Born in Latham, Illinois, Thompson made his professional debut in the Reds' farm system in 1935.

He ended his career with a record of 47–35, a 3.26 earned run average and 315 strikeouts in 185 games and 686+2⁄3 innings pitched.

In between playing for the Reds and Giants, Thompson served in the United States Navy during World War II.

[1] After his career ended, Thompson became a scout for the Giants, by then in San Francisco, serving in that capacity for 40 years.

He worked briefly for the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs before finishing his career with the San Diego Padres, finally retiring in 2005.