34 Facts About Sam Thompson

1.

Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1898 and with a brief comeback in 1906.

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2.

Sam Thompson played as a right fielder in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Wolverines, Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers.

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3.

Sam Thompson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.

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4.

Defensively, Sam Thompson was known to have one of the strongest arms of any outfielder in the early decades of the game.

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5.

Sam Thompson was the fifth of eleven children born to Jesse and Rebecca Thompson.

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6.

In July 1884, Sam Thompson began his professional baseball career at age 24, playing for the Evansville, Indiana, team in the Northwestern League.

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7.

Sam Thompson was initially reluctant to give up his carpentry career and travel 150 miles to Evansville, but he ultimately agreed to give it a try.

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8.

Sam Thompson signed with the Indianapolis Hoosiers of the newly formed Western League in 1885.

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9.

Sam Thompson was approached by a Union Association team and offered more money, but in a show of "steadfastness to his word", Thompson refused the offer and remained with Indianapolis at a pay of $100 per month.

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10.

Sam Thompson later told the colorful story of his acquisition by Detroit.

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11.

Sam Thompson recalled his first time in 1885 viewing Woodward Avenue with Indianapolis teammate Mox McQuery.

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12.

The Wolverines were in last place when Sam Thompson joined the club, but won 12 of their first 13 games after Sam Thompson took over in right field.

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13.

Sam Thompson had his breakout season in 1887 when he won the National League batting crown with.

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14.

On May 7,1887, Thompson became the first player in major league history to hit two triples with the bases loaded in the same game.

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15.

On October 16,1888, Sam Thompson was purchased from the Wolverines by the Philadelphia Quakers, for $5,000 cash.

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16.

Sam Thompson became the first major league player to reach 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in the same season.

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17.

In each of his first four seasons with the Phillies, Sam Thompson finished among the league leaders in total bases and RBIs.

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18.

Sam Thompson ranked third in total bases in 1889,1890, and 1893, second in RBIs in 1892, and third in RBIs in 1890.

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19.

Sam Thompson tallied a career-high 32 outfield assists to lead the National League in 1891.

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20.

Sam Thompson missed a month from the 1894 season with an injury to the little finger on his left hand.

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21.

Sam Thompson continued to perform well defensively with 31 outfield assists, second most in the league.

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22.

At age 36, Sam Thompson played his last full season of professional baseball in 1896.

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23.

Sam Thompson's throwing remained strong as he turned in one of the finest defensive performances of his career.

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24.

In 1897, at age 37, Sam Thompson was sidelined by pain and appeared in only three games.

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25.

However, Sam Thompson opted to leave the team in May 1898 and return to his home in Detroit.

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26.

Late in the 1906 baseball season, Sam Thompson briefly returned to the major leagues as a player for the Detroit Tigers.

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27.

At age 46, Sam Thompson had remained active, playing baseball for the Detroit Athletic Club and other local teams.

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28.

Sam Thompson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.

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29.

Sam Thompson was one of the most prolific run producers in baseball history.

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30.

Sam Thompson still holds the major league record for most RBIs in a single month with 61 in August 1894 while playing for the Phillies.

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31.

Sam Thompson was one of the best power hitters of the era before Babe Ruth.

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32.

Sam Thompson was appointed a US Deputy Marshall during World War I and worked as the crier in the courtroom of US District Court Judge Arthur J Tuttle.

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33.

Sam Thompson was "well known" and a "well liked" figure at the federal building in Detroit.

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34.

Sam Thompson was posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.

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