Having to cover people passing away is always tough and sometimes hearing about who passed away eats me alive and if you are a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates this death might hit you a little closer.
Former three-time All-Star Frank Thomas, who was with the New York Mets for their inaugural season, died on Monday.
For his career, Thomas batted .266 with 286 home runs.
The OF/3B also played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, the then-Milwaukee Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Houston Astros. But his time with the Pirates is what really stood out to everyone.
He was an All-Star with the Pirates in 1954, 1955 and again in 1958, when he had his best season, hitting 35 home runs, driving in 109 runs and batting .281.
His nickname as a player included, The Big Donkey. Thomas and his wife, Dolores Wozniak, were married in 1951. They had eight children before her death in 2012. He had 12 grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. In 2021 he suffered a fall but Thomas was well enough to attend the Mets’ Old Timers’ Day in August 2022.
He died at the age of 93. Needless to say he lived a long life!
