George Thomas, the Minnesota native who played 13 major league seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, and Minnesota Twins before later coaching the University of Minnesota baseball program, passed away on October 23 at the age of 88.
Born on November 29, 1937, in Minneapolis and raised in Bloomington, Thomas developed into one of Minnesota’s finest young athletes. After attending the University of Minnesota, he signed with the Detroit Tigers organization and reached the major leagues as a teenager, beginning a professional baseball career that would span parts of 13 seasons.
Thomas debuted with the Tigers in 1957 and later became part of the expansion Los Angeles Angels during their inaugural 1961 season. He enjoyed one of the best stretches of his career that year, batting .280 with 13 home runs in just 79 games after joining the Angels. His versatility and athleticism quickly made him a valuable player capable of contributing in numerous roles.
After returning to Detroit, Thomas produced his finest full major league season in 1964 when he batted .286 with career highs of 12 home runs and 44 RBI. He continued to establish a reputation as one of the game’s most dependable utility players, earning playing time at nearly every position on the field.