| Lee Thomas | |
|---|---|
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| First baseman / Right fielder | |
| Born: February 5, 1936 Peoria, Illinois, U.S. | |
| Died: August 31, 2022 (aged 86) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| Professional debut | |
| MLB: April 22, 1961, for the New York Yankees | |
| NPB: 1969, for the Nankai Hawks | |
| Last appearance | |
| MLB: September 27, 1968, for the Houston Astros | |
| NPB: 1969, for the Nankai Hawks | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .255 |
| Home runs | 106 |
| Runs batted in | 428 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
James Leroy Thomas (February 5, 1936 – August 31, 2022) was an American first baseman and right fielder, coach and front-office executive in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for six teams from 1961 to 1968, most notably the Los Angeles Angels, then went on to a successful tenure as general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. Traded to the Angels one month after the expansion franchise began play in 1961, he tied for third in Rookie of the Year voting after batting .285 with 24 home runs and 70 runs batted in (RBI), primarily playing in the outfield. The following year, he was named to the American League (AL) All-Star team after shifting to first base, and appeared in both All-Star games played that year as a pinch hitter and late-inning defensive replacement. He finished the year with career highs in batting (.290), home runs (26) and RBI (104), but a sharp decline in 1963 led to his being traded to the Boston Red Sox in mid-1964, the first of four trades before the 1968 season.
After finishing his major league career with a .255 average, 106 home runs and 428 RBI, Thomas played for the Nankai Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball in 1969. He played one more season in the minor leagues, then joined the St. Louis Cardinals as a coach for two years, followed by two years managing in the minors, before returning to the Cardinals organization to help them reach the World Series three times in the 1980s. Hired as the Phillies' general manager in 1988, he rebuilt the team's roster and assembled the team which advanced to the 1993 World Series; he served in the role until 1997 before spending another twenty years serving four teams as a scout and front-office executive.