A strapping, 6'3" 200-lb slugger, Thomas hit 30 home runs in 1953, his first full ML season with his hometown Pirates, and was considered the successor of Ralph Kiner, who was traded to the Cubs that June. Thomas followed with 11 straight years with double-figure home runs, his best campaign coming in 1958 when he finished second in the NL to Ernie Banks with 35 HR and 109 RBI. That August 16, he hit three HR in a game. A dead-pull hitter who crowded the plate, he smashed more than his share of foul "home runs." He was always willing to bet all comers he could catch their hardest throw barehanded, and he never lost. He was an All-Star outfielder in 1954-55 and was the NL's starting third baseman in the 1958 All-Star Game.

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Thomas changed teams eight times between 1959 and 1966. In 1962 he led the expansion Mets with 34 HR and 94 RBI, hitting two homers in each of three consecutive games on the first three days in August. The closest he came to playing for a pennant winner was 1964; that August the Mets traded him to the Phillies, who appeared headed for a championship. But Thomas broke his right thumb in early September, and was ineffective upon his return. The Phillies, meanwhile, made their famous fade into second place. On July 3, 1965 he got into a fight with slugger Richie Allen. Despite hitting a pinch homer in the game, he was immediately placed on waivers. (AL)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » August 30, 1951: The Giants move to an 8–1 lead after five inning over the Pirates behind two homers by Willie Mays. But George Spencer wilts in the heat and gives up homers to Frank Thomas—his first in the majors—and pinch hitter Gus Bell. After Pete Castiglione and Bill Rigney match homers, Ralph Kiner powers one in the 9th inning to give Pittsburgh a 10–9 victory. For Kiner, it is his 37th. » May 2, 1954: At Chicago, the Cubs and Pirates split. Chicago's Paul Minner outguns Vern Law in the opener, 5–3, and the Pirates outhit Chicago to win the nitecap, 18–10 in eight innings. Frank Thomas has seven straight hits on the afternoon for Pittsburgh, before fanning. Hank Sauer hits three homers for Chicago, two in the nitecap, when he goes 4-for-4: Hammerin' Hank will belt 13 homers this year against the Pirates—a major-league record (set by Jimmie Foxx and since tied by Joe Adcock, in 1956) for home runs against one team. Bob Skinner has three hits to drive in five runs for the Bucs in game 2, as they score 15 runs in the first four innings. Winning pitcher Bob Friend also drives in three runs to win his first of the year. With homers in both games today, the Cubs set an National League mark of 13 straight games in which they've homered since the start of the season. » May 7, 1958: Pirates Bob Skinner, Ted Kluszewski and Frank Thomas hit home runs in the 5th inning at Seals Stadium, but the Giants win 8–6. » August 16, 1958: Pirates Frank Thomas clouts three consecutive HRs in a 13-4 pasting of the Reds. Pittsburgh is now 7 games behind Milwaukee. » January 30, 1959: The Cincinnati Reds trade C Smoky Burgess, P Harvey Haddix and 3B Don Hoak to the Pirates for 3B Frank Thomas, RHP Jim Pendleton, OF Johnny Powers, P Whammy Douglas, and cash. The deal will turn out to be one on the worst in Reds history. » April 26, 1959: Was it something I said? Reds pitcher Willard Schmidt is twice hit by pitches in the 3rd inning in an 11–10 win over the Braves. Braves pitchers Bob Rush and Lew Burdette do the plunking. It is a first in the major leagues, but the ML mark will be tied in three years by Frank Thomas. While on the mound in the 4th inning, Schmidt is hit again when a Johnny Logan line drive strikes him on the right hand and he has to leave the game. The two teams use 14 pitchers between them to tie a National League record, with the eight pitchers by the Reds tying another NL record. Warren Spahn is tagged for the loss, his 2nd in two days to the Reds. » December 6, 1959: The Cubs trade outfielders Lee Walls and Lou Jackson, and P Bill Henry for slugger Frank Thomas. » April 14, 1960: At San Francisco, the Cubs win 6–5 despite a helping hand by Cubs pitcher Moe Drabowsky. Moe, warming up in the bullpen when teammate Frank Thomas lines a ball down the 3B line, fields the double cleanly, and the interference holds Thomas to a single. But Thomas has a wind-blown double in the 9th to win the game. Ernie Banks has a grand slam in the 3rd to counter three solo homers by the Giants. » August 4, 1960: Believing that Chicago's Jim Brewer is throwing at him, the Reds 2B Billy Martin throws his bat toward the mound. Then, advancing to retrieve it from Brewer, who has picked it up. The two exchange words and Martin launches a hard overhand right that fractures the orbital bone of Brewer's right eye. Both benches empty and Martin continues swinging, decking Frank Thomas. Brewer requires surgery and will be out of action for a month. The Cubs win, 5–3, on Ernie Banks' homer at Wrigley. Martin will be fined $500 for the punch and Brewer and the Cubs will sue the combative infielder on August 22nd for $1,000,000. Years later, when the courts award Brewer $100,000, Martin's comment will be, "how can they ever collect it? I haven't got that kind of money," » June 8, 1961: Milwaukee sets a major-league record with four consecutive home runs in the 7th inning against the Reds. Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron hit back-to-back home runs off Jim Maloney; Joe Adcock greets reliever Marshall Bridges with another home run, and Frank Thomas sets the record. When these four teammates end their ML careers, they will have hit a combined total of 1,889 homers. For all the bombardment, the Braves lose 10–8. » June 18, 1961: Milwaukee's Hank Aaron, Joe Adcock, and Frank Thomas hit consecutive home runs in a 10–2 triumph at Los Angeles. » August 19, 1961: The Phils rally in the 9th, but strand 11 and lose, 4–3 to Milwaukee. For the hapless Quakers, it is their 22nd loss in a row. For the Braves, it is their 9th win in a row. The Phils have 13 hits off Tony Cloninger, the winner, while Frank Sullivan allows just 7. The Braves score all their runs in the 3rd, the big blow being Frank Thomas' 2-run homer. » November 28, 1961: The Braves trade slugger Frank Thomas to the Mets for a player named later. The player is Gus Bell and reported $125,000. » April 28, 1962: Consecutive home runs by Frank Thomas, Charlie Neal, and Gil Hodges in the 6th inning are among a club-record five hit by the Mets against Philadelphia. The Mets win 8–6 at the Polo Grounds. For Thomas, it is the fifth time in eight years he has combined with teammates for three consecutive home runs. » April 29, 1962: In the Mets' 7-run 4th inning, Frank Thomas is twice hit by pitches, from Art Mahaffey and Frank Sullivan of the Phils. Two plunks in an inning are the major-league record set in 1959 by the only other player to whom it has happened—Reds pitcher Willard Schmidt. The Mets win 8–0, then lose the 2nd game 10–2. » August 2, 1962: Phils P Art Mahaffey gives up two home runs to Frank Thomas and two more to Marv Throneberry, but negates those with a grand slam of his own in the 3rd inning. Mahaffey tops the Mets 9–4 at New York. » August 3, 1962: With a pair of home runs for the 3rd straight game, the Mets Frank Thomas becomes the 2nd player in National League history with six home runs in three consecutive games. Cincy ace Joey Jay tees up the two solos for Thomas today, as the Reds win, 8–6. » July 27, 1963: The Mets hand Jimmy Piersall his release and the veteran outfielder will sign with the Angels. New York then loses to Houston, 1–0, as Bob Bruce shuts them out. Mets 1B Frank Thomas pulls a hidden ball trick on Jimmy Wynn. » September 17, 1963: At Polo Grounds, Frank Thomas and Joe Hicks hit pinch home runs for the Mets, but they still lose to the Reds, 4–3. » August 7, 1964: The 10th-place Mets send 1B Frank Thomas to the National League-leading Phils (1 1/2 games ahead of the Giants) for P Gary Kroll, OF Wayne Graham, and cash. Thomas, seemingly the answer to the Phils' 1st base problem, rode the Mets' team bus to Philadelphia, then found out he was traded. He then drives in two runs as the Phils top the Mets 9–4. The Phils will take the next two games with Thomas collecting five RBIs in the sweep. » September 1, 1964: The Phillies top Houston 4–3 on three solo home runs in the 7th inning. Johnny Callison, Wes Covington, and Frank Thomas supply the power outages. » September 8, 1964: Phils' first baseman Frank Thomas fractures his right thumb sliding back into 1B in the 3–2 loss to the Dodgers. The Phils are six games ahead, but Thomas's loss will be felt keenly when the Phils begin to slide. Art Mahaffey takes the loss, lasting just a 1/3 of an inning. Thirty-six-year-old Jim Brewer wins his first ML start. » July 3, 1965: Pre-game horseplay between Phillies teammates Frank Thomas and Richie Allen turns serious when Thomas swings a bat at Allen. Allen recovers enough to hit a 3-run triple in the 7th and Thomas hits a pinch homer to tie the game in the 8th inning. But the Reds prevail 10–8. Following the game, the Phils release Thomas, who has had a history of irritating players before the incident with Allen, and he signs with Houston. » May 23, 1999: The Orioles Brady Anderson joins Willard Schmidt (1959) and Frank Thomas (1961) as the only batters hit by a pitch twice in one inning. The O's beat Texas, 15–6.