1979 MLB Draft
, and he signed that time.
As a rookie in 1983, Thurmond went 7–3 with a 2.65 ERA, and he was tied for ninth in the 1983 NL Rookie of the Year Award voting.[1] In 1984 he recorded a 14–8 with a 2.97 ERA record as the Padres won the National League West .
He lost Game 2 of the National League Championship Series , giving up 4 runs in 32 ⁄3 innings,[2] but it didn't matter in the end as the Padres overcame an 0–2 deficit in the series to beat the Chicago Cubs 3 games to 2. He was also the losing pitcher in Game 1 of the 1984 World Series against the Detroit Tigers , giving up only three runs, but only lasting 5 innings.[3] Thurmond also started Game 5, and although he only lasted 1/3 of an inning, he gave up three runs again but earned a no-decision this time.[4]
For the 1985 season, Thurmond went 7–11 with a 3.97 ERA and started 23 of his 36 games. In 1986, Thurmond started the season 3–7 with a 6.50 ERA in his first 17 games (15 starts). On July 9, 1986, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers for pitcher Dave LaPoint .
Detroit Tigers (1986–87)
Thurmond really turned things around upon his arrival in Detroit, although it was mostly in the bullpen. He finished the year with the Tigers 4–1, with a 1.92 ERA in 25 games (4 starts). His next season with the Tigers was the first in which he didn't start a single game, as he went 0–1 with a 4.23 ERA in 48 games out of the bullpen. He made his final playoff appearance in Game 4 of the
1987 ALCS, pitching
1 ⁄3 of an inning without giving up a run.
[5] On February 26, 1988, the Tigers traded Thurmond to the
Baltimore Orioles for
Ray Knight .
Baltimore Orioles (1988–89)
Thurmond's first season with the Orioles, like their season in 1988, wasn't that great. He went 1–8 with a 4.58 ERA in 43 games (6 starts) while the Orioles finished last in the American League . The following season was better for Thurmond, as he went 2–4 with a 3.90 ERA in 49 games while pitching almost entirely out of the bullpen.
Houston Astros (1990)
On February 1, 1990, Thurmond signed with the Houston Astros . However, he didn't pitch with them at all. Instead, he pitched in nine games for the Tucson Toros , the Astros' AAA affiliate, posting a 3.27 ERA with no decisions. On May 1, he was sent to the San Francisco Giants as part of a conditional deal.
San Francisco Giants (1990)
Thurmond pitched reasonably well out of the bullpen for the Giants, going 2–3 with a 3.34 ERA in 43 games. However, 1990 was his final year in the major leagues. In 1991, he finished his career with the Phoenix Firebirds , the Giants AAA affiliate, going 0–3 with a 3.42 ERA in 26 games.
Personal life
Thurmond resides in Katy, Texas , and works for an insurance business his father started.[6]
References
External links