Chester Thomas

Chester David "Pinch" Thomas (1888-1953) was an American catcher in Major League Baseball from 1912 to 1921. He played for the Boston Red Sox from 1912 to 1917 and the Cleveland Indians from 1918 to 1921. A defensive specialist, he served as a primary catcher for the Red Sox teams that won the World Series in 1915 and 1916, and led American League catchers with a .986 fielding percentage in 1917. He earned the nickname "Pinch" for his hitting as a pinch hitter. He caught more of Babe Ruth's starts than any other catcher during his Boston years and won a third World Series ring with Cleveland in 1920.