Frank Thomas
NEW YORK – Frank Thomas, a three-time All-Star together with his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates who later grew to become the highest hitter on the enlargement New York Mets, died Monday. He was 93.
Both groups introduced Thomas’ dying. The Mets stated he died Monday morning in Pittsburgh. No trigger was given.
Thomas performed 16 seasons within the main leagues from 1951-66, the primary eight for Pittsburgh, the place he was born. He batted .266 total with 286 dwelling runs and 962 RBIs.
Nicknamed “The Original,” Thomas made it to Citi Field in late August when the Mets held their first Old-Timers’ Day in 28 years.
“This is my final fling for baseball,” he stated that day.
Primarily an outfielder and third baseman, Thomas was chosen to National League All-Star groups in 1954, `55 and ’58, when he set profession bests with 35 homers, 109 RBIs and an .863 OPS. He completed fourth within the NL MVP race that yr behind Hall of Fame sluggers Ernie Banks, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron, and simply forward of one other participant enshrined in Cooperstown: pitcher Warren Spahn.
Thomas was traded by the Pirates to Cincinnati in January 1959, after which to the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Braves. They despatched him to the fledgling Mets in November 1961, and Thomas batted cleanup for New York within the franchise’s first sport on April 11, 1962, at St. Louis.
He completed that season with 34 homers and 94 RBIs, most in each classes by far for a lovable laughingstock group that misplaced a giant league-record 120 video games below Hall of Fame supervisor Casey Stengel.
Those numbers stood because the membership report for dwelling runs till 1975 and RBIs till 1970.
New York traded Thomas to the Philadelphia Phillies in August 1964, and he additionally performed for the Houston Astros earlier than ending his profession in 1966 with the Cubs.
At age 93, he was a giant hit on Old-Timers’ Day at Citi Field final summer season.
“I’m so grateful that my dad was in a position to go,” Thomas’ daughter, Maryanne Pacconi, stated in a Mets assertion. “It meant the world to him to see his outdated teammates. I used to be thrilled with how the followers greeted him. I used to be so glad to see him in uniform once more. We will treasure these recollections perpetually.”
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Thomas led the Pirates in dwelling runs 5 instances and RBIs 4 instances, together with his first yr as an everyday starter in 1953.
The group stated he was a “proud household man and a person of nice religion” who was “a valued member of the Pirates Alumni Association for over 30 years. He was most enthusiastic about his charitable work with Camp Happy Days-Kids Kickin’ Cancer, Courageous Kidz and the Millvale Meals On Wheels.”
“Frank was proud to name the town of Pittsburgh dwelling not solely as a member of the Pirates but in addition as an individual who spent his total life right here,” group president Travis Williams stated.
Thomas was preceded in dying by his spouse, Dolores, and daughter, Sharon. He is survived by his kids Joanne Harrison, Patty Cain, Frankie Thomas, Peter Thomas, Maryanne Pacconi, Paul Thomas, and Mark Thomas, the Pirates stated.
Frank Thomas, Pirates star and authentic Met, dies at 93 initially appeared on NBCSports.com
