Sam Thompson (1974)


Date of Birth: 3/5/1860
Date of Death: 11/7/1922
Birthplace: Danville, Indiana

Sam Thompson played on a local baseball team before signing with his first professional team in the Northwestern League in 1884. The following year, he played for the Indiana Hoosiers of the Western League.

Detroit Wolverines

Sam Thompson started his major league baseball career in 1885, when the Detroit Wolverines of the National League purchased his contract. He played in 63 games with them that year, and he batted .303 with 77 hits. The following season, he batted .310 with 156 hits and 18 doubles in 122 games.

Thompson led the National League in hits and triples in 1887. He had 203 hits, 29 doubles, 23 triples, 11 home runs, 22 stolen bases, and a .372 batting average in 127 games. The following season, he played in just 56 games, and he had a .282 batting average.

Philadelphia Quakers/Phillies

When the Wolverines folded after the 1888 season, the Philadelphia Quakers bought Thompson's contract. He led the National League in home runs in 1889 with a career high of 20. He batted .296 with 158 hits, 36 doubles, and 24 stolen bases in 128 games.

Thompson led the NL in hits and doubles in 1890. He had 172 hits, 41 doubles, 25 stolen bases, and a .313 batting average in 132 games. The next year, he batted .294 with 163 hits, 23 doubles, 10 triples, and a career high 29 stolen bases in 133 games.

Thompson played in a career high 153 games in 1892. He had 186 hits, 28 doubles, 11 triples, 28 stolen bases, and a .305 batting average. In 1893, he again led the NL in hits with a career high 222 and in doubles with 37. He batted .370 in 131 games that year.

Thompson had probably his best season in 1894, when he batted a career high .407. He had 178 hits, 29 doubles, a career high 27 triples, 13 home runs, and 24 stolen bases in 99 games.

In 1895, Thompson had a career high 45 doubles in 119 games. He finished the season with 211 hits, 21 triples, a league leading 18 home runs, 27 stolen bases, and a .392 batting average. The following season, he batted .298 with 154 hits and 28 doubles in 119 games.

Thompson developed back problems in 1897, and he played in just three games that season and in fourteen games the following year.

Detroit Tigers

Thompson retired after the 1898 season, but he came back in 1906 to play in eight games with the Detroit Tigers.

MLB Records

  • Led NL in hits (3 times)
  • Led NL in doubles (2 times)
  • Led NL in home runs (2 times)
  • Led NL in RBIs (3 times)

Career Statistics

Thompson played in over 99 games in each of 10 seasons (1886-1887, 1889-1896). His statistics during that time include:

  • 10 seasons with over 150 hits, with a high of 222 in 1893
  • 4 seasons with over 30 doubles, with a high of 45 in 1895
  • 7 seasons with 10 or more triples, with a high of 27 in 1894
  • 8 seasons with 100 or more RBIs, with highs of 166 in 1887 and 165 in 1895
  • 8 seasons with over 20 stolen bases, with a high of 29 in 1891
  • 7 seasons with a batting average over .300, with a high of .407 in 1894

Career batting statistics for Thompson include:

  • 1,407 games played
  • 1,979 hits
  • 340 doubles
  • 160 triples
  • 127 home runs
  • 229 stolen bases
  • 226 strikeouts to 450 walks
  • .331 batting average
  • .384 on-base percentage
  • .889 OPS

Career fielding statistics for Thompson as an outfielder include:

  • 1,409 games played
  • 2,167 putouts
  • 172 errors
  • .934 fielding percentage

Post Playing Years

Thompson died of a heart attack on November 7, 1922, at the age of 62.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Sam Thompson
ESPN - Sam Thompson
Baseball Reference - Sam Thompson

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