Shaq Green-Thompson is a standout prospect for the Washington Huskies, but his journey into professional baseball was less than memorable.
Shaq Green-Thompson is a USA All-Defensive Team member and a top flight prospect for the Washington Huskies, signing a letter of intent to play there back in Feburary. He’s looking to get his football career started, one that hopefully ends with him in the NFL. Chances are that Green-Thompson will be very motivated to succeed in the NFL.
That’s because Green-Thompson’s got the blueprint of how to have a professional sports career crash and burn after his less then memorable stint in Major League Baseball — well Minor League Baseball. There was no way in all things that are holy that Green-Thompson was going to make it the major league level.
Green-Thompson turned in what can only be described as the worst season he possibly could. After dabbling with baseball in high school, where scouts believed they could transform this football standout with incredible speed and a cannon for an arm into a baseball stud.
The first mistake was trusting anyone connected to the high school system.
Green was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 18th round of this past June’s draft and he promptly signed to a minor league contract. The Red Sox liked his size, his speed and his arm — everything the scouts highlighted.
Then they saw him play.
Green-Thompson swung at just about everything and hit absolutely nothing at all. His first 16 at bats of his career were fruitless in terms of getting a hit. On the seventeenth, Green-Thompson actually put the ball into play and recored an RBI, but he reached on a fielder’s choice.
So the hit wasn’t recorded.
You have to give him credit for trying to branch out and expand his athletic talents, but the pat on the back stops there. Anytime you make Michael Jordan’s baseball career look like one that warrants a call-up, maybe you should stick to football.
The final stat line for Green-Thompson’s first (and final) season of baseball: 39 at-bats, 37 strikeouts and 1 RBI. The top prospect went 37 for 39 and recorded zero hits.
Hopefully for the Huskies, Green-Thompson will stick to hitting receivers and not attempting to hit baseballs.
