Rusty Thoms (now a 43-year old Madison businessman) came to Omaha twice in the maroon, white and of Mississippi State. It is safe to say that no college baseball player ever appreciated Omaha more than Thoms. Thoms did not win a national championship but he won over the hearts of Mississippi State fans and others who still remember him fondly all these years. Thoms has not played in the CWS for twenty years. It was held at the old Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. Now is the perfect time to recall his most memorable experience and the writer’s best experience covering five of them. It was truly an experience that you had to see, but I will try my best to explain it with Rusty and other help. “RUSTY! RUSTY! RUSTY! The Bulldogs were eliminated. Thoms’ first visit here was in 1997, which was the last year of Ron Polk’s tenure at State. It was a great State team that finished with a record of 47-21 and 19-11 in Southeastern Conference. Polk stated that Rusty was a left fielder for us. However, he wasn’t strong enough to play there in the pro leagues. He also didn’t possess the speed or arm to play right field. Polk added that he wasn’t an infielder. He was a line drive hitter and used all fields. Thoms was a leader on the team and an honor student. He always had a smile on him face. First, some background. The Bulldogs were scheduled to face Alabama in the first game. However, the UCLA-Miami game went into extra innings. The Bulldogs were wasting their time in left field behind the bleachers. Thoms says that fans were waiting in line around the stadium for the first game to finish so they could get in. “We began talking to them, and one of them asked me if I could have my batting gloves with the Mississippi State emblem on them. So I gave my old stuff to him and some others. It turned out that those people ended up in the left-field bleachers. It just snowballed from there.” Thoms became a fan favorite long before the first ever CWS game. He played well and State lost to Alabama in their first game. Then, he defeated UCLA in the losers bracket, before being eliminated by Alabama. State was leaving Omaha in the midst of fans who had created their own T-shirts with the words “RUSTY” on them. State returned to Omaha under the guidance of Pat McMahon, the first year coach. The Bulldogs were an unlikely participant in the CWS. They were 14-15 in the SEC but got hot right at the right moment. The No. The No. 4 seed out of six teams in Texas A & M Regional. State defeated Rice, Washington and host A & M twice to reach Omaha. Rusty was welcomed in Omaha by his fans. He was received at the Tropicana like Elvis. He was. In the first round, State defeated Florida and National Player Of The Year Brad Wilkerson. “RUSTY! RUSTY! They chanted “RUSTY!” as Thoms took to the field for their first game. Thoms gave them a great thrill. Thoms threw Wilkerson a fastball and put two runners on base in the second inning. He had only hit two home runs this season. His specialty was hitting singles or doubles in the opposite field. Thoms had never before hit a homerun. Did I mention that he was a natural performer? State, the No. The home run propelled State, the No. 8 seed, to a 14-13 win over Florida, Florida’s top seed. It gets even better. Lynda Thoms was Rusty’s mother. Although she didn’t have tickets to the left field bleachers for her son, Lynda went along with Rusty to witness the excitement. She snapped photos of everyone wearing “Rusty T-shirts.” She also took photos of five men who were wearing no shirt but had “R-U–S-T-Y” tattooed on their chests. One of the women in maroon-and-white took photos and asked her about her identity. She said, “I’m Rusty’s mother.” And she was instantly a celebrity: Elvis’s mom. Lynda Thoms, who told me that Rusty had played leftfield in front of Left Field Lounge fans at State many years ago, said “You have to recall Rusty had been a left field player in front of the Left Field Lounge supporters at State.” He was used to interacting with fans and he was accustomed to the realization that this was his last baseball. He wanted to be completely immersed in the experience, and that’s exactly what he did. He loved them as much as they loved him.” State’s miraculous run didn’t last. In a 10-8 win over the Bulldogs, LSU scored six home runs. The next game was against Southern Cal, where State lost 7-1 to eventual national champions. Thoms hit two runs and made two diving, running catches in that last game. He was a career.322 hitter and hit.429 during the 1998 Series. He was a star in the field, and he enjoyed every moment. Thoms walked out of the State dugout after the final out. The crowd was still cheering his name. He first took off his sweatbands and threw them in the stands. Next, he took off his sweatbands and threw them into the stands. He then tossed his cap. Then, as his mama watched and cried, he said, “No Rusty. Not the glove.” He then threw his mitt at a lucky fan. This was enough to make a 45-year-old sports journalist cry.
Rusty answered my question later and said that he didn’t need it anymore. Omaha fans will always remember this. This week, Rusty Thoms was mentioned on Twitter. Brian, a fan, replied. Rusty’s cap was given to him by Brian. He tweeted, “Remember it vividly Rusty… Thanks for the cap.” Rusty Thoms replied, “It was 20 years ago and people still recall it.” That and all the fans are so much appreciated. “That night, I tried to thank them as best I could.” State will win tonight. The Thoms family, his wife, three sons, and a daughter, plan to return to Omaha to play in the championship series. His youngest son is 8. Rusty was assisting him at a tournament on Saturday. Rusty Thoms said, “I want them all see it and experience.” They can only imagine 20 years ago._x000D