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Sam Thompson played a 15-year Hall of Fame career. Born five years before the Civil War ended, Thompson grew up in a military family. His great-grandfather fought in the American Revolution, and his father served as a Union soldier.

Thompson learned baseball from his father, who picked up the game from fellow soldiers. At 6’2″ and 207 pounds, Thompson was a large, powerful man for his time.

He debuted in the majors in 1885 at age 25 with the Detroit Wolverines. In 1886, he finished in the top-10 in hits, batting average, slugging percentage, and total bases. Thompson’s star was rising.

In 1887, he led the Wolverines to their first baseball championship. Thompson topped the NL in hits (203), triples (23), RBI (166), batting average (.372), slugging percentage (.565), and total bases (308). His RBI record stood for 34 years until Babe Ruth broke it in 1921. Thompson hit two bases-loaded triples in one game, a record that still stands.

Thompson drove in 150+ runs in a season, the only 19th-century hitter to do so. In August 1894, he drove in 61 RBI, an MLB record for a calendar month. He averaged .923 RBI per game, a record that may never be broken.

Thompson’s name appears across many single-season leaderboards. He led the NL in hits three times, doubles and triples once, homers twice, and RBI and slugging percentage three times each.

Thompson retired with a .331 career batting average, 126 home runs, 1,308 RBI, and 232 stolen bases. He was inducted into Cooperstown in 1974.

Sam Thompson’s autograph is not currently in the collection.

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In 1894 Thompson, Big Ed Delahanty, and Sliding Billy Hamilton made history. Each of the trio hit over .400, the only time in big league history three outfielders from the same team reached the mythical mark.

All three men were posthumously received a plaque in Cooperstown. Thompson got his in 1974, Delahanty in 1945 and Hamilton 1961

This is the lifetime pass that Billy Hamilton received in 1934, the 19th ever issued as evidenced by the numbering in the top right corner. The original passes are the only of the lifetime variety that were paper. Later incarnations of the passes were issued on solid gold, sterling silver, metal, and leather.

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In 1896, Sam Thompson hit his 12th home run, breaking Roger Connor’s NL career mark of 124. The next year, Thompson added one more before retiring, finishing with 126 home runs, a record that stood for over 25 years.

Cy Williams broke Thompson’s mark on June 2, 1923, with his 127th homer. Williams set the record at 251 by his 1930 retirement, nearly doubling Thompson’s total.

The letter in the image is dated August 7, 1930. It was written and signed by Cy Williams, a rare piece from his playing days.

That season, Williams played his final big league games. He appeared in six more games before retiring. On August 6, the Phillies lost to the Braves, with Bill Sherdel twirling his 150th career complete game in the victory.