Gorman Thomas, baseball player, 268 home runs, 1973-1986

Gorman Thomas

Born: 12/12/1950 in Charleston, SC, USA

MLB Debut: 1973-04-06 | Final Game: 1986-10-05

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 210 lbs

Full name: James Gorman Thomas

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Biography

Gorman Thomas was a prominent American professional baseball player, born in 1950, who made his mark in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1973 until his retirement in 1986. A powerful hitter known for his home run prowess, Thomas played in a total of 1,435 games throughout his career, amassing 1,051 hits, 268 home runs, and 782 RBIs. His career batting average stood at .225, reflecting the high strikeout rates common among sluggers of his era. Thomas was also known for his speed on the bases, recording 50 stolen bases during his time in the league. Thomas's most notable season came in 1982 when he was selected as an All-Star, highlighting his contribution to the game during the early 1980s, a period characterized by an offensive explosion in baseball. He played for several teams, most notably the Milwaukee Brewers, where he became a fan favorite and a key contributor to the team’s success. His ability to hit for power made him a significant player in an era that increasingly valued home runs, and he remains a memorable figure in Brewers history for his impactful performances and charismatic presence on the field.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1435 4677 681 1051 212 13 268 782 50 697 1339 0.225 0.324 0.448 0.772 8384.0

Career AVG .225 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 13.3% below league average.

Career OBP .324 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .448 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — +17.0% above league average.

Career OPS 0.772 vs. league average 0.707 across their career seasons — +9.2% above 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
1973 ATL AL 59 155 16 29 7 1 2 11 5 14 61 0.187 .256 (-27%) .325 (-22%) .378 (-25%) .703 (-24%) -644.6
1974 ATL AL 17 46 10 12 4 0 2 11 4 8 15 0.261 — — — — 143.3
1975 ATL AL 121 240 34 43 12 2 10 28 4 31 84 0.179 .257 (-30%) .327 (-18%) .374 (-1%) .701 (-9%) -519.1
1976 ATL AL 99 227 27 45 9 2 8 36 2 31 67 0.198 .255 (-22%) .320 (-8%) .360 (avg) .681 (-4%) -169.7
1978 ATL AL 137 452 70 111 24 1 32 86 3 73 133 0.246 .257 (-5%) .323 (+8%) .378 (+36%) .702 (+23%) 2108.3
1979 ATL AL 156 557 97 136 29 0 45 123 1 98 175 0.244 .265 (-8%) .329 (+8%) .397 (+36%) .727 (+23%) 2714.8
1980 ATL AL 162 628 78 150 26 3 38 105 8 58 170 0.239 .264 (-10%) .326 (-7%) .387 (+22%) .714 (+8%) 860.7
1981 ATL AL 103 363 54 94 22 0 21 65 4 50 85 0.259 .255 (+1%) .320 (+9%) .368 (+34%) .688 (+22%) 1451.7
1982 ATL AL 158 567 96 139 29 1 39 112 3 84 143 0.245 .261 (-6%) .324 (+6%) .388 (+30%) .712 (+19%) 2234.6
1983 ATL AL 46 164 21 30 6 1 5 18 2 23 50 0.183 .260 (-30%) .324 (-13%) .389 (-17%) .714 (-15%) -415.0
1983 CLE AL 106 371 51 82 17 0 17 51 8 57 98 0.221 .260 (-15%) .324 (-1%) .389 (+4%) .714 (+2%) -415.0
1984 SEA AL 35 108 6 17 3 0 1 13 0 28 27 0.157 .259 (-39%) .322 (avg) .384 (-45%) .707 (-24%) -378.3
1985 SEA AL 135 484 76 104 16 1 32 87 3 84 126 0.215 .257 (-16%) .323 (+2%) .390 (+15%) .714 (+9%) 996.6
1986 SEA AL 57 170 24 33 4 0 10 26 1 27 55 0.194 .257 (-25%) .325 (-5%) .395 (avg) .720 (-3%) -41.6
1986 ATL AL 44 145 21 26 4 1 6 10 2 31 50 0.179 .257 (-30%) .325 (-1%) .395 (-13%) .720 (-7%) -41.6

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
17 59 3 6 0 0 2 7 5 23 0.102

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1982 ALCS ML4 5 15 1 1 0 0 1 3 2 7 0.067
1982 WS ML4 7 26 0 3 0 0 0 3 2 7 0.115
1981 AEDIV ML4 5 18 2 2 0 0 1 1 1 9 0.111

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 6 6 47 3 1 3
3B 2 0 2 0 1 0
OF 1159 1061 2905 53 49 12

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1973 ML4 3B 1 0 1 0 0 0
1973 ML4 OF 50 39 87 1 4 1
1974 ML4 OF 13 11 26 0 0 0
1975 ML4 OF 113 68 215 5 9 1
1976 ML4 3B 1 0 1 0 1 0
1976 ML4 OF 94 62 210 4 3 0
1978 ML4 OF 137 130 345 5 6 0
1979 ML4 OF 152 151 435 4 4 0
1980 ML4 OF 160 160 455 6 7 1
1981 ML4 OF 97 97 221 8 5 3
1982 ML4 OF 157 157 427 11 4 4
1983 ML4 OF 46 46 126 0 1 0
1983 CLE OF 106 106 313 7 6 2
1984 SEA OF 34 34 45 2 0 0
1986 ML4 1B 6 6 47 3 1 3

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 6
Third Base 1
Left Field 63
Center Field 969
Right Field 136
Designated Hitter 247

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1985 TSN Comeback Player of the Year
1982 Player of the Week Week of 1982-08-13
1982 TSN All-Star OF
1979 Player of the Week Week of 1979-04-27

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1986 ML4 AL $60,000
1986 SEA AL $600,000
1985 SEA AL $690,000
Total Career Earnings $1,350,000

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1982 Most Valuable Player AL 8th 44.0 392 0
1979 Most Valuable Player AL 7th 87.0 392 0