# Pinch Thomas > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Pinch_Thomas > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Pinch_Thomas.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinch_Thomas > Source revision: 1278303836 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American baseball player (1888–1953)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Pinch Thomas |image=Chester Pinch Thomas 2163869666 65dfaece67 o.jpg |caption=Thomas in 1913 |birth_date={{birth date|1888|1|24}} |death_date={{death date and age|1953|12|24|1888|1|24}} |birth_place=[Camp Point, Illinois](/source/Camp_Point%2C_Illinois), U.S. |death_place=[Modesto, California](/source/Modesto%2C_California), U.S. |bats=Left |throws=Right |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=April 24 |debutyear=1912 |debutteam=Boston Red Sox |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=June 19 |finalyear=1921 |finalteam=Cleveland Indians |stat1label=[Batting average](/source/Batting_average_(baseball)) |stat1value=.237 |stat2label=[Home run](/source/Home_run)s |stat2value=2 |stat3label=[Runs batted in](/source/Run_batted_in) |stat3value=102 |teams= *[Boston Red Sox](/source/Boston_Red_Sox) ({{mlby|1912}}–{{mlby|1917}}) *[Cleveland Indians](/source/Cleveland_Indians) ({{mlby|1918}}–{{mlby|1921}}) | highlights= *4× [World Series](/source/World_Series) champion: [1912](/source/1912_World_Series), [1915](/source/1915_World_Series), [1916](/source/1916_World_Series), [1920](/source/1920_World_Series) }} '''Chester David''' "'''Pinch'''" '''Thomas''' (January 24, 1888 – December 24, 1953) was an American professional [baseball](/source/baseball) [catcher](/source/catcher) who played in [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) from [1912](/source/1912_in_baseball) through [1921](/source/1921_in_baseball) for the [Boston Red Sox](/source/Boston_Red_Sox) (1912–17) and [Cleveland Indians](/source/Cleveland_Indians) (1918–21). Listed at {{height|ft=5|in=9.5}}, 173 lb., Thomas batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in [Camp Point, Illinois](/source/Camp_Point%2C_Illinois). ==Biography== The Red Sox signed Thomas in 1911 but allowed him to play the 1911 season with the [Sacramento Sacts](/source/Sacramento_Sacts) before recalling him to the Major Leagues for the 1912 season. He spent the 1912 season as a little-used backup catcher for [1912 World Series](/source/1912_World_Series) championship Red Sox.{{cite book|title=1913 Reach Guide|page=69|year=1913}} A fine defensive replacement, Thomas was the primary catcher for the Red Sox during three years, helping them to the [World Championship](/source/World_Series) in [1915](/source/1915_World_Series) and [1916](/source/1916_World_Series). On June 23, 1917, Thomas was involved in a combined no-hitter in which he and [Babe Ruth](/source/Babe_Ruth) were both ejected after disagreement over the strike zone after Ruth walked the first batter. [Ernie Shore](/source/Ernie_Shore) and [Sam Agnew](/source/Sam_Agnew) replaced Ruth and Thomas respectively and promptly caught the walked batter at second and recorded 26 consecutive outs. In 1917 he led [American League](/source/American_League) catchers with a .986 [fielding percentage](/source/fielding_percentage), but at the end of the season he was dealt to the [Philadelphia Athletics](/source/Philadelphia_Athletics), with two other players, in the same transaction that brought [Joe Bush](/source/Bullet_Joe_Bush), [Wally Schang](/source/Wally_Schang) and [Amos Strunk](/source/Amos_Strunk) to Boston. He did not appear in a game for the Athletics and was sold to the Indians. While in Cleveland, he won a fourth [World Series ring](/source/World_Series_ring) in [1920](/source/1920_World_Series). A good [pinch-hitter](/source/pinch-hitter) as well, he hit .417 (13-for-31) from 1913 to 1918. In a 10-season career, Thomas was a .237 hitter (245-for-1035) with two [home run](/source/home_run)s and 102 [RBI](/source/run_batted_in), including 88 [runs](/source/run_(baseball)), 27 [doubles](/source/double_(baseball)), eight [triples](/source/triple_(baseball)), 12 [stolen base](/source/stolen_base)s, and a .318 [on-base percentage](/source/on-base_percentage). In 423 catching appearances, he committed 52 [errors](/source/error_(baseball)) in 1,948 [chances](/source/total_chances) for a .973 fielding percentage. He appeared as himself in the Paramount feature film ''[Warming Up](/source/Warming_Up_(1928_film))''. Thomas died in [Modesto, California](/source/Modesto%2C_California) at age 65. ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== {{baseballstats|br=t/thomapi01|brm=thomas001che}} *[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/T/Pthomp101.htm Retrosheet] {{commons category|Pinch Thomas}} {{1912 Boston Red Sox}} {{1915 Boston Red Sox}} {{1916 Boston Red Sox}} {{1920 Cleveland Indians}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Pinch}} Category:1888 births Category:1953 deaths Category:Major League Baseball catchers Category:Boston Red Sox players Category:Cleveland Indians players Category:Baseball players from Adams County, Illinois Category:People from Adams County, Illinois Category:Oakland Oaks (baseball) players Category:Sacramento Sacts players Category:Hartford Senators players Category:Portland Beavers players Category:20th-century American sportsmen --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Pinch Thomas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinch_Thomas) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinch_Thomas?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.