Hank Thompson (baseball player)
Encyclopedia
Henry Curtis Thompson best known as Hank Thompson, was an American
player in the Negro Leagues
and Major League Baseball
who played primarily as a third baseman
. A left-handed batter, he played with the Kansas City Monarchs
(1943, 1946–48), St. Louis Browns (1947) and New York Giants
(1949–56). He possessed a powerful throwing arm, covered the outfield with grace, and was well liked by his teammates and the Giants' fans.
Thompson was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
. At the beginning of his career, he was a hard-hitting star for the Monarchs in the Negro American League
, playing both infield and outfield. At 17, he played right field
in his first season, batting
.300. The following year he was drafted into the Army
. Thompson was a machine gunner with the 1695th Combat Engineers at the historic Battle of the Bulge
.
Sergeant Thompson was discharged on June 20, 1946, and immediately returned to the Monarchs, who were in the midst of capturing the league title. With the start of the major league 1947 season, history was made when Jackie Robinson
broke the color line
with the Brooklyn Dodgers
.
Thompson played his first game with the Browns on July 17, 1947, integrating the Browns' lineup two days before Willard Brown
made his debut as the second black player on the Browns. The following day, July 20, Thompson played second base
and Brown played center field
for the Browns in a game against the Boston Red Sox
. That game marked the first time that two black players appeared in the same major league lineup.http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/B/Brown_Willard.stm Later, in an August 9 doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians
, Thompson and Indians outfielder Larry Doby
became the first black players of opposing teams to appear on the field at the same time. Thompson was with the Browns a little over a month and hit only .256 in 27 games, mainly at second base. On August 23 he was released, and he rejoined the Monarchs through the '48 season. Thompson batted .375 in his last year with Kansas City, finishing third in the batting race and leading the league in steals
with 20.
On July 4, 1949, the New York Giants called Thompson up from the Giants’ Jersey City farm club. He received $2,500 over the league minimum of $5,000. By signing with the Giants, Thompson earned a unique place in the baseball history. He was the first black baseball player to play in both the National
and American
leagues. Subsequently, he repeated the same "first" many times. On July 8, 1949, Thompson and Monte Irvin
became the first black players for the Giants. Thus Thompson became the only player to participate in breaking the segregation barrier on two different teams. Another first occurred when Thompson batted against Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe
in the same season, becoming the first black batter to face a black pitcher in the majors. And in 1951, after playing a strong role in the Giants' drive to the pennant, Thompson and Irvin teamed with Willie Mays
in the World Series
to form the first all-black outfield in the majors. (However, for the remainder of his career he played mostly at third base.)
On August 16, 1950, Hank Thompson became the first player since 1939 to hit two inside-the-park home runs in one game, a feat which would not be duplicated again until 1972. He enjoyed his best season in 1953, when he batted .302 with 24 home run
s, 74 runs batted in and a .567 slugging average. In 1954 he hit 26 homers and drove 86 runs, belted three homers in one game, and in the World Series batted .364 and drew a four-game Series record of seven walks against Cleveland.
In his 9-year career Thompson batted .267, with 129 home runs, 482 runs batted in, 492 runs scored, 801 hits, 104 doubles
, 34 triples
, 33 stolen base
s, 493 walks
for a .372 on base percentage
and 1360 total bases for a .453 slugging average. In 1957 his contract was sold to the minor league Minneapolis Millers
of the American Association
, where he finished his career.
After leaving baseball, Thompson met with a series of difficulties. He became a cab driver in New York
, but following a divorce was convicted of armed robbery in Texas
, and IN 1963 was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In 1967, however, he was paroled after serving three years; in 1968 he moved to Fresno, California
and became a city playground director. In the summer of 1969 he left that position, possibly to seek a job with the National League; but those plans did not have a chance to materialize. Thompson died in Fresno
following a seizure
, at 43 years of age.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
player in the Negro Leagues
Negro league baseball
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams predominantly made up of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relatively successful leagues beginning in...
and Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played primarily as a third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
. A left-handed batter, he played with the Kansas City Monarchs
Kansas City Monarchs
The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro Leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri and owned by J.L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 1930. J.L. Wilkinson was the first Caucasian owner at the time...
(1943, 1946–48), St. Louis Browns (1947) and New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
(1949–56). He possessed a powerful throwing arm, covered the outfield with grace, and was well liked by his teammates and the Giants' fans.
Thompson was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
. At the beginning of his career, he was a hard-hitting star for the Monarchs in the Negro American League
Negro American League
The Negro American League was one of the several Negro leagues which were created during the time organized baseball was segregated. The league was established in 1937, and continued to exist until 1960...
, playing both infield and outfield. At 17, he played right field
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
in his first season, batting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.300. The following year he was drafted into the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. Thompson was a machine gunner with the 1695th Combat Engineers at the historic Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
.
Sergeant Thompson was discharged on June 20, 1946, and immediately returned to the Monarchs, who were in the midst of capturing the league title. With the start of the major league 1947 season, history was made when Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
broke the color line
Baseball color line
The color line in American baseball excluded players of black African descent from Organized Baseball, or the major leagues and affiliated minor leagues, until Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization for the 1946 season...
with the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
.
Thompson played his first game with the Browns on July 17, 1947, integrating the Browns' lineup two days before Willard Brown
Willard Brown
Willard Jessie Brown , nicknamed "Home Run" Brown, was an American outfielder in the Negro Leagues, Major League Baseball, and inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame.- Negro league :...
made his debut as the second black player on the Browns. The following day, July 20, Thompson played second base
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
and Brown played center field
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
for the Browns in a game against the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. That game marked the first time that two black players appeared in the same major league lineup.http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/B/Brown_Willard.stm Later, in an August 9 doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, Thompson and Indians outfielder Larry Doby
Larry Doby
Lawrence Eugene "Larry" Doby was an American professional baseball player in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball....
became the first black players of opposing teams to appear on the field at the same time. Thompson was with the Browns a little over a month and hit only .256 in 27 games, mainly at second base. On August 23 he was released, and he rejoined the Monarchs through the '48 season. Thompson batted .375 in his last year with Kansas City, finishing third in the batting race and leading the league in steals
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
with 20.
On July 4, 1949, the New York Giants called Thompson up from the Giants’ Jersey City farm club. He received $2,500 over the league minimum of $5,000. By signing with the Giants, Thompson earned a unique place in the baseball history. He was the first black baseball player to play in both the National
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
and American
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
leagues. Subsequently, he repeated the same "first" many times. On July 8, 1949, Thompson and Monte Irvin
Monte Irvin
Monford Merrill "Monte" Irvin is a former left fielder and right-handed batter in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball who played with the Newark Eagles , New York Giants and Chicago Cubs .-Biography:Although born in Haleburg, Alabama, Irvin grew up in Orange, New Jersey, one of five...
became the first black players for the Giants. Thus Thompson became the only player to participate in breaking the segregation barrier on two different teams. Another first occurred when Thompson batted against Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe
Don Newcombe
Donald Newcombe , nicknamed "Newk", is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers , Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians .Until 2011 when Detroit Tigers Pitcher Justin Verlander did it, Newcombe was the only baseball...
in the same season, becoming the first black batter to face a black pitcher in the majors. And in 1951, after playing a strong role in the Giants' drive to the pennant, Thompson and Irvin teamed with Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
in the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
to form the first all-black outfield in the majors. (However, for the remainder of his career he played mostly at third base.)
On August 16, 1950, Hank Thompson became the first player since 1939 to hit two inside-the-park home runs in one game, a feat which would not be duplicated again until 1972. He enjoyed his best season in 1953, when he batted .302 with 24 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, 74 runs batted in and a .567 slugging average. In 1954 he hit 26 homers and drove 86 runs, belted three homers in one game, and in the World Series batted .364 and drew a four-game Series record of seven walks against Cleveland.
In his 9-year career Thompson batted .267, with 129 home runs, 482 runs batted in, 492 runs scored, 801 hits, 104 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 34 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 33 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s, 493 walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
for a .372 on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
and 1360 total bases for a .453 slugging average. In 1957 his contract was sold to the minor league Minneapolis Millers
Minneapolis Millers
The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, until 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League.The team played first in Athletic Park and later Nicollet Park.The name Minneapolis...
of the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
, where he finished his career.
After leaving baseball, Thompson met with a series of difficulties. He became a cab driver in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, but following a divorce was convicted of armed robbery in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and IN 1963 was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In 1967, however, he was paroled after serving three years; in 1968 he moved to Fresno, California
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
and became a city playground director. In the summer of 1969 he left that position, possibly to seek a job with the National League; but those plans did not have a chance to materialize. Thompson died in Fresno
Fresno
Fresno is the fifth largest city in California.Fresno may also refer to:-Places:Colombia* Fresno, TolimaSpain* Fresno, a ghost village in Nidáliga, Valle de Sedano, Burgos* Aldea del Fresno, Madrid* Fresno de la Vega, Ribera del Esla, León...
following a seizure
Seizure
An epileptic seizure, occasionally referred to as a fit, is defined as a transient symptom of "abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain". The outward effect can be as dramatic as a wild thrashing movement or as mild as a brief loss of awareness...
, at 43 years of age.