Bob Thurman
Bob Thurman was a professional baseball pitcher, outfielder and pinch-hitter. He played in the Negro Leagues, the Puerto Rican winter league (where he was a star), and for a few years at the end of his career, in Major League Baseball with the Cincinnati Reds. He is a member of the Puerto Rican Baseball Hall of Fame.
Several baseball reference books give Thurman's date of birth as 1921. However, like so many Negro Leaguers, Thurman took some years off his age in order to interest scouts in developing him as a prospect. In fact, 1917 is the correct year of his birth, as he himself admitted after his playing career was over. Therefore he made his major league debut at the age of 38, and was still in the big leagues at 42.
Thurman had a career .246/.314/.465 batting line in 334 major league games; his power made up for his lack of contact as he had a lifetime 100 OPS+ despite his old age when he played in the majors. He hit 35 homers and drove in 106 runs in 663 at-bats. He played 12 seasons in the Puerto Rican winter league. He is the league's all-time home run leader as of 2006, and a member of the Puerto Rican Baseball Hall of Fame.
He joined the Minnesota Twins as a scout after his playing career ended, and later scouted for the Reds and the Kansas City Royals as well as the Major League Scouting Bureau. He died in Wichita in 1998, aged 81.
(Baseball Reference NP)
Several baseball reference books give Thurman's date of birth as 1921. However, like so many Negro Leaguers, Thurman took some years off his age in order to interest scouts in developing him as a prospect. In fact, 1917 is the correct year of his birth, as he himself admitted after his playing career was over. Therefore he made his major league debut at the age of 38, and was still in the big leagues at 42.
Thurman had a career .246/.314/.465 batting line in 334 major league games; his power made up for his lack of contact as he had a lifetime 100 OPS+ despite his old age when he played in the majors. He hit 35 homers and drove in 106 runs in 663 at-bats. He played 12 seasons in the Puerto Rican winter league. He is the league's all-time home run leader as of 2006, and a member of the Puerto Rican Baseball Hall of Fame.
He joined the Minnesota Twins as a scout after his playing career ended, and later scouted for the Reds and the Kansas City Royals as well as the Major League Scouting Bureau. He died in Wichita in 1998, aged 81.
(Baseball Reference NP)
