Charles Thomas (baseball) facts for kids

Charles Wesley Thomas (born December 26, 1978) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Charles Thomas played for the Atlanta Braves in 2004. He also played for the Oakland Athletics in 2005. He was a left-handed batter and thrower.

Becoming a Baseball Player

Charles Thomas grew up playing baseball. He went to Asheville High School in Asheville, North Carolina. After high school, he continued to play baseball in college. He attended Western Carolina University.

In 1999, Charles played in a special summer baseball league. This league is called the Cape Cod Baseball League. Many future professional players play there. The Atlanta Braves noticed his talent. They chose him in the 19th round of the 2000 MLB Draft. This meant he could start his professional baseball journey.

Playing in the Big Leagues

Charles Thomas worked hard in the minor leagues. In 2003, he showed great improvement. He played for two different teams that year. He hit really well, with a .324 batting average in 47 games. He was called up to the Double-A team, the Greenville Braves.

Later that season, he got a chance to play for the Triple-A team, the Richmond Braves. This happened because other outfielders moved up or left. Charles took full advantage of this chance. In June, he had an amazing month. He got 31 hits out of 79 tries, which is a .379 batting average. He led his league in hitting and getting on base. He was even chosen for the All-Star team!

Making it to MLB

In 2004, Charles Thomas started the year with the Richmond Braves. But by the middle of the season, he made it to the big leagues! He joined the Atlanta Braves. He played in 83 games for them. He had a .288 batting average. He also hit 7 home runs and had 31 RBI (Runs Batted In).

Fans noticed his sharp batting eye. He was also a speedy runner. And he played outstanding defense in the outfield.

Moving to Oakland

After the 2004 season, Charles Thomas was part of a big trade. The Braves traded him to the Oakland Athletics. Two pitchers, Juan Cruz and Dan Meyer, also went to Oakland. In return, the Braves received star pitcher Tim Hudson.

The 2005 season was tough for Charles. He struggled to get hits. Even though he started almost every game, he went weeks without getting a hit. Eventually, he was sent down to the minor leagues again. He spent most of his remaining time with the Oakland organization there.

In 2007, Charles Thomas was traded again. He went to the Milwaukee Brewers. He played the rest of that season with their Triple-A team, the Nashville Sounds.