Nutshell: The Man Behind The Mask
For Andy Thomas and his family, dinners were often round table discussions, and he absorbed every talking point.
For Andy Thomas and his family, dinners were often round table discussions, and he absorbed every talking point.
The topics ranged from daily recaps to religion and politics. Anything was up for discussion. Thomas credited the dinners with creating a healthy family dynamic and enhancing his ability to decipher little details.
“There was nothing off the table at our dinner table,” Thomas said. "I think that’s what helped my brother and I educate ourselves and have an opinion and form an opinion. My mom was really big on that and challenging us to why we believed the things we believed in. They were great, and my parents never forced their opinions on us.”
The first homer of the season for Andy Thomas comes in GRAND fashion! 💥 pic.twitter.com/IK6q851DnH
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) May 25, 2024
Some of those family conversations were about baseball, a topic Thomas quickly latched on to.
He would constantly talk baseball with his father and his older brother, Jakob. Thomas idolized Jakob, who was a catcher and played collegiately at Division II California State University Monterey Bay and Division III University of La Verne.
Thomas admitted that Jakob was the better ballplayer, and the two were extremely close growing up. They played wiffleball every day, watched TV together and were inseparable at a young age. Once Jakob put on the catcher’s gear, Thomas soaked in everything his brother did like a sponge.
“Everything he did in college and his college stories, is exactly what I wanted to emulate,” Thomas said. "From playing ball, being a leader of the team and just being the person and the man he is had a huge impact on me.”
DON'T 👏 RUN 👏 ON 👏 ANDY 👏
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 26, 2024
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/0lu9IChvle
Another inspiration in Thomas’ life is his grandfather, Paul Borowik. One fond memory was on a par-3 course in Thomas’ home state of California. Borowik bet Thomas could not drive the green on a hole, and Thomas was 10 dollars wealthier after his drive sailed over the pin.
The two agreed to a double-or-nothing wager that Thomas could make par on the hole. Five putts later, Thomas lost his winnings.
“I had such a normal childhood and the best family you could ever ask for, and then going to his house was just different,” Thomas said. “I think that’s what diversified my interests going into high school and college was a lot of things that he taught me. He was a really big impact on my life.”
Following his brother’s baseball path, Thomas pushed through high school and attracted the interest of a handful of Division I schools. Pepperdine University stood out to Thomas, and he committed while on a campus visit.
Two years later, Pepperdine’s head coach took the head coaching job at Baylor University, and Thomas followed him without seeing the campus. The blind jump turned in the Thomas’ best decision.
Thomas was part of a young catching core at Baylor that included future first-round pick Shea Langeliers. Everything was a competition in the program, and Thomas credits that to his current mentality.
“If you ask Shea today, that was the reason both of us had progressed our careers was because at Baylor, it was sink or swim,” Thomas said. “Both of us swam. He ended up playing a little more than I did the first three years. But that alone is what made us into the catchers we are today.”
STAY HOT ANDY THOMAS 🔥
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) May 25, 2024
That's 6️⃣ RBIs tonight for Andy to tie a career high! pic.twitter.com/75qhqGwC9Z
Even if Thomas was not in the lineup, he knew he still needed to be a valuable teammate, a philosophy that was instilled in him through conversations with his dad. Over his fourth and fifth seasons, Thomas was the primary catcher after not seeing much time behind the plate early in college.
Thomas was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB draft and was later acquired by the San Francisco Giants at the 2022 trade deadline.
When preparing to operate behind the plate, Thomas bases his game plan on the pitcher. Once he receives the analytics information and knows who he is catching for, he pieces together his pitcher’s information and how they can attack opposing batters.
“The detail-oriented process behind that, I think, is what makes a good catcher,” Thomas said. "If you can have your pitcher’s best interests at heart, that’s when they trust you and then the chemistry is off the charts.”
His care for his teammates emulates his care for his family. Thomas stays close with them and with his nephews, Rhys and Hudson, eagerly looking forward to the next family dinner discussion.
“I’m really fortunate that we had that, because all of us would sit down for dinner every night,” Thomas said.
Our Kids Club ambassador, Cam, hung out with Andy Thomas to see what’s in his bag! ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/pzEenz2mcO
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) May 10, 2024
Favorite sports stadium? – Petco Park in San Diego
What’s your signature dish? – Fettuccine alfredo
When did you first pick up a baseball bat? – Probably around 3 or 4 years old
Best movie of all time? – Forgetting Sarah Marshall
What is your favorite off the field activity? – Love spending time with my wife, golfing, cooking and being outside
Favorite player growing up? – David Ortiz. Catcher though, Buster Posey was my guy
Most inspirational people in your life? – My parents, my brother and my grandpa
How clubs across Minor League Baseball are celebrating PLAY BALL Weekend
PLAY BALL Weekend is almost here, and Minor League clubs have put together an exciting calendar of events to celebrate MLB’s youth engagement initiative. Some clubs are hosting youth clinics or other events in their home ballparks while others are bringing the joy of baseball and softball into the local
Here are the weirdest plays and stats from MiLB in May
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Podcast features first-base promotions for Caglianone, Eldridge
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Cubs' Rojas, Mets' Tong headline May's Minor League Players of the Month
Minor League Baseball announced the Player and Pitcher of the Month Award winners for May in Major League Baseball’s player development system.
Minor League Baseball, Joe Torre Safe At Home partnership enters ninth year
For the ninth year, Minor League Baseball and Joe Torre Safe At Home have teamed up to raise awareness about violence and abuse and to inspire fans of all ages to join them in SAH’s critical work. This year, 63 MiLB teams will participate in an in-ballpark initiative from May
MiLB podcast discusses Anthony, Caglianone at Triple-A
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
These are the greatest Minor League promos happening in June
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
New playoff format coming to 2025 Dominican Summer League
Minor League Baseball announced the 2025 Dominican Summer League (DSL) season will begin June 2 with Opening Day festivities taking place at the Boston Red Sox Academy in Guerra. The 2025 campaign will also see the introduction of the DSL Cup, a new playoff format that will see 16 DSL
Debating best Minor League home caps on podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
The Omaha Storm Chasers' 'Take Meow-t' cat night included a Litter Box Sundae
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Boston's Triple-A affiliate throws birthday bash for Roman Anthony
With all the hype that has surrounded Roman Anthony over the past two seasons, it’s easy to forget how young he really is. MLB's No. 1 prospect played 70 games at the highest level of the Minors before he could order a beer. But he can now. Roman Anthony turned
Friendly foes, 2024 first-rounders Moore and Caglianone trade first Triple-A homers
For years, Christian Moore and Jac Caglianone laced up their cleats against one another in the SEC. A rivalry that spanned Florida, Tennessee and other landmarks across the South moved to Salt Lake City this week as the Royals and Angels' top prospects got simultaneous Triple-A promotions. So it was
Phillies' Moore, Fausnaught join MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Red Sox prospect rips double THROUGH Fenway-esque scoreboard
Red Sox No. 4 prospect Franklin Arias, an infielder for High-A Greenville, REALLY didn’t want to let visiting Asheville score any runs in the top of the eighth inning on Friday night. With runners on first and second base in the bottom of the fourth, Arias showed he apparently held
April's hottest hitting prospects -- one for each organization
The Minor League season is a month old and several of the game's best hitting prospects are off to fast starts. Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is tearing up Triple-A (just like he did at the end of last year), Padres shortstop Leo De Vries is leading the High-A Midwest
Check out the best -- and wackiest -- Minor League promos happening in May
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Orioles' Honeycutt joins The Show Before the Show
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
MiLB podcast coming LIVE to a Somerset this June
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
New ballparks highlight 2025 MiLB road trip stops
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Minor League Baseball partners with TruGreen
FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- TruGreen, the nation's leading lawn care treatment provider, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Minor League Baseball that includes activations across all 120 clubs, a makeover of the home dugout in each market, sponsorship of select MiLB team grounds crews, and a new initiative called
Podcast explains why the Syracuse Mets are looking for Jim Morrison
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Dash im-prom-tu promo and Mets' Suero joins the podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minor League Baseball partners with Circle K
Minor League Baseball announced a new national partnership with Circle K, which will see the convenience store giant become the “Official Convenience Store of Minor League Baseball.” During the 2025 season, the Circle K brand will be integrated into the MiLB in-stadium experience through in-game video board assets at most
These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast crew makes Opening Day predictions
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other