ANALYSIS/OPINION:
The crowd at Southern Maryland Blue Crabs games at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Maryland, is a little louder than normal, a little more boisterous when former Washington Nationals pitching prospect Daryl Thompson is on the mound — the hometown hero.
“He brings a lot of excitement to the ballpark with the fans that come out to see him pitch, family and friends,” said John Harris, Blue Crabs manager.
It’s the crowd that grew up watching him pitch in Charles County Little League, and at La Plata High School, just a few miles away from the Atlantic League ballpark — which may be a long distance from the major leagues, but Thompson has pitched his way into a career that is particularly unique to independent league baseball.