The ceremony took place in Evansville, Ind., where the hall of fame is located. The Thomas brothers, teammates at Beavercreek High School and then Eastern Kentucky University, now belong to a hall of fame that includes Hank Aaron, Bob Feller and Babe Ruth, all of whom played semi-pro baseball before beginning careers in Major League Baseball.
The Woodpeckers started play in 1998 in the Miami Valley Adult Baseball League, Gabe said. He and his brother joined the team when their college careers ended. Gabe, a 1996 Beavercreek grad who now lives in South Lebanon, played right field. Josh, a 1998 grad who lives in Liberty Township, was a pitcher.
Gabe says he and his brother played more than 500 games for the Woodpeckers. Gabe played 12 seasons. Josh played 10.
Gabe hit .400 in his career with 96 home runs and 600 RBIs. Josh ranks in the top three in victories and strikeouts for the Woodpeckers.
“Most guys who play semi-pro are guys who played college or had a brief stint or at least attempted to play professional baseball,” Gabe said. “I’d say semi-pro is the equivalent of probably like Double-A or low Triple-A, as far as minor league system goes with the level of competition.”
Gabe is confident his teams would have dominated Single-A teams like the Dayton Dragons.
Semi-pro players don’t get paid. At the most, they get help with travel expenses or in buying uniforms and equipment thanks to sponsors.
“It takes some serious dedication,” Gabe said. “It’s a little bit different because you’re not going to practice every day. In semi-pro, you don’t hardly practice. You’re on your own. I built a little batting cage in my basement — one of those big pop-up tent type things with a tee. I would hit and throw as much as I could. This is all about just passion for the game. You don’t have someone telling you to go to practice every day. You’ve got to keep your game tight, and it gets harder and harder as you get older.”
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