Gus Thompson

Born: 6/22/1877 in Humboldt, IA, USA

Died: 3/28/1958 in Kalispell, MT, USA

MLB Debut: 1903-08-31 | Final Game: 1906-09-21

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: John Gustav Thompson

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Biography

Gus Thompson was a professional baseball pitcher who played in the early 20th century, with a career spanning from 1903 to 1906. Born in 1877, Thompson made his mark in a period characterized by the transition from the deadball era to a more offensively focused game. Over the course of his career, he recorded a win-loss record of 4-13 and maintained an earned run average (ERA) of 4.07. In his time on the mound, he struck out 58 batters, showcasing his ability to challenge hitters despite his overall record. Thompson's playing style emphasized endurance and skill, as he navigated the competitive landscape of early professional baseball. While he did not record any saves during his career, his contributions as a pitcher were part of a larger narrative of the evolving game, marking a time when pitching strategies were being refined. Though not a household name, Thompson's efforts in the league during the years 1903 to 1906 reflect the challenges faced by pitchers of his era, as they adapted to the changing dynamics of baseball.

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
4	13	22	16	11	0	0	146.0	163	66	3	41	58	4.07	0

Career ERA 4.07 vs. league average 2.87 across their career seasons — 41.6% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year	Team	Lg	W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	Lg ERA	Pitcher PIV
1903	PIT	NL	2	2	5	4	3	0	0	43.0	52	17	16	22	3.56	3.10 (-15%)	-120.8
1906	STL	NL	2	11	17	12	8	0	0	103.0	111	49	25	36	4.28	2.68 (-60%)	-

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
22	50	1	10	0	0	0	5	0	0	8	0.200	0.231	0.200	0.431	0.0

Career AVG .200 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — 21.3% below league average.

Career OBP .231 vs. league average .312 across their career seasons — 26.0% below league average.

Career SLG .200 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — 39.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.431 vs. league average 0.641 across their career seasons — 32.8% 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
1903	PIT	NL	5	16	0	4	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0.250	—	—	—	—	0.0
1906	STL	NL	17	34	1	6	0	0	0	2	0	0	8	0.176	—	—	—	—	0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1903	WS	PIT	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000

Playoff Career Pitching

W	L	G	GS	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA
0	0	1	0	0	2.0	3	1	0	1	4.50

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year	Round	Team	W	L	G	GS	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA
1903	WS	PIT	0	0	1	0	0	2.0	3	1	0	1	4.50

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
P	22	12	3	44	4	1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1903	PIT	P	5	0	2	8	3	0
1906	SLN	P	17	12	1	36	1	1

Career Games by Position

Position	Games
Pitcher	22

College History

School Name	City	State	Years Attended
Grinnell College	Grinnell	IA	1900, 1901