The Phillies announced this afternoon that former major league player and general manager Lee Thomas has passed away. He was 87 years old.
A St. Louis native, Thomas began his professional career shortly after graduating high school in 1954. He spent seven years climbing through the Yankees farm system and got his first cup of coffee on New York’s 1961 team that wound up winning the World Series. Thomas wasn’t with the club by that point, as the Yankees traded the left-handed hitter to the expansion Angels a few weeks into the ’61 season. Thomas played in 130 games as a rookie, putting up an impressive .284/.353/.491 line. He tied for third in AL Rookie of the Year balloting, and his impressive showing earned him a regular spot between the Halos corner outfield and first base for the next few seasons.
Thomas posted arguably the best year of his career in 1962, blasting 26 homers and plating 104 runs with a .290/.355/.467 slash line. He played in 160 games, earned a spot in the All-Star Game and finished 11th in AL MVP balloting. Thomas’ production dipped the following season, however, and he settled in as a journeyman by the 1964 campaign. He played for five teams — Angels, Red Sox, Braves, Astros and Cubs — through the end of his playing days in 1968. Over parts of eight seasons, Thomas compiled a .255/.327/.397 line with 106 round-trippers and 428 RBI.
An eight-year playing career that featured an All-Star appearance and some early-career award support would’ve been impressive enough on its own, but Thomas’ influence on the game extended well beyond his on-field days. He transitioned into coaching in the minors and eventually moved into front office work with the Cardinals. He was part of the St. Louis front office during their 1982 championship season, and he got an opportunity to run his own baseball operations department when he was hired by the Phillies as vice president of player personnel in June 1988.
Thomas would lead the Phils baseball ops for almost a decade. His front office put together a roster that won 97 games and advanced to the World Series in 1993, eventually dropping the six-game set in Toronto capped off by Joe Carter’s championship-winning home run. Thomas remained Philadelphia GM until he was replaced by Ed Wade in 1997. He’d go on to spend time with the Red Sox, Astros, Brewers and Orioles this century, holding a special assistant position in Baltimore as recently as 2018. All told, Thomas’ career in the industry spanned parts of seven decades.
MLBTR sends our condolences to his family, friends and former colleagues throughout the game.
An original MLB Angel. RIP.
Practically,yes.Technically,no.They got him in a trade with the Yankees on May 8,1961.
He also was a member of the Red Sox Front Office Dream Team that mentored a wet-behind-the-ears Theo Epstein and was an integral part of the 2004 championship team.
Thoughts and prayers to him and his loved ones.
Good player. When talking Angel Baseball, Lee Thomas and Bobby Knoop. Terry Cashman lyrics.
Nice catch!
He was behind one of the best trades in Phillies history. Getting a young RHP(Curt Schilling) for Jason Grimsley
I remember Lee. I’m an older fan. Aside from my condolences for his family, friends and teamates, I want to say how greatful I am to the MLB Traderumors staff that they acknowledge players from the past. I am now and always will be a Reds fan, but there’s one thing that even they will never overcome…the game itself.
This ⬆️
Cheers to him, he had a wonderful career, and love and prayers for his family…
RIP Lee!
Rip lee
OK, I’m boring. My 1961 Rookie All Star Team:
C MLN Joe Torre
1B LAA/NYY Lee Thomas
2B BOS Chuck Schilling
3B DET Jake Wood (2B used in place of 3B DET Steve Boros)
SS KCA Dick Howser
LF BOS Carl Yastrzemski
CF LAA Ken Hunt
RF CHC Billy Williams
IF MIN Zoilo Versalles
OF CHW Floyd Robinson
SP BOS Don Schwall
SP KCA Jim Archer
SP LAA Ken McBride
SP NYY Rollie Sheldon
SP WSA Joe McLain
RP DET Terry Fox
RP LAD Ron Perranoski
RP CHC Barney Schultz
RP BAL Wes Stock
RP CLE Frank Funk
Nothing boring about that list.
This is about the time that Warren Spahn told Joe Torre “ I wish that I had your future instead of my past”.And he had a pretty good past.
One question though,and this is a nitpick- Who was Joe McLain on the Senators?
I misspelled WSA’s Joe McClain I picked over CHC’s Jack Curtis.
I did not recognize the name and I collected a lot of baseball cards in 1961.Then I saw his 1962 card in the google and now do recall him.My guess is that I would remember the names of almost all of the cards from these two years.
I spent the last 30 years making greatest teams of all stars, all star rookies, gold glove teams, greatest franchise teams for every year.
I am sorry to read this, but 87 is pretty darn good
He was also a big help to Dan Duquette I believe
You never heard a peep from him when he was in Baltimore, but I gotta believe he helped Duquette with the drafts that he had that are coming to fruition finally ( G Rod, Hall, Hays, Mullins, etc)
May, Lee Thomas rest in peace!
Not to take the focus away from Thomas (RIP), but I do wonder how this rebuild would be going under Duquette. Those were some great draft picks; credit to him and his staff, including Thomas, for identifying each of those prospects and young players.
Wow! What a team! A future MVP couldn’t crack the starting lineup! Haha!
Looks like a TC winner, 3 HOFers, 3 MVPs, a player who was the MVP runner-up twice, a ball magnet, one of the best (and most underrated) closers ever, a solid pen in general… Considering the relatively small number of players available, this is so impressive.
Lots of fabulous feats and noteworthy debuts get overshadowed by one man that season. It really was an amazing year.
Boring? Great job!
CHC SP Jack Curtis was 3rd in NL rookie of the year voting but did not make my team.
Impressive. In the show. Over 100 dingers and an All Star appearance. Sweet career! Wonder if he got a WS ring in 61?
Interesting side note. 2018 was the ownership transition year in Baltimore. Peter Angelos to his son John. “Special assistant” meaning part of a temporary management team to make this ownership change happen including that first new hire of GM Mike Elias (hired late 2018)? Thanks Lee. RIP.
RIP, Lee Thomas!
That ’93 Phillies team defined the 90’s Baseball perfectly; lots of bad hair and lots of steroids. Still, they were fun to watch though. It’s amazing to look back on Baseball pre-wild card era (back when playoff races actually meant something) and see the Montreal Expos and San Francisco Giants combined to win 197 games and neither team made the playoffs.
They were the 86 Mets but with more alcohol and less cocaine, except for Dykstra who was on every drug out there (and both teams).
Yep. “Nails” was the linchpin on both ball clubs so that’s probably not a coincidence. But that team did have a few interesting personalities…
The thing that always amazed me about the 1993 Phillies was the excellent bat control. They had 3 of the top 10 in OBP, including 2 of the top three. If you look at the Top 6 in walks that season, four of the seven (tie for 6th) were Phillies. It was the height of Barry Bonds’ power, and Lenny Dykstra actually walked more than Bonds did! Considering the Phils ran platoons at 2B, LF, and RF, and Kevin Stocker didn’t take over SS until mid-season, every Phillie with a full season’s plate appearances was in the Top 6 in walks.
No doubt every Phillie had their career year at the plate in the same season, but what a fun team!
Because of all the platoons, the 93 Phillies didn’t get much media attention for their play as they did for their personalities. The Rotation was relatively unheard of as well. Curt Shilling, Danny Jackson, Terry Mulholland and Tommy Greene was outstanding but overshadowed by its weakest link big personality but mediocre bullpen.
Actually the height of Bonds’ power came in 2001.1993 was his first year on the Giants but he was of course a well established player for seven years with the Pirates.
I looked up the walk leaders and it showed both leagues but it is impressive to see Dykstra,Daulton,and Krup in the top ten.I believe that Hollins would have been the other player in the top six positions in the NL.
Correct, Dave Hollins was tied with the Braves’ Jeff Blauser for 6th with 85 walks each.