The Illinois-born outfielder came up with the Yankees in 1961 and was traded to the Angels in May. He was an All-Star the next year but, by 1964, was traded to the Red Sox. Dealt to Atlanta and then to the Cubs, Thomas' last big league stop was Houston when he was acquired in 1968 for two minor leaguers. In 90 games, he hit .194 for the Astros with one homer. For his eight seasons, he hit .255 with 106 homers.

Thomas became the Phillies' General Manager from 1986-1997, winning the Sporting News Executive of the Year Award in 1993 when the Phillies won the National League pennant.

Thomas passed away from cancer on August 31, 2022.