His competitiveness is his trademark. Most people like to win, but he's one of those people who is disgusted by the thought of losing.
"I know kids that it drives me crazy that they're not more competitive than they are," Thomas said. "They just go with the flow. If they lose, yeah, they're mad, but they'll live to see another day. I think I was just born like that. I always wanted to win, even playing Monopoly against my sister. I still want to win."
. . .
In about a month's time Thomas will leave for Missouri and enter an environment unlike any he's ever been in.
"It's a lot different because as a baseball player, as a pitcher especially, I've been reasonably successful most of my years I've pitched," Thomas said. "I've never really had to struggle, and I'm going into a situation where they all know I'm not good enough to pitch at that level yet, that I have to get better."
He one day may excel at Missouri. Or he may not. That is impossible to say today. But he's not going to be left wondering what could have been.
"I could've probably went smaller and been the successful pitcher at a smaller school as I am now, but at Mizzou there's so many resources there as far as lifting and coaching and trainers and diets and all that kind of stuff that when I go there, I'm going to come out of there as the best ballplayer I possibly could be," he said.
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