Hank Thompson

Born: 12/8/1925 in Oklahoma City, OK, USA

Died: 9/30/1969 in Fresno, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1947-07-17 | Final Game: 1956-09-30

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 174 lbs

Full name: Henry Curtis Thompson

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Biography

Hank Thompson was a notable Major League Baseball position player whose career spanned from 1947 to 1956. Born in 1925, Thompson made his mark during a transformative period in baseball history, as the sport began to integrate and evolve following World War II. He played a total of 933 games and showcased his versatility on the field, primarily serving as an outfielder and infielder. Over his career, he recorded 801 hits, 129 home runs, and 482 RBIs, finishing with a batting average of .267. His ability to contribute both with his bat and on the bases was evident as he also accumulated 33 stolen bases, highlighting his speed and agility. Thompson's impact extended beyond the diamond; he was one of the early African American players in the major leagues, breaking barriers and paving the way for future generations. His career, while perhaps not as heralded as some of his contemporaries, remains significant in the narrative of baseball's integration and the rich tapestry of talent that emerged during the post-war era. Thompson retired from the game on September 30, 1956, leaving behind a legacy of skill and determination that continues to inspire players today.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
823.0	725.0	179.0	262.0	44.0	23.0	32.0	119.0	88.0	8.0	30.0	0.361	0.434	0.618	1.052

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1943	154.0	137.0	20.0	42.0	6.0	3.0	1.0	14.0	14.0	0	2.0	0.307	0.375	0.416	0.791
1945	0	0	0	1.0	0	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000
1946	210.0	192.0	38.0	62.0	9.0	6.0	7.0	15.0	15.0	7.0	6.0	0.323	0.378	0.542	0.920
1947	200.0	172.0	53.0	69.0	13.0	7.0	11.0	42.0	26.0	0	7.0	0.401	0.485	0.750	1.235
1948	259.0	224.0	68.0	88.0	16.0	6.0	13.0	48.0	33.0	1.0	15.0	0.393	0.471	0.692	1.163

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1089	3577	625	984	133	49	144	568	57	556	337	0.275	0.375	0.460	0.836	11648.4

Career AVG .275 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — +5.7% above league average.

Career OBP .375 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — +12.2% above league average.

Career SLG .460 vs. league average .381 across their career seasons — +21.0% above league average.

Career OPS 0.836 vs. league average 0.715 across their career seasons — +16.9% 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
1943	KCM	NAL	41	134	18	42	6	2	1	14	2	9	0	0.313	.255 (+22%)	.324 (+12%)	.346 (+19%)	.671 (+16%)	325.0
1946	KCM	NAL	24	91	14	24	2	3	1	7	3	6	0	0.264	.256 (+3%)	.328 (-6%)	.358 (+7%)	.687 (+1%)	-20.7
1947	KCM	NAL	44	173	51	58	8	5	8	36	7	21	0	0.335	.262 (+28%)	.336 (+23%)	.376 (+54%)	.712 (+39%)	1139.7
1947	SLA	AL	27	78	10	20	1	1	0	5	2	10	7	0.256	.262 (-2%)	.336 (+1%)	.376 (-22%)	.712 (-11%)	1139.7
1948	KCM	NAL	47	176	50	59	13	5	5	29	12	27	0	0.335	.263 (+27%)	.340 (+26%)	.379 (+45%)	.719 (+36%)	1134.9
1949	NY1	NL	75	275	51	77	10	4	9	34	5	42	30	0.280	.262 (+7%)	.343 (+10%)	.384 (+16%)	.727 (+13%)	691.4
1950	NY1	NL	148	512	82	148	17	6	20	91	8	83	60	0.289	.265 (+9%)	.346 (+13%)	.401 (+15%)	.747 (+14%)	1717.8
1951	NY1	NL	87	264	37	62	8	4	8	33	1	43	23	0.235	.260 (-10%)	.336 (+2%)	.385 (avg)	.721 (+1%)	84.9
1952	NY1	NL	128	423	67	110	13	9	17	67	4	50	38	0.260	.252 (+3%)	.326 (+5%)	.369 (+23%)	.696 (+15%)	1134.3
1953	NY1	NL	114	388	80	117	15	8	24	74	6	60	39	0.302	.264 (+14%)	.335 (+19%)	.397 (+43%)	.733 (+32%)	2503.8
1954	NY1	NL	136	448	76	118	18	1	26	86	3	90	58	0.263	.261 (+1%)	.333 (+17%)	.390 (+24%)	.723 (+20%)	2136.0
1955	NY1	NL	135	432	65	106	13	1	17	63	2	84	56	0.245	.258 (-5%)	.332 (+11%)	.393 (+1%)	.726 (+5%)	722.1
1956	NY1	NL	83	183	24	43	9	0	8	29	2	31	26	0.235	.258 (-9%)	.331 (+4%)	.397 (+5%)	.728 (+4%)	196.8

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
23	78	17	20	2	0	1	9	20	4	0.256

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1954	WS	NY1	4	11	6	4	1	0	2	7	1	0.364
1951	WS	NY1	5	14	3	2	0	0	0	5	2	0.143
1948	ALC	KCM	7	26	3	6	0	1	4	5	0	0.231
1946	NWS	KCM	7	27	5	8	1	0	3	3	1	0.296

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
2B	137	39	339	343	33	84
3B	656	284	593	1342	123	142
OF	189	93	327	21	14	3
SS	36	33	70	107	25	20

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1943	KCM	2B	1	1	2	4	1	1
1943	KCM	OF	39	39	52	5	3	0
1946	KCM	2B	19	19	34	49	9	11
1946	KCM	OF	4	4	4	1	2	0
1946	KCM	SS	1	0	0	1	0	0
1947	KCM	2B	13	13	28	34	2	8
1947	KCM	OF	1	0	0	0	0	0
1947	KCM	SS	31	31	64	97	22	18
1947	SLA	2B	19	0	55	55	5	15
1948	KCM	2B	2	2	5	6	0	1
1948	KCM	3B	1	1	1	1	1	0
1948	KCM	OF	43	42	52	5	3	1
1948	KCM	SS	2	1	4	7	2	2
1949	NY1	2B	69	0	197	175	15	44
1949	NY1	3B	1	0	1	5	0	0
1950	NY1	3B	138	0	136	303	26	43
1950	NY1	OF	10	0	18	2	0	1
1951	NY1	3B	71	0	64	120	15	16
1952	NY1	2B	4	0	7	7	1	2
1952	NY1	3B	46	0	47	96	11	8
1952	NY1	OF	72	0	182	5	4	1
1953	NY1	2B	1	0	1	0	0	0
1953	NY1	3B	101	0	90	194	13	18
1953	NY1	OF	9	0	8	1	0	0
1954	NY1	2B	2	0	1	1	0	0
1954	NY1	3B	130	127	125	267	23	27
1954	NY1	OF	1	0	0	1	0	0
1955	NY1	2B	7	4	9	12	0	2
1955	NY1	3B	124	117	104	262	22	23
1955	NY1	SS	1	1	2	2	1	0
1956	NY1	3B	44	39	25	94	12	7
1956	NY1	OF	10	8	11	1	2	0
1956	NY1	SS	1	0	0	0	0	0