LITTLE ROCK — When Dick Thompson walked onto a sports field or court, his competitors knew he would be tough to beat.
“He could play racquetball and just beat everyone. He was ambidextrous,” said his daughter, Jean Eubanks. “He’d just stand in the middle of the court and switch hands. Everyone was running around and he didn’t have to.”
Richard Gill Thompson, an all-around sportsman and former minor league baseball pitcher, died Wednesday at Trinity Village Medical Center in Pine Bluff from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 83.
Thompson, known as “Dickie” to his good friends,grew up playing basketball and baseball, eventually earning a scholarship to Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge.
In 1951, Thompson signed with the Detroit Tigers organization and was given $2,000, said his wife, Ann Thompson.
“He had enough money to buy a big, black Packard, the first car he ever owned,” Ann Thompson said. “He used to come to the girls dormitory and pick up anyone who might want a ride to class after lunch,” adding that she was a frequent rider.
After serving two years in the U.S. Air Force, Thompson played with a few of Detroit’s minor league teams and found success as a left-handed pitcher with the Arkansas Travelers.
“He pitched a game against Nashville, which was an 11-inning shutout,” Ann Thompson said. “It was a one [run] win. That was the highlight of his baseball career.”
After a shoulder injury ended his baseball career, the couple moved in 1954 to Pine Bluff, where he worked for Arkansas Mill Supply Co. for 29 years.
However, Thompson’s most rewarding time was spent working full time at First Baptist Church in Pine Bluff as a bookkeeper and activities director, his wife said.
“When he was working at the church, he’d keep candy on the desk and the children would always come to get a gummy bear,” said his daughter, Sally Mukai. “That’s why he kept it on his desk, so the kids would visit.”
As leader of a Sunday School class for young married couples, Thompson found sausage balls to be the best bait to lure them to the early morning classes.
“On Saturday night, he’d roll out a batch of sausage balls and put a pan in the oven Sunday morning,” his wife said. “He’d take them to church for the young people so they had something to eat for breakfast.”
Despite his shoulder injury, Thompson stayed active in various sports. In his 70s, he played three on-three half-court basketball with the Arkansas Tigers team in Hot Springs. Former teammate Charles Ridgway said they often medaled in national Senior Olympics tournaments.
“When you get to Senior Olympic age, you play for fun, but for all of us, it’s more fun to win than to lose,” Ridgway said. “He was an excellent player, excellent passer, a good defensive player. ... He always had something good to say.”
While Thompson umpired and coached Little League baseball for several years, he also encouraged his three daughters to get involved. In the late 1960s, Thompson and his wife created the Ponytail Softball League for young girls. Mukai said her team was called the Mary Kay Powder Puffs.
“I remember playing in the front yard, he was trying to teach me how to pitch,” Mukai said. “I think he had hoped I was going to be the boy because I was the last [daughter]. When he realized I wasn’t going to be the boy, he made do and started the Ponytail League.”
From organizing bridge games to Boy Scouts events, Thompson kept busy doing things for others.
“He just really did not know how to say no to people,” Eubanks said. “He was very giving ... very frugal, but always gave whatever he had. He just liked being around people.”
Arkansas, Pages 14 on 11/03/2012