#9 LEE THOMAS
First Baseman
What went before: Since trading Joe Adcock, the Braves were frustrated in their attempt to lock down first base with a solid hitter. Thomas, a five-year veteran, seemed a dead-on choice as a former all-star with the Angels who hit over 20 homers in three of those seasons.
In fact, he was coming off a 22-homer campaign for the Red Sox when the Braves acquired him and a pair of pitchers (Arnie Earley and Jay Ritchie) for Bob Sadowski and Don Osinski.
That 1966 season: When people break down what went wrong with the 1966 Braves, Thomas is often Exhibit A.
The team's Opening Day first baseman, the Braves did not take long to sour on Thomas as their choice. After 39 games, he had six homers but little else as he was already relegated to the bench with his .198 average; Felipe Alou was manager Bobby Bragan's first baseman of choice. The Braves needed pitching help, so on May 28, Thomas was sent to the Cubs for reliever Ted Abernathy.
The change of scenery did little to help his train wreck of a season, as even the friendly confines were no help. In 75 games for the Cubs, he had only on home run.
What happened next: Thomas' career was in steep decline, to be sure. He disappointed the Cubs again in 1967 with two homers, a .220 average and 23 RBIs, was given one more chance – with the lowly Houston Astros. That result: in 90 games, one measly home run and a .198 average in 1968.
He tried his luck in Japan for a season, then landed a contract with the Cardinals for 1970 but never got out of the minors.
Thomas' playing career was over at age 34. But his second career was just beginning. He managed in the minors. He was on the Cardinals' coaching staff in 1972 and again in 1983, working his way up to director of player development. He became general manager of the Phillies in 1988, built a club that won the NL title in 1993 and was named Executive of the Year. He stepped down in 1997, but went on to work as a scout and front office assistant for the Red Sox, Astros, Brewers and Orioles, joining Baltimore in 2011.
Originally Posted by 50PoundHead
