Pop a copy of MLB 2K3 into your XBox and you’ll come across all the familiar names: Roger Clemens, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez — and, Corey Thurman.
“My younger brother called me and was going crazy. He was telling me how he was using me in the game,” Thurman said excitedly. “That was one of the coolest things ever.”
Unfortunately, Thurman couldn’t be used that much. The game makers made him a reliever, meaning five innings was about as far as he could go before the fatigue meter turned red.
“I looked exactly the same in the game. From my face to my mechanics, it was one of the greatest things,” The York Revolution reliever said.
Thurman appeared in the game as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, the team he spent two seasons in the big leagues with. But, Thurman wasn’t always a Blue Jay.
The right-hander was a fourth-round pick of the Kansas City Royals in 1996, working his way up to Triple-A five years later. Toronto saw big-league potential in the 6’1″ Texas native and selected him in the Rule 5 major league draft. As a Rule 5 pick, Thurman had to remain on Toronto’s major league roster for all of 2002 or be offered back to the Royals.
Thurman never was offered back.
“It was almost like job security when I knew they weren’t going to send me back to Kansas City,” Thurman said. “I didn’t know how much they were going to use me that season, but it ended up being free and easy.”
That season, Thurman went 2-3 with a 4.37 ERA in 43 games. It was the best on-the-job training a young pitcher could ever receive.
He credits Shannon Stewart for showing him what life was like off the field; Kelvim Escobar and Dan Plesac for showing him the ropes at the park; and, Roy Halladay for pitching the way he did so Thurman could watch a CY-Young season.
Don’t think they didn’t try to make the rookie look like a fool though.
“On the bus there was a microphone and they wanted me to sing some music. Chris Carpenter suggested some Tim McGraw. What they didn’t know was I was from Texas and grew up with my dad listening to country music, mainly Randy Travis.”
Score that round to Thurman.
In 2003, the 29-year-old split the season with Toronto and Triple-A Syracuse. He hasn’t been back to the majors since. After some more time in the minors, rotator cuff surgery (he says he’s fully recovered) and a stint in the independent Frontier League, Thurman chose the Atlantic League to continue his career.
Friends of his, including former York outfielder Tike Redman, had success in the league and he knew this was the best place to get back.
“This is the premier independent league,” he said. “This is where you have to be if you want to get picked up.”
Thurman has mowed down the likes of Derek Jeter, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, but insists there’s nothing different to striking out a superstar and someone who hasn’t made it.
“Those guys put on pants just like we do. The odds are in the pitchers favor that the hitter will get out 7 of 10 times so why not have me be the one to get them out.”
Thurman has high hopes those same odds will work in his favor and he’ll be back in the big leagues in no time.
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