| Fresco Thompson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Second baseman | |
| Born:(1902-06-06)June 6, 1902 Centreville, Alabama, U.S. | |
| Died: November 20, 1968(1968-11-20) (aged 66) Fullerton, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 5, 1925, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| April 22, 1934, for the New York Giants | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .298 |
| Home runs | 13 |
| Runs batted in | 249 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Lafayette Fresco Thompson Jr. (June 6, 1902 – November 20, 1968) was anAmericanMajor League Baseballsecond baseman and executive. Thompson was born inCentreville, Alabama. In 1916, when he was 14, his family moved toNew York City, where Thompson attendedGeorge Washington High School andColumbia University. At Columbia, he was afootball teammate ofLou Gehrig's, but Thompson left the school to turnprofessional before he could join Gehrig on the Lions' baseball team.[1]
Aright-handed batter and thrower, Thompson stood 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) tall and weighed 150 lb (68 kg). His pro career began at the Class D level of theminors in 1923. After three years of seasoning, he made his debut in September1925 with the eventual world championPittsburgh Pirates. Following brief appearances with the Pirates (14 games in 1925) andNew York Giants (two games in1926), Thompson was traded to thePhiladelphia Phillies in1927 when the Giants obtainedRogers Hornsby. He had his most productive years with the Phils, playing inBaker Bowl, twice hitting over .300. Overall, in 669games played for four teams over all or parts of nineNational League seasons (1925–32; 1934), Thompsonbatted .298 in 2,560 at bats. His 762hits included 149doubles, 34triples and 13home runs, and he collected 249RBI. He finished his career with a .962fielding percentage.[2]
After his playing days, Thompsonmanaged in theminor leagues before becoming an assistantfarm system director for theBrooklyn Dodgers. Thompson moved up the executive ladder, and survived the front-office purge that followedBranch Rickey's departure in October1950. During the shakeup, Thompson became a vice president and the team's second-ranking baseball executive, responsible for all minor league operations, while another VP,Buzzie Bavasi, assumed control of the big-league Dodgers' operations. Thompson continued as head of the club's extensive player development system after the Dodgers moved toLos Angeles in1958. Over Thompson's 22 years as a senior farm system executive, the Dodgers produced sixNational League Rookie of the Year Award winners,[3] and won ten NLpennants and fourWorld Series titles.
When Bavasi left to become president of theexpansionSan Diego Padres onJune 4, 1968, Thompson became the Dodgers' executive vice president andgeneral manager. During the transition, he presided over the Dodgers' hugely successful1968 amateur draft. The regular and secondary phases of the 1968 June lottery netted the DodgersSteve Garvey,Ron Cey,Bill Buckner,Bobby Valentine,Joe Ferguson,Doyle Alexander and others.[4]
However, a few weeks after his promotion, Thompson was diagnosed withcancer, and he died in November inFullerton, California, at the age of 66.[5] He was succeeded by the club's scouting director,Al Campanis, as general manager, formally titled vice president, player personnel. The following season,Ted Sizemore, developed in Thompson's farm system, was named the1969 NL Rookie of the Year.[3]
· Baseball Almanac| Sporting positions | ||
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| Preceded by | Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager 1968 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |