Billy Hamilton, baseball player, 1888-1901

Billy Hamilton

⭐ Hall of Fame 1961

Born: 2/15/1866 in Newark, NJ, USA

Died: 12/15/1940 in Worcester, MA, USA

MLB Debut: 1888-07-31 | Final Game: 1901-09-16

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 5'6" | Weight: 165 lbs

Full name: William Robert Hamilton

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Billy Hamilton, born in 1866, was a groundbreaking outfielder whose career spanned from 1888 to 1901. Known for his exceptional speed and hitting ability, Hamilton played a total of 1,594 games, accumulating 2,164 hits and boasting a remarkable batting average of .344. His offensive prowess was complemented by his base-running skills, as he recorded an impressive 914 stolen bases, establishing himself as one of the premier base stealers of his era. With 40 home runs and 742 RBIs, Hamilton's contributions on the field were significant, marking him as a key player during the early days of professional baseball. Hamilton's career unfolded during a transformative period in the game, characterized by the shift from the deadball era to a more offensive-minded approach. His ability to get on base and create scoring opportunities was a precursor to the modern emphasis on speed and agility in baseball. In recognition of his outstanding achievements, Hamilton was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1961, solidifying his legacy as one of the sport's early stars and an influential figure in baseball history. His style of play and remarkable statistics continue to resonate, illustrating the impact he had on the game and the enduring legacy he left behind.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1594 6283 1697 2164 242 95 40 742 914 1189 362 0.344 0.455 0.432 0.888 38003.9

Career AVG .344 vs. league average .271 across their career seasons — +27.0% above league average.

Career OBP .455 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — +34.6% above league average.

Career SLG .432 vs. league average .363 across their career seasons — +19.0% above league average.

Career OPS 0.888 vs. league average 0.701 across their career seasons — +26.5% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1888 KC2 AA 35 129 21 34 4 4 0 11 19 4 13 0.264 .238 (+10%) .290 (+5%) .319 (+12%) .610 (+9%) 142.0
1889 KC2 AA 137 534 144 161 17 12 3 77 111 87 41 0.301 .263 (+14%) .334 (+24%) .357 (+10%) .691 (+17%) 2241.8
1890 PHI NL 123 496 133 161 13 9 2 49 102 83 37 0.325 .260 (+25%) .336 (+28%) .351 (+14%) .687 (+21%) 2426.9
1891 PHI NL 133 527 141 179 23 7 2 60 111 102 28 0.340 .254 (+34%) .331 (+37%) .343 (+23%) .675 (+29%) 3640.4
1892 PHI NL 139 554 132 183 21 7 3 53 57 81 29 0.330 .244 (+35%) .316 (+33%) .327 (+25%) .644 (+29%) 3463.9
1893 PHI NL 82 355 110 135 22 7 5 44 43 63 7 0.380 .279 (+36%) .356 (+37%) .379 (+38%) .735 (+38%) 2928.8
1894 PHI NL 132 558 198 225 25 15 4 90 100 128 19 0.403 .309 (+30%) .379 (+37%) .435 (+20%) .814 (+28%) 4457.7
1895 PHI NL 123 517 166 201 22 6 7 74 97 96 30 0.389 .296 (+31%) .361 (+36%) .399 (+24%) .761 (+29%) 3850.6
1896 BSN NL 131 524 153 192 24 10 3 55 83 110 29 0.366 .290 (+26%) .354 (+35%) .387 (+21%) .741 (+27%) 3679.6
1897 BSN NL 127 507 152 174 17 5 3 61 66 105 30 0.343 .291 (+18%) .354 (+30%) .387 (+7%) .741 (+18%) 2614.2
1898 BSN NL 110 417 110 154 16 5 3 50 54 87 30 0.369 .270 (+36%) .333 (+44%) .347 (+31%) .680 (+37%) 3493.2
1899 BSN NL 84 297 63 92 7 1 1 33 19 72 16 0.310 .282 (+10%) .343 (+30%) .366 (-5%) .710 (+12%) 1149.0
1900 BSN NL 136 520 103 173 20 5 1 47 32 107 22 0.333 .279 (+19%) .338 (+33%) .366 (+8%) .705 (+20%) 2819.6
1901 BSN NL 102 348 71 100 11 2 3 38 20 64 31 0.287 .271 (+6%) .326 (+24%) .359 (-1%) .686 (+11%) 1096.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 1587 0 3453 182 289 55

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1888 KC2 OF 35 0 45 4 2 0
1889 KC2 OF 137 0 202 20 37 6
1890 PHI OF 123 0 232 23 34 4
1891 PHI OF 133 0 287 17 31 7
1892 PHI OF 139 0 291 26 28 7
1893 PHI OF 82 0 228 8 16 6
1894 PHI OF 132 0 370 15 15 4
1895 PHI OF 123 0 313 11 31 5
1896 BSN OF 131 0 276 8 20 2
1897 BSN OF 126 0 296 10 12 0
1898 BSN OF 110 0 189 8 21 2
1899 BSN OF 81 0 166 11 9 2
1900 BSN OF 136 0 326 14 19 6
1901 BSN OF 99 0 232 7 14 4

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Left Field 434
Center Field 989
Right Field 164