Catching up with Milt Thompson

Outfielder Milt Thompson spent 13 years in the Major Leagues, including five seasons with the Phillies. He played on the 1993 National League champion Phillies and was the hitting coach for the 2008 World Series champions. He also coached on the 2009 Phillies team that won the NL pennant. His three World Series appearances with the Phillies are matched by only one other person, the late Mike Ryan, a coach on the 1980, 1983 and 1993 clubs.

Milt returned to the Phillies organization as a club ambassador in March 2022. In this role, he serves as a club resource for community outreach with an emphasis on youth baseball and softball development, working with the Phillies RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner cities) program and the Phillies Urban Youth Academy. He also spends time at Citizens Bank Park interacting with fans and sponsors and makes appearances throughout the community.

• Phillies Alumni

Phillies career
The Phillies acquired him from the Braves with closer Steve Bedrosian for pitcher Pete Smith and catcher Ozzie Virgil on Dec. 10, 1985. He was traded to the Cardinals three years later, signed as a free agent by the Phillies on Dec. 9, 1992, and traded to the Astros in midseason (1994). … His best Phillies season was 1987, when he hit .302 in 150 games with 26 doubles, nine triples, seven homers, 43 RBIs and a career-high 46 stolen bases. … Thompson was used in a platoon role with the 1993 club, posting a .262 average (.279 vs. RHP). He batted .231 in the NLCS and .294 in the World Series that magical year. … He set a club record by driving in 5 runs in Game 4 of that series. … An excellent outfielder, he was at home in all three positions. … In 584 Phillies games, Milt had 492 hits and a .279 batting average.

The Catch
Thompson's greatest play in the outfield came on April 29, 1993. Trailing, 5-3, in the bottom of the eighth, the Padres had the bases loaded with two out. Catcher Bob Geren crushed a long drive to left field, a sure grand slam. The fleet-footed Thompson went to the wall, leaped and caught the drive to save a win. Oh, at the plate, he had three hits, scored once and drove in two runs.

MLB career
Originally drafted by the Atlanta Braves out of Howard University in 1979, Milt played six years in the Minors before his debut in the Majors on Sept. 4, 1984. He doubled in his first at-bat against Houston’s Mike Scott. … His big league career included the Braves (1984-85), Phillies (1986-88, 1993-94), Cardinals (1989-92), Astros (1994-95), Dodgers (1996) and Rockies (1996). … In 1,359 games, he had 1,029 hits, 214 stolen bases and a .274 average. As a pinch-hitter, he batted .254 with 81 hits.

Coaching
Milt began his coaching career in 1997 as Minor League outfield/baserunning coordinator for the Rays before joining the Phillies’ Minor League system as a coach at Reading (1998-99) and then an outfield/baserunning coordinator (2001-03). He moved to the club’s Major League staff in 2004 as the first-base coach before becoming the hitting coach from 2005-09. … He also served in the Minors as a coach and instructor with the Astros (2011-12), Royals (2013-16) and Reds (2017-19). While with Kansas City, he was the hitting coach for the Wilmington Blue Rocks for one season. … Born in Washington, D.C., Milt currently lives in Sewell, N.J. with his wife Carole. He has four daughters: Torri, Jennifer, Courtney and Alyssa. … He was inducted into the All Sports Museum of Southern New Jersey in October 2021.

Urban Youth Academy
The multi-site Phillies Urban Youth Academy is comprised of both outdoor and indoor facilities to provide free year-round instruction to the more than 6,000 baseball and softball players in Philadelphia. The Ryan Howard Training Center at the Marian Anderson Recreation Center in South Philadelphia is a 7,500-square foot, state-of-the-art training center added to the existing recreation and includes four retractable batting cages.

The center also includes fitness training, educational and vocational programs. In addition, two baseball and two softball fields in FDR Park in South Philadelphia are part of the program.