During a 50-year career in professional baseball, he also spent time as a player, scout, or executive with the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, and Kansas City Royals.

Thrift was born in Locust Hill, Middlesex County, Virginia, part of the historic Middle Peninsula area, where his mother and father ran a general merchandise store.

Thrift's management and personnel decisions were later widely attributed for the team's subsequent success, as they won National League Eastern Division titles from 1990 through 1992.

He signed a two-year $400,000 contract that gave him the final say on all baseball-related decisions on October 26, 1987, three days after winning a power struggle that resulted in the resignation of Malcolm Prine as club president.

[7] Thrift also served as a consultant to the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

[10] Thrift was put in charge of the minor league operations of the Baltimore Orioles upon his appointment as the team's director of player development thirteen days later on October 31, 1994.

[11] He was promoted to vice president of baseball operations on December 21, 1999, succeeding Frank Wren who had been relieved of his general manager duties two months prior.

[15] With his Virginia drawl, garrulous nature and endless supply of stories, Thrift brought a fresh eye to evaluating talent and building teams.