Hall of Famer Rod Carew shifting to designated hitter, however, they traded positions by the end of the season. Thompson batted over .300 for the Angels, but was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates during spring training the following season for Mickey Mahler and Ed Ott. Trade to the Yankees Immediately after acquiring Thompson, the Pirates dealt him to the New York Yankees for Jim Spencer and minor league pitchers Greg Cochran and Fred Tolliver, however, commissioner Bowie Kuhn voided the deal. The Yankees were to pay Spencer's salary according to the original deal; which put the transaction over the $400,000 limit the commissioner had established for any transaction. Pittsburgh Pirates Now part of a team he was never intended to be part of, Thompson got off to a slow start with the Pirates, batting .171 with seven home runs and seventeen RBIs in the first half of the strike shortened season. His hitting improved substantially in the second half of the 1981 season, as he batted .321 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs. Thompson continued his hot hitting into , hitting thirteen home runs and batting .354 through the month of May to earn the third All-Star nod of his career. For the season, Thompson batted .284 with 31 home runs and 101 RBIs. He became the third player in Pirates history to reach the 100-RBI, 100-walk plateau, finishing fifth in the National League in OPS with a .902 mark. On June 26, , Thompson hit four home runs in a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, tying Ralph Kiner's 37-year franchise record for most home runs in a doubleheader. Thompson remained with the Pirates through , batting .259 with 93 home runs and 354 RBIs in his five seasons with the club. During Spring training , he was dealt to the Montreal Expos for two minor leaguers. He lost his starting job to rookie Andrés Galarraga shortly into the season, and was released on June 30. Thompson was unable to continue his career due to knee injuries. Career stats While with the Tigers, Thompson earned the nickname "Roof Top" from his ability to hit balls onto the Tiger Stadium right field roof. On two occasions he powered the ball over the roof and completely out of the stadium. A steady first baseman, he also led each league in total chances in 1977 and . References External