Sam Thompson

Quotes About Thompson
"[Thompson is from the] rutty class of slugging batsmen, who think of nothing else when they go to the bat but that of gaining applause of the 'groundlings' by the novice's hit to the outfield for a 'homer,' one of the least difficult hits known to batting in baseball, as it needs only muscle and not brains to make it." — The 1896 Spalding Guide

Played For
Detroit Wolverines (1885-1888)
Philadelphia Phillies (1889-1898)
Detroit Tigers (1906)

All-Time Rankings
Sam Thompson ranks #43 among the Top 50 all-time at RF. Rankings ⇒

Best Season: 1895
He hit .407 in 1894, but in '95 he had an evern better year. That season, "Big Sam" collected 211 hits in 119 games, scored 131 runs, clubbed 45 doubles, 21 triples, and 18 homers, and plated 165 runs. He hit .392 and helped Philadelphia's offense rack up more than 1,000 runs.

"Big Sam Thompson Goes Down Trail"
The above was the headline in a November 1916 newspaper report on Sam Thompson, who "professed the Christian religion at the last meeting of Billy Sunday's revival which closed at Detroit..." The article explained that Thompson and former teammate Charlie Bennett both went to the front of the revival and expressed their desire to find their religion. Bennett, who had lost his legs in a railroad accident years earlier, was embraced by Sunday, the popular evangelist of the period. According to the newspaper, Sunday's efforts netted more than $50,000 in contributions.

The Detroit Athletic Club
Thompson was still a good ballplayer when he left the Philadelphia team early in the 1897 season. It's likely that he abandoned the team after just thre egames, for a couple of reasons:

1. He was, at age 37, one of the oldest players in the league, and many of his longtime teammates had either retired or been traded away in recent years.
2. He made his home in Detroit and had been playing ball away from his wife and family for nearly a decade.
3. His skills had deteriorated some, and he was aware that he couldn't hit the ball as well as he could in his prime.

The second reason is most likely to be the main factor in his decision to leave the team early in '97. He was coaxed back in the spring of '98, and reported, mostly out of habit. He hit well for 13 games and then left for Detroit once again. Within a few years he was back on the diamond, playing for the Detroit Athletic Club, a talented semi-pro team in the city. The team was popular enough to have actually outdrawn the Tigers in some seasons. Later, in 1906, in what was essentially a publicity stunt, Thompson played the final week of the 1906 season for the Tigers, at the age of 46. With the Bengals, "Big Sam" played in the outfield alongside Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford, two future Hall of Famers.

North or Southpaw?
Some of Thompson's descendents have argued that Big Sam actuall threw with his right hand, but the evidence suggests they are mistaken. His arms was so strong, it's likely Thompson would have been utilized at third base more often had he been a right-handed thrower.

Description
"This magnificent specimen of manhood serves numerous noble purposes. Indiana is proud of him because he is her honored son; Michigan is proud of him because he is fighting under her banner; Illinois is proud of him because he is maintaining the glory of the league to which she belongs; men everywhere are proud of him because he so splendidly illustrates well-applied virility, and women all adore him because there is combined with his superb athletic qualities a modesty that is inexpressibly charming." — from a clipping from an unknown newspaper, dated October 20, 1887

"Thompson was an ungainly ballplayer who violated every rule when it came to taking his stance at the plate." — Indianapolis Times, March 26, 1961

Where He Played
Outfield, some first base, and one game at third. Thompson was basically a left fielder.

Born
Samuel Luther Thompson was born on March 5, 1860, in Danville, IN.

Died
November 7, 1922, Detroit, MI

Batted:  Left
Threw:  Left

Primary Position:  OF

Primary Team:  PHI

Major League Debut
July 2, 1885 ... The story goes that Thompson was working as a carpernter when he was signed to play professional baseball. The manager of the Indinapolis Indians was searching for players to make a team to oppose his own club of nine. He was told of Thomspon, but warned that Sam was working as a tradesman and wouldn't be easily lured onto the field. When the manager found Thompson on a ladder, he made his sales pitch. Sam replied that he'd love to play ball but he loved to eat as well, and that he wasn't sure he could make enough playing a game. The manager offered Sam $5 to play against his team. Thomspon accepted, belted a home run to deep center field in his first game, and was a professional batsman from that point forward.

Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1885
Coming soon...

Nicknames
Big Sam, The Marvel

Uniform Numbers
They did not use uniform numbers during his era.

Similar Players
Dan Brouthers, Jim O'Rourke

Related Players
Charlie Bennett, Billy Hamilton, Ed Delahanty, Dan Brouthers, Babe Ruth

Hall of Fame Voting Year Election Votes Pct 1974 Veterans %

Post-Season Appearances
1887 World Series

Batting Feats

• August 17, 1894: Cycle...

Hitting Streaks
21 games (1887)

Best Strength as a Player
Hitting for power, and his throwing arm. Thompson is credited with perfecting the one-bounce throw from the outfield.

Largest Weakness as a Player
None that we're aware of.

Learn More about Sam Thompson
Search Amazon.com for Books about Sam Thompson ⇒
Search for Sam Thompson at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒

Sources used for the Sam Thompson Player Page:
The 1886 Spalding Guide