Red Thomas

Robert William "Red" Thomas (April 25, 1898 – March 22, 1962) was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago Cubs.

Early years Born in Lindsey, Ohio in 1898, Robert W. Thomas was a son of Ohio natives Mary Ann Thomas (1857-1924) and William A. Thomas (1861-1847), who was the adopted son of Samuel Transue (1832-1926), a native of Easton, Pennsylvania who had served with the 47th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry during the American Civil War.

The family moved to Fremont, Ohio when Red Thomas was young. After completing two years of junior high school he took a job at the Herbrand Corporation, a manufacturer of vehicle springs and suspension systems, instead of continuing to high school.

Interviewed in 1927 for a Fremont Messenger article, Thomas described his initial experience with the Cubs:

"When I appeared on the field for my first major league game against Brooklyn I was the proudest fellow in the land. My dream way back there in the old Lindsey town was realized. I was a major leaguer."

After batting .356 over 17 games for the team, he struggled with illness during the Cubs' spring training on Catalina Island, California in 1922, and was sent back to the minor league team in Henryetta on May 1 of that year, but was not well enough to return to the lineup until August.

Despite that success, Thomas ultimately only batted .270 during his shortened season with the Henryetta Hens. Returning to the team for another season in 1923, he faced new turmoil when that team folded and his contract was sold to the minor league team in Okmulgee, where he had played earlier in his career. Even though he hit .315 there, he was traded to the minor league team in Augusta, Georgia as part of a five-player deal, but still found no job security. After working his way through a series of Southern League teams, including the Asheville Tourists and Atlanta Crackers, he returned home to Fremont, Ohio in the 1930s, and resumed his semi-professional career with the Industrial League.