Born in Lindsey, Ohio in 1898, Robert W. Thomas was a son of Ohio natives Mary Ann Thomas (1857-1924) and William A. Thomas (1861-1847), who was the adopted son of Samuel Transue (1832-1926), a native of Easton, Pennsylvania who had served with the 47th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry during the American Civil War.
Known more commonly by his nickname, Red Thomas was a young child when he relocated with his family to Fremont, Ohio. After completing two years at the junior high school there, he opted not to pursue a high school education and, instead, took a job at the Herbrand Corporation, which was a manufacturer of vehicle springs and suspension systems.
Thomas began his baseball career as a ballplayer with the Industrial League in Fremont. In 1919, he joined a professional team in Little Rock, Arkansas that was part of minor league baseball's Southern Association. Departing from that team in June 1919, he moved on to a Western Association team based in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, staying there until June 1920 when he joined the team in Henryetta, Oklahoma as a catcher who batted .329. After switching to the outfield in 1921 and racking up a batting average of .349, he signed a contract with the Chicago Cubs for $350 per month. Documenting the early success of Thomas with the Cubs, The Daily Oklahoman reported in its September 26, 1921 edition:

Return to Red Thomas Autograph Profile