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Bats pitcher is Diamond in rough
By Bobby Hart
Published:
Thursday, June 19, 2003
Media Credit: scott theisen
Right-handed pitcher Thomas Diamond threw the first nine inning no-hitter in River Bats history last Sunday night.
On Friday night, Dick Putz field will be all about "diamonds."
Of course there will be the cool grass, grainy dirt, and fresh chalk that make up the infamous Dick Putz infield diamond that is mysteriously responsible for some of the most awkward bounces in the Northwoods League.
Then there's the "diamond dig" promotion that may draw more of a stir than the game itself. The first 200 lucky ladies through the front door will get a shot to dig for a buried diamond. Perhaps it's a desperate attempt to make up for the lack of romance that their husbands will most likely wash away by the seventh inning with a quart of beer and a dozen cuss words aimed at the umpire.
But without a doubt, the main attraction will be a 6'3" 220 lb. right-hander named Thomas Diamond, who threw the first nine inning no-hitter in River Bats history last Sunday night in a 5-0 victory over the Alexandria Beetles. Tony Righetti was the last River Bat to throw a no-hitter with seven perfect innings in 1997.
Although Diamond isn't scheduled to take the mound until Saturday, the Las Angeles native will receive a plaque prior to the 7 p.m. game against the Duluth Huskies to celebrate his milestone performance that included 17 strikeouts.
The no-hitter was nearly taken away from Diamond with two outs in the ninth inning when Alexandria's Joe Salas hit a chopper up the middle. Second baseman Matt Fornasiere backhanded it on the run and fired the ball over to first baseman Erik Morris who pulled his foot off the bag. The play was originally ruled an infield hit, but after the game the scorekeeper consulted the umpires, who changed the call to an error on Fornasiere, sealing Diamond's masterpiece. The big right-hander was rattled after he thought he let his no-hitter get away, but Diamond kept his composure.
"I was thinking we only have one more out to get the victory. All I was worried about at that point, was making sure we won the game," he said.
Many players and spectators were in awe of Diamond's overpowering performance in which he threw only seven curveballs and eleven changeups. The rest was raw heat, reaching up to what players and coaches believed to be about 96 mph. Unfortunately there was no radar gun on the field.
"There really isn't a lot of performances like that at the college level that I've seen that compare to that," said first year head coach Tom Fleenor, who's had jobs around the league for five of its ten years. "It was just an outstanding overpowering experience for me. It was awesome to watch."
In his second summer as a River Bat, Diamond has been nearly un-hittable with his mid-90 mph fastball. He currently leads the Northwoods League with three wins and 34 strikeouts, while only giving up eight hits, and maintaining a .81 ERA. Diamond only had 33 strikeouts all of last season as a closer with the Bats.
The sophomore from the University of New Orleans has developed so much over the last year; he has left many teammates scratching their heads. One of those players is Joe Pietro who decided to transfer to UNO, partially because of the friendship he and Diamond developed last summer with the River Bats.
"I'll be honest. He came out at his first save opportunity at UNO and I said 'who is this kid?'" Pietro said. "What I saw last summer up to this season at UNO was an incredible turn around. He's such a competitor now. Last year he was kind of soft around the edges. He threw hard but he didn't have it as far as mental toughness goes. He turned into an animal on the mound."
Diamond led the Privateers with 96 strikeouts, a 3.39 ERA and five saves this season under Minnesota Twins 1987 World Series hero Randy Bush.
"My off-speed pitches have progressed a lot over this past year and my control is a lot better because I worked on my mechanics and got to where I have a pretty consistent release point," Diamond said. "I've always had a pretty good fastball but it isn't always as consistent as it was Sunday."
Bush recommended Diamond to long time friend and River Bats owner Joel Sutherland last summer along with fellow UNO closer J.P Martinez this summer. There is a chance that Diamond, a 2001 Tampa Bay Devil Rays pick, may bypass next summer with the River Bats to turn pro.
"The thing he brings to the table is the mental part of it all," Fleenor said. "He's a very humble kid and he's great to be around. I think that will be his greatest asset when he moves on. He's going to be outstanding (at the next level)."
Others think his greatest asset is intimidation.
"He obviously has that 96 mph fastball," Pietro said. "He's a big kid and people are scared of the ball's velocity. He's one kid I never want to face. I'll run down balls for him all day, as long as I don't have to face him."
Whether his greatest asset is his humble personality or flaming fastball, one thing is certain: Thomas Diamond may very well end up as the next successfull Northwoods player to reach the Major Leagues. If so, Thomas may be rewarded with some diamonds of his own.
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