Beginning his career as a center and left fielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Thomas hit 30 home runs with 102 runs batted in (RBIs) in his first full season in 1953 before being named to the All-Star team each of the next two seasons. He had career highs of 35 home runs and 109 RBIs in 1958, 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 RBIs in their first season in 1962. His hitting declined 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 RBIs that year were the team's top mark until 1970.
Thomas signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent in 1947. He made his major league debut with the Pirates in 1951. With the Pirates, he made three All-Star Games,[1] 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 nine home runs and 29 RBIs.[5] On August 16, 1958, Thomas hit three home runs in a 13–4 rout of the Cincinnati Reds.[6]
On July 3, 1965, Thomas got into a fight with Richie Allen, in which he hit Allen with a bat in the shoulder. After that night's game, the Phillies placed Thomas on irrevocable waivers.[16] He was purchased by the Houston Astros from the Phillies on July 10, 1965.[17] While the Phillies prohibited Allen from telling his side of the story, there was no restriction on Thomas, who made it seem that Allen's behavior had gotten Thomas released.[18] The Astros traded Thomas to Braves for a player to be named later (Mickey Sinnerud) in September 1965.[19][20]
On April 5, 1966, Thomas was released by the Braves.[21] He signed with the Cubs on May 14,[22] and after recording five plate appearances without a hit, he was released on June 4.[23]
In a 16-season career, Thomas posted a .266 batting average with 286 home runs and 962 RBIs in 1,766 games. He was larger than the average player of his time, and known for his opinionated nature.[1] His nicknames as a player included "The Big Donkey"[24] and "Lurch".[16]
Personal life and death
Thomas and his wife, Dolores Wozniak, were married in 1951 and had eight children before her death in 2012. He had 12 grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.[1]
Thomas suffered a fall in 2021 which required a hospital stay.[25] Despite the fall, Thomas was well enough to attend the Mets' Old Timers' Day in August 2022.[26]
Thomas died in Pittsburgh on January 16, 2023, at age 93.[27][28]
^ abcdeHurte, Bob (July 1, 2013). "Frank Thomas". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
^"Thomas' calling was big league". April 13, 1987. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
^"Chicago's Ernie Banks wins 'Most Valuable' in National". November 25, 1958. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
^Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society's Official Website and Online Shoppe November 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
^"The Pittsburgh Press 03 Jul 1958, page Page 16". July 3, 1958. Retrieved January 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^"The Anniston Star 17 Aug 1958, page Page 19". August 17, 1958. Retrieved January 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^"The Terre Haute Tribune 01 Feb 1959, page Page 41".
^"Frank Thomas signs Cub pact". January 14, 1960. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
^"Red Legs trade Thomas to Cubs". December 7, 1959. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
^"Braves trade Mel Roach for Frank Thomas". May 10, 1961. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
^"St. Louis Globe-Democrat 29 Nov 1961, page 25". November 29, 1961. Retrieved January 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Edmonton Journal 22 May 1962, page 11". May 22, 1962. Retrieved January 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Kingman's 35th homer". September 19, 1975. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
^"The Spokesman-Review 08 Aug 1964, page 15". August 8, 1964. Retrieved January 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Nevada State Journal 12 Aug 1964, page Page 10". August 12, 1964. Retrieved January 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ab"50 years on, the Dick Allen-Frank Thomas fight still resonates". Inquirer.com. July 3, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
^"Astros claim Frank Thomas". July 11, 1965. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
^"Dick Allen remembrance: I used to drink beers with the Phillies legend – On top of Philly news". Billypenn.com. January 13, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
^"Hartford Courant 01 Sep 1965, page Page 55". September 1, 1965. Retrieved January 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^"The Austin American 12 Sep 1965, page 58". September 12, 1965. Retrieved January 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Frank Thomas is placed on waivers". April 2, 1966. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
^"Springfield Leader and Press 15 May 1966, page 35". May 15, 1966. Retrieved January 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Latrobe Bulletin 04 Jun 1966, page 15". June 4, 1966. Retrieved January 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^Horwitz, Jay. "Frank Thomas Looks to Homer at Mets Old Timers' Day". metsinsider.mlbbogs.com. Mets Insider Blog. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
^Esposito, Andy (August 29, 2022). "When Old Was New Again at Citi Field Oldtimers Day Revival…and Finally, 24!". nysportsday.com. NYSportsDay. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
^"Original Met Frank Thomas passes away". Major League Baseball. from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
^Goldstein, Richard (January 16, 2023). "Frank Thomas, Power-Hitting Original Met, Dies at 93". The New York Times. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
Further reading
"Honors for Frankie Thomas". Pittsburgh Catholic. September 4, 1958.
frank, thomas, outfielder, american, league, baseball, player, frank, thomas, designated, hitter, frank, joseph, thomas, june, 1929, january, 2023, american, outfielder, third, baseman, major, league, baseball, played, seven, national, league, teams, from, 195. For the American League baseball player see Frank Thomas designated hitter Frank Joseph Thomas June 11 1929 January 16 2023 was an American outfielder and third baseman in Major League Baseball MLB who played for seven National League NL teams from 1951 to 1966 He was a three time All Star Frank ThomasOutfielder third basemanBorn 1929 06 11 June 11 1929Pittsburgh Pennsylvania U S Died January 16 2023 2023 01 16 aged 93 Pittsburgh Pennsylvania U S Batted RightThrew RightMLB debutAugust 17 1951 for the Pittsburgh PiratesLast MLB appearanceMay 30 1966 for the Chicago CubsMLB statisticsBatting average 266Home runs286Runs batted in962TeamsPittsburgh Pirates 1951 1958 Cincinnati Reds 1959 Chicago Cubs 1960 1961 Milwaukee Braves 1961 New York Mets 1962 1964 Philadelphia Phillies 1964 1965 Houston Astros 1965 Milwaukee Braves 1965 Chicago Cubs 1966 Career highlights and awards3 All Star 1954 1955 1958 Beginning his career as a center and left fielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates Thomas hit 30 home runs with 102 runs batted in RBIs in his first full season in 1953 before being named to the All Star team each of the next two seasons He had career highs of 35 home runs and 109 RBIs in 1958 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 RBIs in their first season in 1962 His hitting declined 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 RBIs that year were the team s top mark until 1970 Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life and death 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksEarly life EditThomas was born in Pittsburgh to Bronaslaus Tumas a Lithuanian immigrant and Anna Marian Thomas of Johnstown Pennsylvania He had three siblings 1 He attended high school at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Secondary School of Mississauga Ontario As a teenager he attended a seminary in Niagara Falls Ontario and he studied for the Roman Catholic priesthood for 4 1 2 years before entering pro baseball 1 2 Career EditThomas signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent in 1947 He made his major league debut with the Pirates in 1951 With the Pirates he made three All Star Games 1 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 nine home runs and 29 RBIs 5 On August 16 1958 Thomas hit three home runs in a 13 4 rout of the Cincinnati Reds 6 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 7 Due to a shattered nerve in the thumb of his right hand Thomas home run output fell from 35 to 12 in 1959 8 Following the season he was traded by the Redlegs to the Chicago Cubs for Bill Henry Lou Jackson and Lee Walls 9 On May 9 1961 the Cubs traded Thomas to the Milwaukee Braves for Mel Roach 10 After the 1961 season the Braves traded Thomas with a player to be named later Rick Herrscher to the New York Mets for a player to be named later Gus Bell and 100 000 cash 11 12 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 13 On August 7 1964 the Mets traded Thomas to the Philadelphia Phillies for Wayne Graham Gary Kroll and cash 14 15 On July 3 1965 Thomas got into a fight with Richie Allen in which he hit Allen with a bat in the shoulder After that night s game the Phillies placed Thomas on irrevocable waivers 16 He was purchased by the Houston Astros from the Phillies on July 10 1965 17 While the Phillies prohibited Allen from telling his side of the story there was no restriction on Thomas who made it seem that Allen s behavior had gotten Thomas released 18 The Astros traded Thomas to Braves for a player to be named later Mickey Sinnerud in September 1965 19 20 On April 5 1966 Thomas was released by the Braves 21 He signed with the Cubs on May 14 22 and after recording five plate appearances without a hit he was released on June 4 23 In a 16 season career Thomas posted a 266 batting average with 286 home runs and 962 RBIs in 1 766 games He was larger than the average player of his time and known for his opinionated nature 1 His nicknames as a player included The Big Donkey 24 and Lurch 16 Personal life and death EditThomas and his wife Dolores Wozniak were married in 1951 and had eight children before her death in 2012 He had 12 grandchildren and ten great grandchildren 1 Thomas suffered a fall in 2021 which required a hospital stay 25 Despite the fall Thomas was well enough to attend the Mets Old Timers Day in August 2022 26 Thomas died in Pittsburgh on January 16 2023 at age 93 27 28 See also EditList of Major League Baseball career home run leadersReferences Edit a b c d e Hurte Bob July 1 2013 Frank Thomas Society for American Baseball Research Retrieved February 22 2019 Thomas calling was big league April 13 1987 Retrieved April 9 2019 Chicago s Ernie Banks wins Most Valuable in National November 25 1958 Retrieved April 9 2019 Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society s Official Website and Online Shoppe Archived November 7 2007 at the Wayback Machine The Pittsburgh Press 03 Jul 1958 page Page 16 July 3 1958 Retrieved January 17 2023 via Newspapers com The Anniston Star 17 Aug 1958 page Page 19 August 17 1958 Retrieved January 17 2023 via Newspapers com The Terre Haute Tribune 01 Feb 1959 page Page 41 Frank Thomas signs Cub pact January 14 1960 Retrieved April 9 2019 Red Legs trade Thomas to Cubs December 7 1959 Retrieved April 9 2019 Braves trade Mel Roach for Frank Thomas May 10 1961 Retrieved April 9 2019 St Louis Globe Democrat 29 Nov 1961 page 25 November 29 1961 Retrieved January 17 2023 via Newspapers com Edmonton Journal 22 May 1962 page 11 May 22 1962 Retrieved January 17 2023 via Newspapers com Kingman s 35th homer September 19 1975 Retrieved April 9 2019 The Spokesman Review 08 Aug 1964 page 15 August 8 1964 Retrieved January 17 2023 via Newspapers com Nevada State Journal 12 Aug 1964 page Page 10 August 12 1964 Retrieved January 17 2023 via Newspapers com a b 50 years on the Dick Allen Frank Thomas fight still resonates Inquirer com July 3 2015 Retrieved January 17 2023 Astros claim Frank Thomas July 11 1965 Retrieved April 9 2019 Dick Allen remembrance I used to drink beers with the Phillies legend On top of Philly news Billypenn com January 13 2023 Retrieved January 17 2023 Hartford Courant 01 Sep 1965 page Page 55 September 1 1965 Retrieved January 17 2023 via Newspapers com The Austin American 12 Sep 1965 page 58 September 12 1965 Retrieved January 17 2023 via Newspapers com Frank Thomas is placed on waivers April 2 1966 Retrieved April 9 2019 Springfield Leader and Press 15 May 1966 page 35 May 15 1966 Retrieved January 17 2023 via Newspapers com Latrobe Bulletin 04 Jun 1966 page 15 June 4 1966 Retrieved January 17 2023 via Newspapers com James Bill May 11 2010 The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract Simon amp Schuster p 710 ISBN 9781439106938 Horwitz Jay Frank Thomas Looks to Homer at Mets Old Timers Day metsinsider mlbbogs com Mets Insider Blog Retrieved September 25 2022 Esposito Andy August 29 2022 When Old Was New Again at Citi Field Oldtimers Day Revival and Finally 24 nysportsday com NYSportsDay Retrieved September 25 2022 Original Met Frank Thomas passes away Major League Baseball Archived from the original on January 16 2023 Retrieved January 16 2023 Goldstein Richard January 16 2023 Frank Thomas Power Hitting Original Met Dies at 93 The New York Times Retrieved January 16 2023 Further reading Edit Honors for Frankie Thomas Pittsburgh Catholic September 4 1958 External links EditFrank Thomas at Major League Baseball Frank Thomas at Baseball Reference com major league Frank Thomas at Baseball Reference com minor league Frank Thomas at ESPN MLB Frank Thomas at FanGraphs com Frank Thomas Oral History Interview 1 of 4 National Baseball Hall of Fame Digital Collection Frank Thomas Oral History Interview 2 of 4 National Baseball Hall of Fame Digital Collection Frank Thomas Oral History Interview 3 of 4 National Baseball Hall of Fame Digital Collection Frank Thomas Oral History Interview 4 of 4 National Baseball Hall of Fame Digital CollectionAwardsPreceded byWillie Mays amp Stan Musial Major League Player of the MonthJune 1958 Succeeded byJoey Jay Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Frank Thomas outfielder amp oldid 1134801993, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
