After being selected in the 23rd round of the 1989 MLB draft, pitcher Mike Thomas took a relatively roundabout path to the major leagues. He spent parts of three seasons in the Mets organization before being traded to the Expos and played three more in the low levels of their organization, never finding a place above AA.
Thomas was 24 and had played five professional seasons when the Brewers signed him as a minor league free agent before the 1994 season. He saved 20 games for AA El Paso in 1994 and earned his first promotion to AAA for the 1995 season.
During the 1995 season, he got the call to the big leagues for the first time. And on this day in that season, he made his major league debut.
With the Brewers trailing 7-2, Thomas was called in to relieve starter Steve Sparks in the seventh inning. He allowed two hits and a walk in 1.1 innings of work, but did not allow a run and came within one batter of finishing the game.
As it turned out, this was Thomas' only major league appearance. He finished the '95 season with AAA New Orleans and was done as a professional at age 26.