George Thomas, a versatile utility player who spent six seasons with the Boston Red Sox and contributed to the 1967 “Impossible Dream” team that captured the American League pennant, has died. He was 88.
Minneapolis Star-Tribune sports columnist Patrick Reusse reported that Thomas died Friday. The native of Minneapolis was born Nov. 29, 1937.
Thomas signed with the Detroit Tigers in 1957 after attending the University of Minnesota. He later played for the expansion Los Angeles Angels in their inaugural 1961 season before returning to Detroit.
He joined the Red Sox in 1966 and remained with the club through 1971. Across those six seasons in Boston, Thomas appeared in 222 games and batted .264.
His most notable year with the Red Sox came in 1967. Boston won its first American League pennant since 1946 and advanced to the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Thomas played in 65 regular-season games that year and made two plate appearances in the Fall Classic.
Over a 13-year major league career that spanned 685 games, Thomas hit .255 with a .316 on-base percentage and .389 slugging percentage. He recorded 46 home runs and 202 RBIs.
Thomas played every position on the field except pitcher during his time in the majors. That range gave managers a reliable option across multiple spots.
Ray Birch, writing about Thomas in the Society for American Baseball Research’s book “The 1967 Impossible Dream Red Sox: ‘Pandemonium on the Field,’” noted his early impact in Boston.
“In 1966, Thomas played in only 69 games for the Red Sox and batted .237. But he had a sense of humor that was appreciated in the Red Sox clubhouse, and was a versatile, hustling player, a quality that earned him esteem in the eyes of manager Billy Herman.”
Thomas finished his playing career with a brief stint for the Minnesota Twins in 1971. After retiring from the majors, he returned to the University of Minnesota as an assistant baseball coach.
He later served as head coach of the Golden Gophers for three seasons from 1979 to 1981. His teams compiled a 95-43 record during that stretch.
The university continues to honor Thomas with its George Thomas Most Improved Player Award. His time in Boston remains a key chapter in a career defined by adaptability on the field.
Thomas provided steady depth for a Red Sox club that surged from the bottom of the standings to the World Series in 1967. His ability to fill multiple roles helped support the roster during that unexpected pennant run.
Career totals show consistent production across multiple organizations, with his Boston years accounting for a significant portion of his major league games. The .264 average in a Red Sox uniform reflected solid contributions in limited opportunities.
The 1967 World Series appearance marked the high point of his time with the franchise. Two plate appearances in that series underscored his role as a reserve on a team that reached the postseason for the first time in two decades.
Thomas’s path from college at Minnesota to the majors and back to coaching at his alma mater closed a circle that began in his hometown. His versatility left a lasting mark on the clubs he served, particularly the Red Sox of the late 1960s.
