01-17-2023, 10:38 AM
baseball star Frank Thomas -- not the Hall-of-Famer, but quite good in his day.
Frank Joseph Thomas (June 11, 1929 – January 16, 2023) was an American player in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for seven National League (NL) teams from 1951 to 1966, starring at multiple positions as both an outfielder and infielder. Beginning his career as a center and left fielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Thomas hit 30 home runs with 102 runs batted in (RBI) in his first full season in 1953 before being named to the All-Star team each of the next two seasons. He enjoyed his best season in 1958, with career highs of 35 home runs and 109 RBI, and was named the starting third baseman for the All-Star Game. Thomas was traded after that season, however, in the first of four trades in three years. He continued his productivity, hitting at least 20 home runs in all but one season between 1953 and 1962. After being acquired by the expansion New York Mets, he led the team with 34 home runs and 94 RBI in their first season in 1962, becoming one of the few bright spots in an awful season which saw the club lose three-quarters of their games. His hitting went into decline after that year, and he ended his career playing for five clubs in his last three seasons. By the end of his career, Thomas had played every infield and outfield position except shortstop, and his 163 home runs with the Pirates placed him second in team history at the time behind Ralph Kiner. His 34 home runs with the 1962 Mets remained the team record until 1975, and his 94 RBI that year were the team's top mark until 1970.
Thomas signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent in 1947. He debuted with the Pirates in 1951. With the Pirates, he made three All-Star Games, and finished fourth in the voting for Most Valuable Player in 1958,[3] when he batted .281, finished second in the National League to Ernie Banks with 35 home runs, and had 109 runs batted in (RBIs). Thomas appeared on the cover of the July 28, 1958, issue of Sports Illustrated.[4] He also won his only NL Player of the Month award in June, batting .275 with 9 home runs and 29 RBI. On August 16, 1958, Thomas hit three home runs in a 13–4 rout of the Cincinnati Reds.
Before the 1959 season, the Pirates traded Thomas, Whammy Douglas, Jim Pendleton, and John Powers to the Cincinnati Redlegs for Smoky Burgess, Harvey Haddix, and Don Hoak.[5] Due to a shattered nerve in the thumb of his right hand, Thomas home run output fell from 35 to 12 in 1959.[6] Following the season, he was traded by the Redlegs to the Chicago Cubs for Bill Henry, Lou Jackson and Lee Walls.[7] In 1961, he was traded by Cubs to the Milwaukee Braves for Mel Roach.[8]
Thomas was traded by the Braves with a player to be named later (Rick Herrscher) to the New York Mets for a player to be named later (Gus Bell) and cash. Despite the team's historically poor inaugural season, Thomas led the expansion Mets with 34 home runs and 94 RBIs. His home run mark was a Mets' team record until broken by Dave Kingman in 1975.[9]
In 1964, Thomas was traded by the New York Mets to the Philadelphia Phillies for Wayne Graham, Gary Kroll and cash. He was purchased by the Houston Astros from the Phillies in July 1965 shortly after hitting Richie Allen with a bat,[10] but was traded to Braves for a player to be named later (Mickey Sinnerud) in September 1965. In an hour-long interview aired December 15, 2009, on the MLB Network's Studio 42 with Bob Costas, Allen asserted that he and Thomas had become good friends.
On April 5, 1966, Thomas was released by the Braves.[11] He signed with the Cubs on May 14, 1966, and after recording five plate appearances without a hit, he was released on June 4, 1966.
In a 16-season career, Thomas posted a .266 batting average with 286 home runs and 962 RBIs in 1766 games. He was larger than the average player of his time, and known for his opinionated nature.[1] One of his nicknames as a player was "The Big Donkey."[12]
Frank Joseph Thomas (June 11, 1929 – January 16, 2023) was an American player in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for seven National League (NL) teams from 1951 to 1966, starring at multiple positions as both an outfielder and infielder. Beginning his career as a center and left fielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Thomas hit 30 home runs with 102 runs batted in (RBI) in his first full season in 1953 before being named to the All-Star team each of the next two seasons. He enjoyed his best season in 1958, with career highs of 35 home runs and 109 RBI, and was named the starting third baseman for the All-Star Game. Thomas was traded after that season, however, in the first of four trades in three years. He continued his productivity, hitting at least 20 home runs in all but one season between 1953 and 1962. After being acquired by the expansion New York Mets, he led the team with 34 home runs and 94 RBI in their first season in 1962, becoming one of the few bright spots in an awful season which saw the club lose three-quarters of their games. His hitting went into decline after that year, and he ended his career playing for five clubs in his last three seasons. By the end of his career, Thomas had played every infield and outfield position except shortstop, and his 163 home runs with the Pirates placed him second in team history at the time behind Ralph Kiner. His 34 home runs with the 1962 Mets remained the team record until 1975, and his 94 RBI that year were the team's top mark until 1970.
Thomas signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent in 1947. He debuted with the Pirates in 1951. With the Pirates, he made three All-Star Games, and finished fourth in the voting for Most Valuable Player in 1958,[3] when he batted .281, finished second in the National League to Ernie Banks with 35 home runs, and had 109 runs batted in (RBIs). Thomas appeared on the cover of the July 28, 1958, issue of Sports Illustrated.[4] He also won his only NL Player of the Month award in June, batting .275 with 9 home runs and 29 RBI. On August 16, 1958, Thomas hit three home runs in a 13–4 rout of the Cincinnati Reds.
Before the 1959 season, the Pirates traded Thomas, Whammy Douglas, Jim Pendleton, and John Powers to the Cincinnati Redlegs for Smoky Burgess, Harvey Haddix, and Don Hoak.[5] Due to a shattered nerve in the thumb of his right hand, Thomas home run output fell from 35 to 12 in 1959.[6] Following the season, he was traded by the Redlegs to the Chicago Cubs for Bill Henry, Lou Jackson and Lee Walls.[7] In 1961, he was traded by Cubs to the Milwaukee Braves for Mel Roach.[8]
Thomas was traded by the Braves with a player to be named later (Rick Herrscher) to the New York Mets for a player to be named later (Gus Bell) and cash. Despite the team's historically poor inaugural season, Thomas led the expansion Mets with 34 home runs and 94 RBIs. His home run mark was a Mets' team record until broken by Dave Kingman in 1975.[9]
In 1964, Thomas was traded by the New York Mets to the Philadelphia Phillies for Wayne Graham, Gary Kroll and cash. He was purchased by the Houston Astros from the Phillies in July 1965 shortly after hitting Richie Allen with a bat,[10] but was traded to Braves for a player to be named later (Mickey Sinnerud) in September 1965. In an hour-long interview aired December 15, 2009, on the MLB Network's Studio 42 with Bob Costas, Allen asserted that he and Thomas had become good friends.
On April 5, 1966, Thomas was released by the Braves.[11] He signed with the Cubs on May 14, 1966, and after recording five plate appearances without a hit, he was released on June 4, 1966.
In a 16-season career, Thomas posted a .266 batting average with 286 home runs and 962 RBIs in 1766 games. He was larger than the average player of his time, and known for his opinionated nature.[1] One of his nicknames as a player was "The Big Donkey."[12]
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated Communist but instead the people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists -- Hannah Arendt.