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Former Phillies GM Lee Thomas passes away

(Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire)

Former Phillies general manager Lee Thomas, the architect of the beloved 1993 National League championship-winning club, died at his home in St. Louis on Wednesday. He was 86.

Thomas played eight seasons in the big leagues from 1961 to 1968 as a first baseman and outfielder and made the American League All-Star team in 1962 as a member of the Los Angeles Angels.

After spending a few years in the St. Louis Cardinals front office, Thomas was hired to be the Phillies vice president of player personnel in 1988. His biggest trades include John Kruk and Randy Ready from the Padres for Chris James in 1989, Terry Mulholland, Dennis Cook and Charlie Hayes from the Giants for Steve Bedrosian and Rick Parker a few weeks later and Curt Schilling from the Astros for Jason Grimsley in 1992.

Kruk, Mulholland and Schilling were all big parts of the ’93 club that won 97 games and advanced to the franchise’s fifth World Series. According to the Society for American Baseball Research, 20 of the 25 players on the 1993 Phillies postseason roster were acquired either via trade or free agency.

Thomas most recently served as a special assistant to the executive vice president for the Orioles from 2011 to 2018.

“Lee was a great man and will be missed incredibly,” Phillies chairman emeritus Bill Giles said in a statement. “I will never forget all the fun we had watching the 1993 Phillies National League championship team that he put together. Through his leadership, Lee has left an indelible mark on Phillies history. My love goes out to his wife Susie and his entire family.”