Oct. 4, 2016
By Jeff Shearer
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. - If the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series for the first time in nearly three decades, they might want to send a Thank You note to Butch Thompson.
Without Auburn's baseball coach, the Dodgers might be without pitcher Grant Dayton, one of many rookies responsible for leading LA to the postseason.
"I guess you could say he started my career," Dayton says.
Ten years ago, Dayton was a senior at Bob Jones High School in Madison, Alabama. Thompson was Auburn's pitching coach.
"I didn't think I was ever going to go to a D-I, SEC college," Dayton says. "He was the only SEC recruiter who was looking at me at the time. He had faith in me and decided to pursue me to play at Auburn. I'll always be thankful for that. I don't know what he saw in me, but I'm glad he saw it and gave me the opportunity."
Thompson had gotten a call from one of his former players, who was watching Dayton dispose of batters in a playoff game like his future teammate Clayton Kershaw. Twenty strikeouts in seven innings.
"This kid struck out everybody, and I just loved his fastball," Thompson says.
Problem was, Auburn's recruiting class was already complete. But when a few recruits got drafted in June and chose the pros over the Plains, Thompson made his move. He was not in a position to offer a full ride. Far from it.
"We were able to offer the minimum scholarship. It wasn't 25%. At the time, it was books. We awarded that scholarship to him," Thompson says. "He's always gone with what he had, and he's won. So he came into Auburn and immediately earned a spot to pitch just because of his great feel and his great survivable fastball. The rest is history."
After redshirting in 2006, Dayton became Auburn's staff ace in 2007. The Friday starter in SEC series, he led the team in strikeouts.
"I got off to a good start, so they rolled with me," Dayton says. "It's been a good career for me, but definitely one of those careers that it's always been right place, right time. I felt like I was being overlooked and then I got my opportunity, and it started with Coach Thompson."
Drafted by the Marlins in the 11th round in 2010, Dayton toiled for seven long seasons in the minors.
"It's been a wild ride," he says.
Traded to the Dodgers in 2015, Dayton's path to the majors took a detour this year, when he was demoted from AAA Oklahoma City to AA Tulsa.
"That was frustrating," Dayton says. "But I think that's what I needed to get my mind right to step up my mental game to a new level. From then on, it's been a good year for me."
In July, the call came.
"I'll never forget that," he says. "I guess it's being in the right place at the right time. The Dodgers just had so many injuries that they needed guys. I'm just thankful for the opportunity."
Dayton has maximized his opportunity. A 28-year-old rookie, his earned run average is 2.05, with an eye-popping strikeout-to-walk ratio of 39:6, in 26.1 innings.
"I wouldn't call it easy" he says. "Trusting my stuff. I guess I'm taking advantage of the fact that hitters don't know me quite yet."
In Vin Scully's final game at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers clinched the National League West on a walk-off homerun by Charlie Culberson.
"I'm warming up in the bullpen, about to go in," Dayton says. "And I'm standing on the mound, and I see Charlie hits a ball. For a moment, it looked like it was going to hit me in the face. We all knew as soon as he hit it, it was gone. Just ran out there. Our emotions took over. It was unbelievable. I'll never forget that. You couldn't have written it up any better."
Grant Dayton, No. 75, left, celebrates after the Dodgers clinched the NL West. Photo courtesy Jon SooHoo, LA Dodgers" style="width:100%; height:auto;" class="imported_image" legacy-link="http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/aub/sports/m-basebl/auto_a_storywide/12145255.jpeg"> Grant Dayton, No. 75, left, celebrates after the Dodgers clinched the NL West. Photo courtesy Jon SooHoo, LA Dodgers
The Dodgers open their Division Series Friday at Washington. Back in Auburn, Thompson will be watching.
"He's really persevered at his game," Thompson says. "He's played in the minor leagues for a long time for him to be in college when he was here at Auburn, and to just now break into the big leagues and make a difference for a major league team. A lot of guys would have quit along the way.
"A lot of guys would have found a reason not to. I think Grant is thankful. I think Grant always feels like he could do it and be successful. And he just hung in there for so long that the right time always came around for him. In high school, in college, and now at the highest level of baseball. So his perseverance, work ethic, who he is as a person. When I found out that Grant Dayton was Auburn's 47th Major League Baseball player, I thought that was one of the neatest things that I'd heard in a long time."
Dayton, whose wife, Dr. Cori Dayton, graduated from Auburn's College of Veterinary Medicine, closely follows his alma mater, watching Auburn football games in the clubhouse before it's time to run out to the bullpen.
"Auburn started it for me," he says. "And I'll always be thankful for that."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @jeff_shearer