Evening star., 1923-02-04

lSOD.
last November at the age of sixty
TWO, was base balrs greatest whole
saler in home runs until Ruth, the
phenom, came along the big league
pike. Thompsons 127 major league
nome runs constituted a big league
record until Ruth passed it on juno
20, 1921. The Babes 12Sth home run
was titanic smash off Herb Thor
ma men into the right center field
bieachers in Boston. one of the his
toric homers of Fepway Park. Ruth
now is considerably ahead of Thomp-
sons record of former years.
Like the Babe. Slugging Sam was
a left-handed hitter who pulled his
hits into right field. Many homers Of
Thompson's big collection landed III
Broad street. Philadelphia, via the air
route over the right field wall.
Started at Age of 20.
An odd thing about Thompson's
career is that he never played any
base ball until he was twenty years
OF age. He took to the game quickly.
Tor three years later he landed
base ball job with Evanston. In 1885
he was with Indianapolis, and when
this club was in bad way financially
II sold four of its stars. Thompson.
Collins. Keenan, and McKeon, to De
troit for $4,000. Ye shades of 1855.
Think of paying $4,000 and 100000
today for minor league rockies.
Thompson played his first big
league game on July 2. 1885. with De
troit opposing the Giants. Sam got
in as substitute right fielder. Sam
Newhall Crane, one of the staunchest
Giant rooters in the game today.
played second base for the Detroits.
who won by a score of to 0.
On July 2s, 1885. Thompson had his
first reat big batting day, Pitcher Tom
Keefe of the Giants being the victim.
The youngster slammed Sir Timothy
for a homer and two singles and
scored five runs.
troit champions of 1887. Detroit's only
National League pennant winner, and
the only world champion team that
the city can boast of. In 1888
Thompson was sold to the Phillies
and remained with that club until
1898, when he retired from the game
after a fuss with George Stallings.
then manager of the Quakers.
Hit Over 400 Twice.
Sam hit over 400 twice, yet never
led the National League. He hit .40G
scored as hits, and .4O3 seven years
later. In the seasons of 1898. 1925
and 1895 Thompson averaged $50 al
bat, yet he always was denied the
crown for the leagues leading bats
man.
In the season of 1887 Thompson
fought a spring campaign which
probably never has been equaled He
started in the season by hitting safely
in his first twenty-one games. during
which he bagged forty-seven hits for
total of eighty-four bases. giving
him a batting average of .465.
In addition to twice going over 400
Thompson hit over 300 in ten sea
sons, and ten times fn>his career he
scored 100 runs or more. He was
mighty slugger. four times hitting
for a total of 800 or more bases.
Twice he bagged over forty doubles
and twice over twenty triples. His
best home-run mark was twenty-one,
made in 1889.
In comparing Thompson to Ruth as
to home runs in their times at bat
the following average will show the
difference: Thompson went to bat
6005 times while in the National
League and made 127 homers for
home-run average of .021 to every
time at bat, while Ruth has an aver
age of .07S, as he made Sl97 homers
in his lifetime in 2,514 times at bat.
(Copyright, 1927