#38 George Thomas

Custom Autograph card

George Edward Thomas Jr.

Outfield
Bats: Right, Throws: Right
Weight: 190 lb.
Born: November 29, 1937 in Minneapolis, MN
Debut: September 11, 1957 Detroit Tigers
Final Game: September 6, 1971 Minnesota Twins

Purchased by the Los Angeles Angels from the Detroit Tigers on June 26, 1961.
Later traded by the Los Angeles Angels with cash to the Detroit Tigers for Paul Foytack and Frank Kostro on June 15, 1963.

1963 Topps

ANGELS DEBUT:
Started the game in left field and went 2 for 4 (flied out in 1st at bat) with 3 RBI and 3 PO in a 10-3 win against the Chicago White Sox at Wrigley Field, LA on June 30, 1961.

ANGELS RECORD:
1961 - 1963
Batted .249 in 188 games over 3 seasons.

Custom Index card

baseball-reference:
Originally a bonus baby, he played thirteen years in the majors, having some of his best seasons with the bat towards the end of his career.
For much of his career he was a back-up, appearing at every position other than pitcher, and he uttered quite a few funny lines about being a utility player. Perhaps the funniest was when he saw the young Johnny Bench at spring training, and remarked that he and Bench played the same position, only Bench had it written on his uniform.
Thomas had a strong arm, and while he did not play pitcher at the major league level, Bill Rigney sometimes had him warm up in the bullpen and if the occasion had called for it, Thomas might have even appeared as a pitcher.
Thomas was at the University of Minnesota in 1957, and was signed by the Detroit Tigers in August 1957. By September, he was in the majors, appearing in one game. He appeared in another game in 1958 and then came back in 1961. He was traded to the Angels in mid-1961 and became a frequently-used player, hitting .280 with 13 home runs in 79 games with the Angels.
In mid-1963 he was traded back to Detroit and spent 1963-65 with them. He was then traded after the 1965 season to the Boston Red Sox, with whom he spent most of the rest of his major league career, hitting well over .300 in 1969-70.
He had two at-bats in the 1967 World Series.