Yahoo - When Red Sox draft pick and Washington Huskies football signee Shaq Thompson first suited up for the Boston’s Gulf Coast League team, everyone knew that he would struggle to compete at an adequate level right off the bat. After all, Thompson had only returned to playing regularly his senior year after a pair of seasons lost to a focus on developing speed on the track. Still, the Red Sox decided to persist with playing Thompson every day, and the results were even worse than anyone could have imagined. In the end, Thompson completed what is almost certainly the single worst start to a minor league career ever. In 39 at-bats, Thompson was 0-for-39, good for a batting average of 0.00. More stunningly, he struck out 37 times. “He has excellent makeup. It’s through the roof. He knew that it wouldn’t be easy and would be a struggle but he was willing to take the risk,” Sox amateur scouting director Amiel Sawdaye told Boston radio network WEEI. “We did not have expectations — I think it’s unfair to put those on any kid in his first year of pro ball” even when an athlete is competing to justify his $45,000 signing bonus and some $100,000 in total potential earnings over a four-year developmental contract that allows him to continue playing football.


Phew!  I was beginning to worry that the Sox had no plan on how to rebuild the franchise.   Looks like I was dead wrong.   They are loading the minor league system with guys who bat zero and strike out every single time they get up, but have tremendous makeup.   Introducing Shaq Thompson.  Now I feel better.  And yes I know this story is a couple days old, but I just saw it.

PS – I’m being dead serious when I say there is no pitcher in the history of baseball who could strike me out 37 out of 39 times.    That’s a fact.  I don’t even think Steve Nebraska could strike me out 37 out of 39 times.  Well maybe Pedro could if he threw as hard as he did during the all star game for 39 straight AB’s, but there is no way he could keep that up.   He was throwing 194 mph that day.