Derrel Thomas, baseball player, 1971-1985

Derrel Thomas

Born: 1/14/1951 in Los Angeles, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1971-09-14 | Final Game: 1985-10-05

Bats: B | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 160 lbs

Full name: Derrell Osbon Thomas

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Derrel Thomas was a versatile position player in Major League Baseball whose career spanned from 1971 to 1985. Born in 1951, Thomas made his mark on the game over 1,597 games, accumulating 1,163 hits and finishing his career with a batting average of .249. Known for his speed on the basepaths, he successfully stole 140 bases and contributed 370 runs batted in, alongside 43 home runs. His ability to play multiple positions allowed him to be a valuable asset to any team, showcasing the adaptability that characterized many players of his era. Throughout his career, Thomas played for several teams, including the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets, among others. He was active during a time when the game was transitioning into a more power-oriented style, yet he emphasized speed and contact hitting, reflecting the diverse playing styles of the mid-20th century. Thomas's contributions to his teams and the game as a whole were significant, as he blended athleticism with a team-first mentality, earning respect from teammates and opponents alike. His legacy continues to be remembered by baseball enthusiasts who appreciate the multifaceted nature of his playing career.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1597 4677 585 1163 154 54 43 370 140 456 593 0.249 0.317 0.332 0.649 -5958.0

Career AVG .249 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .317 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .332 vs. league average .380 across their career seasons — 12.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.649 vs. league average 0.703 across their career seasons — 7.7% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1971 HOU NL 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1972 SDP NL 130 500 48 115 15 5 5 36 9 41 73 0.230 .243 (-6%) .310 (-6%) .353 (-12%) .664 (-10%) -883.6
1973 SDP NL 113 404 41 96 7 1 0 22 15 34 52 0.238 .256 (-8%) .325 (-8%) .378 (-31%) .703 (-21%) -1479.8
1974 SDP NL 141 523 48 129 24 6 3 41 7 51 58 0.247 .256 (-4%) .324 (-4%) .369 (-10%) .693 (-7%) -723.2
1975 SFG NL 144 540 99 149 21 9 6 48 28 57 56 0.276 .257 (+7%) .327 (+6%) .374 (+2%) .701 (+4%) 438.7
1976 SFG NL 81 272 38 63 5 4 2 19 10 29 26 0.232 .255 (-9%) .320 (-2%) .360 (-16%) .681 (-10%) -405.9
1977 SFG NL 148 506 75 135 13 10 8 44 15 46 70 0.267 .264 (+1%) .329 (avg) .401 (-5%) .730 (-3%) -328.2
1978 SDP NL 128 352 36 80 10 2 3 26 11 35 37 0.227 .257 (-12%) .323 (-7%) .378 (-23%) .702 (-15%) -972.0
1979 LAD NL 141 406 47 104 15 4 5 44 18 41 49 0.256 .265 (-4%) .329 (avg) .397 (-12%) .727 (-7%) -461.0
1980 LAD NL 117 297 32 79 18 3 1 22 7 26 48 0.266 .264 (+1%) .326 (avg) .387 (-8%) .714 (-4%) -232.6
1981 LAD NL 80 218 25 54 4 0 4 24 7 25 23 0.248 .255 (-3%) .320 (+1%) .368 (-13%) .688 (-7%) -189.7
1982 LAD NL 66 98 13 26 2 1 0 2 2 10 12 0.265 .261 (+2%) .324 (+3%) .388 (-21%) .712 (-10%) -143.7
1983 LAD NL 118 192 38 48 6 6 2 8 9 27 36 0.250 .260 (-4%) .324 (+6%) .389 (-4%) .714 (+1%) 69.5
1984 WSN NL 108 243 26 62 12 2 0 20 0 20 33 0.255 .259 (-2%) .322 (-5%) .384 (-17%) .707 (-11%) -511.3
1984 LAA AL 14 29 3 4 0 1 0 2 0 3 4 0.138 — — — — -511.3
1985 PHI NL 63 92 16 19 2 0 4 12 2 11 14 0.207 .257 (-20%) .323 (-10%) .390 (-8%) .714 (-9%) -135.1

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
15 19 5 5 1 0 0 1 1 6 0.263

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1983 NLCS LAN 4 9 0 4 1 0 0 0 0 3 0.444
1981 NLCS LAN 2 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1981 NWDIV LAN 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000
1981 WS LAN 5 7 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 19 14 125 9 2 9
2B 608 539 1338 1597 90 361
3B 116 70 78 150 13 14
C 6 3 28 3 0 0
OF 542 257 893 32 11 9
SS 339 265 486 781 85 157

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1971 HOU 2B 1 1 3 2 0 1
1972 SDN 2B 83 80 197 239 15 52
1972 SDN OF 3 2 6 0 1 0
1972 SDN SS 49 40 87 118 10 25
1973 SDN 2B 47 32 96 97 5 27
1973 SDN SS 74 69 115 227 32 39
1974 SDN 2B 104 97 232 294 13 45
1974 SDN 3B 22 20 19 41 3 6
1974 SDN OF 20 18 58 0 1 0
1974 SDN SS 5 0 1 1 1 0
1975 SFN 2B 141 135 348 372 19 100
1975 SFN OF 1 0 1 0 0 0
1976 SFN 2B 69 63 160 212 14 52
1976 SFN 3B 1 1 0 1 0 0
1976 SFN OF 2 1 3 0 0 0
1976 SFN SS 1 0 0 2 1 0
1977 SFN 1B 3 2 12 3 0 0
1977 SFN 2B 27 23 49 78 7 11
1977 SFN 3B 6 3 2 8 2 1
1977 SFN OF 78 72 202 10 2 2
1977 SFN SS 26 18 42 59 3 10
1978 SDN 1B 14 12 113 6 2 9
1978 SDN 2B 40 36 90 98 6 25
1978 SDN 3B 26 25 22 59 3 4
1978 SDN OF 77 19 103 5 1 1
1979 LAN 1B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1979 LAN 2B 5 2 5 9 0 1
1979 LAN 3B 18 9 20 15 3 3
1979 LAN OF 119 93 269 10 1 4
1979 LAN SS 3 2 4 4 1 0
1980 LAN 2B 18 12 28 48 2 13
1980 LAN 3B 4 0 1 3 0 0
1980 LAN C 5 3 25 3 0 0
1980 LAN OF 52 14 75 2 1 1
1980 LAN SS 49 42 74 119 11 25
1981 LAN 2B 30 26 73 71 2 16
1981 LAN 3B 10 5 3 9 1 0
1981 LAN OF 18 6 15 1 2 1
1981 LAN SS 26 21 42 63 9 13
1982 LAN 2B 18 17 28 44 1 8
1982 LAN 3B 14 0 4 3 0 0
1982 LAN OF 28 0 21 0 0 0
1982 LAN SS 6 4 5 11 3 6
1983 LAN 2B 9 7 13 12 2 4
1983 LAN 3B 7 4 5 8 1 0
1983 LAN OF 82 25 97 3 1 0
1983 LAN SS 13 11 19 28 1 7
1984 MON 1B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1984 MON 2B 15 8 16 21 3 6
1984 MON 3B 4 1 1 3 0 0
1984 MON OF 48 1 28 0 0 0
1984 MON SS 62 45 73 111 7 27
1984 CAL 3B 3 2 1 0 0 0
1984 CAL OF 7 4 8 0 1 0
1984 CAL SS 4 0 3 1 0 1
1985 PHI 2B 1 0 0 0 1 0
1985 PHI 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1985 PHI C 1 0 3 0 0 0
1985 PHI OF 7 2 7 1 0 0
1985 PHI SS 21 13 21 37 6 4

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 6
First Base 19
Second Base 609
Third Base 118
Shortstop 339
Left Field 91
Center Field 400
Right Field 69