Danny Thompson (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Danny Leon Thompson was a professional baseball
player, a major league
shortstop
from 1970
-76
.
Born in Wichita, Kansas
, Thompson grew up in tiny Capron, Oklahoma
, and played college baseball at Oklahoma State, where he was an All-American. He broke into the majors with the Minnesota Twins
in 1970
. He played for the Twins until June 1976, when he was traded to the Texas Rangers
in a multi-player deal.
Danny Thompson was diagnosed with leukemia
before the 1973
season, but he continued his major league career for the next four seasons. He received the Hutch Award
in Seattle following the 1974 season, and batted .270 in 1975, leading all American League
shortstops.
Thompson appeared in 98 games in 1976, and went 1 for 3 in his final start for the Rangers on September 29th, appropriately at shortstop
in Minnesota's Metropolitan Stadium
. In his final game on October 2nd, he was used as a pinch hitter
. http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=thompda01&t=b He died less than ten weeks later, at the Mayo Clinic
in Rochester, Minnesota
. He was just 29, leaving behind a wife and two young daughters.
During the 1977 season, members of the Texas Rangers wore a black armband with the No. 4 on their left uniform sleeve. Examples of this tribute can be seen in the 1978 Topps baseball card set.
An annual golf
tournament honoring Thompson is held in late August in Sun Valley, Idaho
. The Danny Thompson Memorial Golf Tournament, benefiting leukemia and cancer research, was launched in 1977 by the late hall of famer Harmon Killebrew
, a former teammate with the Twins
, and Ralph Harding
, a former Idaho congressman
. The tournament has donated over $8.6 million since its inception.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player, a major league
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
from 1970
1970 in baseball
-Major Leagues:*World Series MVP: Brooks Robinson*All-Star Game, July 14 at Riverfront Stadium: National League, 5-4 ; Carl Yastrzemski, MVP-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Navegantes del Magallanes *College World Series: USC...
-76
1976 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over New York Yankees ; Johnny Bench, MVP*All-Star Game, July 13 at Veterans Stadium: National League, 7-1; George Foster, MVP-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Naranjeros de Hermosillo...
.
Born in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, Thompson grew up in tiny Capron, Oklahoma
Capron, Oklahoma
Capron is a town in Woods County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 42 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Capron is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
, and played college baseball at Oklahoma State, where he was an All-American. He broke into the majors with the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
in 1970
1970 in baseball
-Major Leagues:*World Series MVP: Brooks Robinson*All-Star Game, July 14 at Riverfront Stadium: National League, 5-4 ; Carl Yastrzemski, MVP-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Navegantes del Magallanes *College World Series: USC...
. He played for the Twins until June 1976, when he was traded to the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
in a multi-player deal.
Danny Thompson was diagnosed with leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
before the 1973
1973 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Oakland Athletics over New York Mets ; Reggie Jackson, MVP*All-Star Game, July 24 at Royals Stadium: National League, 7–1; Bobby Bonds, MVP-Other champions:...
season, but he continued his major league career for the next four seasons. He received the Hutch Award
Hutch Award
The Hutch Award is given annually to an active Major League Baseball player who best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire of Fred Hutchinson...
in Seattle following the 1974 season, and batted .270 in 1975, leading all American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
shortstops.
Thompson appeared in 98 games in 1976, and went 1 for 3 in his final start for the Rangers on September 29th, appropriately at shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
in Minnesota's Metropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium was a sports stadium that once stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis. The area where the stadium once stood is now the site of the Mall of America...
. In his final game on October 2nd, he was used as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
. http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=thompda01&t=b He died less than ten weeks later, at the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
in Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
. He was just 29, leaving behind a wife and two young daughters.
During the 1977 season, members of the Texas Rangers wore a black armband with the No. 4 on their left uniform sleeve. Examples of this tribute can be seen in the 1978 Topps baseball card set.
An annual golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
tournament honoring Thompson is held in late August in Sun Valley, Idaho
Sun Valley, Idaho
Sun Valley is a resort city in Blaine County in the central part of the U.S. state of Idaho, adjacent to the city of Ketchum, lying within the greater Wood River valley. Tourists from around the world enjoy its skiing, hiking, ice skating, trail riding, tennis, and cycling. The population was 1,427...
. The Danny Thompson Memorial Golf Tournament, benefiting leukemia and cancer research, was launched in 1977 by the late hall of famer Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Clayton Killebrew , nicknamed "Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon", was an American professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. During his 22-year career in Major League Baseball , he played for the Washington Senators, a team which later became the Minnesota Twins, and...
, a former teammate with the Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, and Ralph Harding
Ralph R. Harding
Ralph R. Harding was a former congressman from eastern Idaho; he served two terms as a Democrat from 1961-65....
, a former Idaho congressman
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. The tournament has donated over $8.6 million since its inception.
External links
- Danny Thompson Memorial Golf Tournament - official site
- Idaho Mountain Express - Danny Thompson Golf Tournament - 17-Aug-2007
- Sun Valley Guide - Danny Thompson Golf Tournament - Summer 2003