolina League in almost every relevant offensive statistic, too.
Sure, a plethora of dangerous hitters helped the Dash to the Mills Cup Finals, but Tommy Thompson’s managing was critical, too. Tommy seemingly pushed the right button all the time, and his attitude rubbed off on every player in the dugout.
The Dash dominated the Carolina League, so it is no surprise they had the strongest presence when the league office announced these postseason awards. It was an incredible season for these six men and the Dash as a whole.
We will present the Dash’s fifth-best moment from the 2012 campaign tomorrow, and it involved some celebration. Have a good Friday night.
- Brian
Dash Top 10: #10 – Second-Half Clinch
Keenyn Walker’s glove helped the Dash clinch a second-half crown (Jody Stewart/W-S Dash).
This is the first installment of the “Dash Top 10,” where we rehash the top 10 moments from the Dash’s historic 2012 season. Stay tuned to the Dash Board Blog for the rest of the series over the next two weeks.
Moment #10 (August 30): Keenyn Walker’s dazzling double play clinches the second-half Southern Division title for Winston-Salem.
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The Dash put together one of the best seasons in Winston-Salem history, and they finished off a “clean sweep” in the regular season with a second-half championship.
The way Winston-Salem clinched that Southern Division crown was remarkable and worthy of inclusion on our year-end Top 10 list. It was the penultimate home game of the season, and the Dash held a 5-4 advantage over Lynchburg with one down in the top of the ninth. With Dan Brewer at first, Nick Ahmed crushed a ball to deep left-center. However, Keenyn Walker made one of the best defensive plays of 2012 for the final two outs of the game:
Winston-Salem skipper Tommy Thompson called it one of the best plays he has seen in person during his long baseball career, and it was an incredible way to end the chase for back-to-back division crowns.
Sure, the Dash already had a playoff spot locked up when Walker helped Winston track down the second-half Southern Division title, but Thompson and the rest of Winston’s clubhouse wanted to finish what they started. They certainly did it with a fantastic play to cap off the crown.
Stay tuned for our ninth-best moment from the regular season, which involves one of the most stunning comebacks in the Carolina League in 2012. Talk to you then.
- Brian
