Lee Thomas (baseball)

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=#dcdcdc
bgcolor2=#dcdcdc
textcolor1=black
textcolor2=black
name=Lee Thomas


width=175
position=Outfielder-first baseman
bats=Left
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1936|02|5
debutdate=April 22
debutyear=by|1961
debutteam=New York Yankees
finaldate=September 27
finalyear=by|1968
finalteam=Houston Astros
stat1label=AVG
stat1value=.255
stat2label=HR
stat2value=106
stat3label=RBI
stat3value=428
teams= As a player:
*New York Yankees (1961)
*Los Angeles Angels (1961-64)
*Boston Red Sox (1964-65)
*Atlanta Braves (1966)
*Chicago Cubs (1966-67)
*Houston Astros (1968)
highlights=
*American League All-Star, 1962

James Leroy "Lee" Thomas (born February 5, 1936 in Peoria, Illinois) is a former player and front-office executive in American Major League Baseball. As general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies from 1988-97, Thomas built the Phillies from a below .500 club into the by|1993 champions of the National League, only to see the team revert to its losing ways immediately thereafter.

In his playing days, Thomas was a powerful outfielder and first baseman who batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Originally a member of the New York Yankees organization (1954-61), Thomas could not break into the Bombers' strong lineup. He had two at bats for the by|1961 Yanks (garnering one hit), then was traded to the expansion Los Angeles Angels during the Halos' first American League season. As an everyday player with the Angels and Boston Red Sox, from 1961-65, Thomas topped the 20 home run mark three times, and drove in 104 RBI for the Angels in by|1962. The remainder of his major league playing career (1966-68) was spent in the National League as a part-time player and pinch hitter with the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros. He compiled a career batting average of .255 with 106 home runs.

In the early 1970s, Thomas joined the St. Louis Cardinals as a minor league manager, briefly served as a coach (in by|1972), then moved into their front office, eventually rising to the position of Director of Player Development. He was a key member of the Cardinals' front office during the club's run of success during the early to mid-1980s (when the Cards, led by manager Whitey Herzog, won NL pennants in by|1982, by|1985 and by|1987 and the 1982 World Series).

In June by|1988, Thomas was lured to Philadelphia to take command of the Phillies. He acquired players such as Curt Schilling, Lenny Dykstra and Mitch Williams, who played critical roles in the Phils' last pennant-winning team, which lost the 1993 World Series to the Toronto Blue Jays.

When four straight losing seasons followed the '93 pennant, Thomas was replaced as GM by Ed Wade, his assistant. He then returned to the Red Sox as a special assistant to the general manager from 1998-2003, where he played a key role in Boston's signing of free agent outfielder Manny Ramírez in December 2000. He served the Milwaukee Brewers as a special assignment scout based in Chesterfield, Missouri, in 2004-05. ["Baseball America Annual Directory," 2004-05 editions]

ee also

* Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game

References