Former BlueSox join Butler staff
Former Butler BlueSox players Jason Radwan and Kyle Thomas are ending their respective baseball playing careers this spring.
Their numbers suggest otherwise.
Radwan is hitting a team-leading .414 as a middle infielder at St. Bonaventure University. His 46 hits rank first on the squad and his 17 RBIs rank second.
Thomas is 4-0 with a 2.56 ERA as a starting pitcher at California (Pa.), sporting 27 strikeouts and only eight walks in 31 2-3 innings pitched.
“It's always difficult telling yourself your playing career will be over at the end of the spring,” Thomas said. “But any way I can be around baseball is fine with me.”
Radwan echoes that thought.
“Of course, I'm hopeful of getting drafted, but there's no control over that ... and there's a lot of players out there,” he said.
So Thomas and Radwan have decided to return to Butler — as pitching and hitting coach, respectively, for the BlueSox.
Thomas is a sports management major, while Radwan is majoring in sports studies. Radwan plans to attend graduate school at St. Bonaventure next year and be the Bonnies' graduate assistant baseball coach.
“This opportunity with the BlueSox is a foot in the door. I couldn't pass it up,” he said.
Both players hope to embark upon collegiate coaching careers.
Last year's BlueSox assistants, J.T. Thomas and Adam Jury, are pursuing other interests and manager Anthony Rebyanski had to seek replacements.
“I thought of Kyle right away as pitching coach,” Rebyanski said. “He was almost like a second pitching coach while he pitched for us last year.
“He was always asking questions and helping guys get ready in the bullpen. When I asked him if he was interested, he said he'd do it in a heartbeat.”
Radwan sent Rebyanski a text message asking if the hitting coach position had been filled.“Jason played here for two years,” Rebyanski said. “He understands my system and how I want things done. Kyle is the same way. There will be no adjustment period here. We're all on the same page right away.”Radwan and Thomas were integral parts of the BlueSox' franchise-best 33-26 record last season. Radwan hit .287 with two homers and 41 RBIs, while Thomas was 5-2 with a 3.95 ERA, 54 strikeouts in 52 1-3 innings pitched.“The first couple of weeks will be different for me, trying to get used to the coaching aspect of this league,” Thomas said of his return to Butler this summer. “But I know some of the guys well and I'm looking forward to extending any knowledge I can.”Radwan doesn't anticipate a difficult transition from player to coach.“I'll be understanding everything the players are going through because I was just in their shoes,” he said. “That will help me as a coach because I can identify with them.”The BlueSox begin the 2013 season May 28 against Chillicothe at Pullman Park.
