SAM THOMPSON
Right Fielder, 1885-1888
"Big Sam"
-- Detroit Wolverines --
--Class of 1890--
Bats - Left
Throws - Left
Born - 3/5/1860
Died - 11/7/1922
Biography:
One of baseball's first great sluggers, "Big Sam" Thompson was a 6-foot-2 home run hitting machine. The legendary right fielder was first managed by Indianapolis's young skipper Bill Watkins, and when Watkins was named the Wolverines manager, he brought Thompson along. For parts of four seasons, Thompson proved his worth in the major leagues. During limited action in 1885, Thompson slugged seven home runs and nine triples while batting .303. The strong-armed outfielder followed that up in '86 with his first full season, batting .310 with 18 doubles, 13 triples, and eight homers. He also clouted 89 RBIs along the way. In 1887, Thompson had one of the greatest seasons in National League history. He batted a league-leading .372, to go along with a .571 slugging percentage as well as 166 RBI, 23 triples, and 203 hits. He continued his dominating season in the World Series that October, hitting two home runs while batting .362 with a .621 slugging percentage. "Big Sam's" efforts helped Detroit win the series, ten games to five. Thompson suffered from arm injuries in 1888, in what was to become his last season with the Wolverines, but continued his playing career in Philadelphia before retiring in 1898. His final major league at-bats would come eight years later, when at the age of 46 he appeared in eight games for the Tigers, in the city that had made him a legend. The Veterans Committee elected Thompson to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.
Hitting:
Code:
Year Ag Tm Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS+ TB SH HBP
1885 25 DTN NL 63 254 58 77 11 9 7 44 16 22 .303 .344 .500 170 127
1886 26 DTN NL 122 503 101 156 18 13 8 89 13 35 31 .310 .355 .445 139 224
1887 27 DTN NL 127 545 118 203 29 23 11 166 22 32 19 .372 .416 .571 168 311 9
1888 28 DTN NL 56 238 51 67 10 8 6 40 5 23 10 .282 .352 .466 159 111 3
1906 46 DET AL 8 31 4 7 0 1 0 3 0 1 .226 .250 .290 67 9 0 0
YR From To G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG SB CS OPS+
TOTALS 4 1885 1888 368 1540 328 503 68 53 32 339 106 82 .327 .375 .502 40 0 157