Billy Hamilton (baseball)

Infobox MLB retired
name=Billy Hamilton
position=Outfielder


birthdate=birth date|1866|2|16
city-state|Newark|New Jersey
deathdate=death date and age|1940|12|16|1866|2|16
city-state|Worcester|Massachusetts
bats=Left
throws=Right
debutdate=July 31
debutyear=1888
debutteam=Kansas City Cowboys
finaldate=September 16
finalyear=1901
finalteam=Boston Beaneaters
stat1label=Batting average
stat2label=Stolen bases
stat3label=Runs scored
stat1value=.344
stat2value=912
stat3value=1690
teams=
*Kansas City Cowboys (1888-1889)
*Philadelphia Phillies (1890-1895)
*Boston Beaneaters (1896-1901)
highlights=
*2-time NL batting champion: 1891, 1893
*4-time NL runs scored leader
*5-time NL stolen base leader
*5-time NL walks leader
*1-time NL hits leader
hofdate=by|1961
hofmethod=Veteran's Committee

William Robert "Sliding Billy" Hamilton (b. February 16, 1866, d. December 15 [obituary, New York Times, December 17, 1940] or December 16 [cite web |url=http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/hofer_bios/Hamilton_Billy.htm |title= Billy Hamilton |accessdate=2007-04-17 |format= |work=BaseballHallOfFame.org |publisher=National Baseball Hall of Fame ] , 1940) was a 19th century Major League Baseball player. He holds a number of offensive records that still stand today and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1961.

Biography

Born in Newark, New Jersey, "Sliding Billy" Hamilton broke into the Majors in the American Association with the Kansas City Cowboys in 1888 at the age of 22 and established himself as a star the following season by batting .301 with 144 runs and 111 stolen bases.

In 1890, Hamilton was sold to the Philadelphia Phillies for cash by the Cowboys, who were ceasing their operation. The timing could not have been better for the team from Philadelphia as Sam Thompson joined the club the prior season and Ed Delahanty would become a Phillie the following year.

Hamilton continued his trend-setting ways over the following six years, averaging 146 runs and 92 stolen bases a season while hitting as high as .404 in 1894. He was now a part of one of the greatest hitting outfields and teams of all-time. Hamilton, Thompson, Delahanty, and Tuck Turner all hit over .400 for the year in 1894. Unfortunately, the mid-1890s was also the pinnacle of the Original Baltimore Orioles of Willie Keeler and John McGraw, and later on, the powerful Boston Beaneaters of Hugh Duffy and Kid Nichols. In 1896, Hamilton moved to Boston, for whom he played his final six seasons. Although his numbers declined, Hamilton still scored over 100 runs in all but two of those seasons. He still holds the Major League record for runs scored in a season with 192 in 1894 while with the Phillies.

Hamilton retired after the 1901 season. Over his career he compiled 912 stolen bases, a .344 batting average and 1690 runs in 1591 games; he is one of only three players to average more than one run per game played. His .455 career on base percentage is ranked fourth all time behind Ted Williams, Babe Ruth and John McGraw, and his 912 stolen bases rank 3rd behind Rickey Henderson and Lou Brock. Even for the run-happy 1890's, these are very fine career numbers. Hamilton also set the record for most stolen bases in one game, with seven, set August 31, 1894. Though stolen bases were credited differently during Hamilton's career than they are in modern time, he was very proud of his stolen base marks. In 1937, Billy Hamilton lambasted the Sporting News in a letter he wrote to them stating, "I was and will be the greatest base stealer of all time. I stole over 100 bases on many years and if they ever re-count the record I will get my just reward." [ Russell Roberts (1999) "Stolen!: A History of Base Stealing", McFarland, ISBN 078640650X [http://books.google.com/books?id=VTQ8U8iP3hEC&pg=PA30&sig=W4YSbyytfNL_hhCdJnsD2Gz03l8&dq=sliding+billy+hamilton+%22August+31,1894%22+%22He+proved+that+on+August+31,1894,+against+Washington+pitcher+Arthur+(or+William)+Wynne,+who+was+making+his+first+(and+only)+appearance+in+a+big+league+game.+%22 Excerpt, pg. 30] ]

Hamilton was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1961. He was the first New Jersey native so honored, and remains the only one from the northern part of the State, although Alabama-born Monte Irvin grew up in East Orange and South Carolina-born Larry Doby grew up in Paterson. Hamilton died in 1940.

Accomplishments

* Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame (1961)
* 3rd all time for stolen bases in a career (912)
* Led the Major Leagues in stolen bases (1889-91, 1894, 1895)
* Led the National League in batting average (1891, with .340)
* Led the National League in runs scored (1891, with 141)
* Led the National League in hits (1891, with 179)
* Led the National League for times on base (1891)
* Led the Major Leagues in batting average (1893, with .380)
* Led the Major Leagues in runs scored (1894-95, 1897)
* Led the Major Leagues for times on base (1894, 1896-97)
* Set record for runs scored with 198 in 1894.
* Philadelphia Phillies Career Leader in Batting Average (.361), On-base percentage (.468) and Stolen Bases (508).
* Holds Phillies single season records for On-base percentage (.523 in 1894), Runs (192 in 1894), Stolen Bases (111 in 1891) and Times on Base (355 in 1894)

ee also

* List of major league players with 2,000 hits
* List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
* List of Major League Baseball players with 500 stolen bases
* List of Major League Baseball batting champions
* List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
* List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
* List of Major League Baseball stolen base champions
* List of Major League Baseball players with 400 stolen bases

References

External links

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