Gary Thomasson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gary Thomasson |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||
| Outfielder / First baseman | |||
| Born: July 29, 1951 San Diego, California, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| September 5, 1972, for the San Francisco Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 6, 1980, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .249 | ||
| Home runs | 61 | ||
| Runs batted in | 294 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
Gary Leah Thomasson (born July 29, 1951) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). His career in MLB lasted from 1972 to 1980.
Gary Thomasson was best known for playing with the San Francisco Giants. He spent seven seasons with this team. He also played for other famous teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees. After his time in MLB, he played baseball in Japan. He was part of the New York Yankees team that won the 1978 World Series.
Contents
Gary Thomasson's Baseball Journey
Gary Thomasson went to Oceanside High School in Oceanside, California. The San Francisco Giants picked him in the 1969 Major League Baseball Draft. He was chosen in the 7th round.
Starting His MLB Career
Gary Thomasson played his first Major League game on September 5, 1972. He was 21 years old at the time. He came into the game as a pinch-hitter for a pitcher. His team, the Giants, won the game 4–3 against the San Diego Padres.
In 1973, Gary had his first full season in Major League Baseball. He played in 112 games that year. He had a good batting average of .285.
Moving Between Teams
Gary Thomasson was traded from the Giants to the Oakland Athletics on March 15, 1978. Several other players and $300,000 were also part of this big trade. The Giants received Vida Blue in return.
Thomasson only played for the Oakland Athletics for a few months. He played in 47 games for them. On June 15, 1978, he was traded again. This time, he went to the New York Yankees. The Yankees sent Dell Alston, Mickey Klutts, and $50,000 to Oakland.
Just eight months later, Gary Thomasson moved teams once more. On February 15, 1979, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers gave up catcher Brad Gulden in exchange for Thomasson.
Playing Baseball in Japan
After his time in Major League Baseball, Gary Thomasson went to play in Japan. The Yomiuri Giants of Japanese Nippon Pro Baseball bought his contract from the Dodgers. This happened on December 22, 1980.
He played his last two professional seasons in Japan, from 1981 to 1982. Gary Thomasson signed a very large contract with the Yomiuri Giants. It was the biggest contract ever given to a player in the Nippon league at that time. However, his time in Japan was not as successful as hoped. He had many strikeouts and a knee injury ended his career.
See also
In Spanish: Gary Thomasson para niños
