George Crowe played first base, and former Negro Leagues star Buster Clarkson was at third. Rubén Gómez, Sam Jones (MVP and Triple Crown winner) and Bill Greason were the pitching staff. Thurman still continued to pitch occasionally. Impressed with his winter season, the Cincinnati Reds bought his contract from the Cubs, for a reported $2,000. He made his major league debut on April 14, 1955, the same day Elston Howard became the first black man to play for the New York Yankees. Thurman hit 7 homers in only 152 at-bats, although his average fell to .217. The following year he hit .295 in only 139 chances, with 8 homers. On August 18, 1956 he hit three consecutive homers and a double against the Milwaukee Braves. The next season, he hit a home run against the Philadelphia Phillies on his birthday, May 14, 1957. He thus became the first major league player to homer on his fortieth birthday, although that fact was known at the time only to Thurman himself, since he had not yet revealed his true age. The 1957 season was Thurman's best in the major leagues. He started the year on a hot streak. On June 1 he was hitting .351, but by the end of June his average had dropped to .259. On August 2 he was sent down to the Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League. He hit 8 home runs in the Pacific Coast League before being recalled by the Reds later in August. The Reds were in a slump, and Thurman helped get them out of it. In his first five games back with the team, he hit 4 home runs with 12 RBI. For the 1957 Reds he hit 16 home runs in 190 at bats. His home run per at-bat percentage of 8.4% was better than Duke Snider who led the league at 7.9%, although Thurman lacked the plate appearances to qualify officially. Thurman played the entire 1958 season with the Reds and had a few pinch-hitting appearances with them in 1959. His final game was April 21, 1959. He was sent back to the minor leagues that year, but failed to hit well with Seattle or with Omaha of the American Association. In 1960 he hit .274 with Charleston, also of the American Association. He was now 43 years old. In 1961 he finally retired as a player, after 21 games with Charlotte in the South Atlantic League. Thurman had a career .246 average in 334 major league games.