Coach Bill Thurston an Institution at Amherst College

On Amherst baseball coach Bill Thurston’s desk sits a packed Rolodex. In it there are presumably quite a few names and contact information of people he has gotten to know through his illustrious baseball career. Yet in thinking back on some of the top people to come through his baseball program at Amherst he has no need for it, he has those names stored in his head. His incredible attention to detail has helped make the Amherst baseball program one of best in Division III for a long time.

Everything about the program that baseball Thurston runs at Amherst speaks to the professionalism with which he operates. Every practice is prearranged down to the minute, with nothing left out. A 300 page playbook, jam packed with terminology, pictures and team philosophy is distributed to each player prior to their arrival on campus, ensuring they are well versed in what the coaching staff expects of them. The walls of Thurston’s office are adorned with side-by-side pictures of professional players and Amherst players allowing for comparisons of proper baseball mechanics. So it is no wonder that tiny Division III school has had 23 alumni sign a professional baseball contract and sent 17 former players to work as coaches and executives in professional baseball (very few other Division III school have had two players fill similar roles).

“Coach Thurston sets a standard for the baseball program that is pretty similar to professional baseball. He works extremely hard to make sure every practice is run with a purpose, that every player is given a chance to reach his potential, and that preparing to win every game is instilled in the culture. Those are qualities that any good organization strives for,” recalled Ben Cherington, who now works as the Vice President of player personnel for the Boston Red Sox.

The Amherst baseball network began when Harry Dalton joined the Baltimore Orioles organization in 1954. Dalton in turn hired Dan Duquette, who gave Neal Huntington, now the General Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, his first job in baseball, and so on. “The network perpetuates itself,” said Duquette who served as the General Manager of both the Montreal Expos and the Red Sox, among other positions. As a direct result of the work Thurston has done “Amherst is well respected in the baseball world.”

To confuse what goes on between former Amherst baseball players as nepotism would be a mistake. Alumni are able to help each other out, setting up interviews, but every person has to prove their own merit, a place Amherst experiences prove to be very beneficial. John Couture, the mental skills coordinator for the Cleveland Indians, explains “it is the Amherst product that makes it in professional baseball- smart, willing to learn, ability to work under pressure, knows the game of baseball, and competes to win.”

The success experienced by Amherst alumni goes back to the lessons learned from Thurston, who considers himself to be a teacher more then a coach. Across the baseball world Thurston is considered to be one of the most knowledgeable people when it comes to baseball fundamentals, especially with pitchers. “He teaches a level about baseball that other people don’t have, even the greatest baseball players don’t necessarily have. A player who hits a 96 MPH fastball 400 feet doesn’t always know how it is done. Those are the intricate subtleties that he has taught over the years,” said Couture. “When I compare notes with other people in professional baseball, what Thurston is teaching is stuff professional staff members are just coming to terms with now.”

Yet it is his ability to communicate the depth of his understanding that makes him so effective as a coach. Utilizing techniques such as videotaping, Thurston is able to sit down with his players and explain what small changes can be made to make them the best players then can be. He analyzes photos in order to understand the biomechanics and thus improve his players while also preventing arm injuries. Stephan Rapaglia, who played professional baseball at various levels and now is the head coach for the Great Britain national team, arrived at Amherst throwing in the low 80s and left throwing in the low 90s. Huntington describes Thurston as “the best pitching technician in baseball, pros or college.”

The players who come through the Amherst baseball program have to be able to handle the full time commitment to both baseball and school that is expected of them. When on the recruiting trail Thurston actively searches for kids that love the game of baseball and want to be around it. Thurston recognizes that his program is not for the “casual baseball fan,” something that has set it apart from the very beginning.

As Rapaglia was deciding where he wanted to play college baseball it was clear that Amherst was a different type of program. “Amherst had a track record of success and had been a very winning program, it was clear that Amherst had a baseball tradition at the Division III Level that other schools couldn’t match. Other baseball coaches at the time told me they didn’t care if we won or lost, either way they would go have a slice of pizza after the game. I saw, even in my adolescence, that winning was going to happen at Amherst.”

Division III is certainly not the pinnacle for baseball talent, but the players that come through Amherst are intelligent, eager, curious and treat the game with respect. The combination of qualities has been a propeller, pushing former Lord Jeffs past whatever perceived lack of skill there may be. “On the pro side, people don’t feel like I played, and don’t consider experience at Amherst valuable. Professionally, I’m never considered to have played, that’s fine, I know what I learned, and I am not being compared as a player. My foundation in baseball is just as good; my experience and exposure are as good. I learned to treat the game right,” said Huntington. Huntington also notes that Dave Jauss, who never played baseball professionally and now the bench coach for the Baltimore Orioles, is still one of “sharpest baseball minds in understanding a game, often five six or six innings ahead of the game.”

The benefits of playing for Coach Thurston don’t stop upon graduation. After Rapaglia was cut from the Houston Astros organization Thurston “had me on a plane the next day to Europe where I played for the best European team.” Added Couture, who roomed with Rapaglia throughout their time at Amherst. “When you enter pro baseball Thurston advises you on how to act, he held a major part as a counselor in my development.”

The plaque on the outside of Coach Bill Thurston’s office reads Gift of Dan Duquette, Class of 1980. The gesture by Duquette indicates the same sentiment that Neal Huntington feels so strongly “I owe everything to coach Thurston.” Inside the office assistant coach Brian Hamm is examining pictures of his players and comparing them those of professionals, preparing for the afternoon’s practice. The schedule for practice, written out on several pages and cataloged down to second, lies on Thurston’s desk. It’s all part of the preparation for cultivating great baseball minds.