Big Sam Thompson played both for Det. NL and Det. AL

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Posted By: <b>Gilbert Maines</b><p>Did anyone else?

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Posted By: <b>dennis</b><p>Deacon McGuire <br />

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Posted By: <b>Dan Bretta</b><p>Big Sam at Bennett Park in 1906 - photo taken by Matty McIntyre<br /><br /><a href="http://s22.photobucket.com/albums/b331/nudan92/Hall%20Of%20Famer%20Photos/?action=view&current=thompson1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b331/nudan92/Hall%20Of%20Famer%20Photos/thompson1.jpg" border="0" alt="Big Sam Thompson C1906 - Matty McIntyre Photo Collection"></a>

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Posted By: <b>Gilbert Maines</b><p>Dan:<br />A testament to: it is not the clothing which makes the man, it is the man which makes the man.<br />Some can look dapper in a $100 suit, while others look dissheveled in a $1000 suit.<br />But Sam Thompson will be Sam Thompson.

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Posted By: <b>Ted Zanidakis</b><p>"Big Sam" Thompson was the "Babe Ruth" of 19th Century BB. Like Ruth, he stood 6:2 and weighed in at 200+.<br />Batted from the left side and could hit the (dead) ball a country mile. He was 2nd to Anson with the most HR's<br /> in a season back then....20. And, his single-season record of 166 RBI's stood until Ruth broke it (34 years later).<br /><br />HOFer Big Sam batted .404 in 1894 for the Philadelphia Quakers (NL) team and had a career BA = .331<br /><br />He is in the Old Judge (N172) set and Buchner Gold Coin (N284) set.....any others ?<br /><br />TED Z<br /><br /> <br /><br />

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Posted By: <b>john/z28jd</b><p>The only players to play for both Detroit in the NL and AL are Thompson and McGuire who were already mentioned and an infielder named Frank Scheibeck who played just one game in 1888 with the NL team and only three games with the AL team in 1906.<br /><br /> Also when Thompson hit 20 HR's in 1889 it was the 5th highest total ever,he was right behind Anson who had hit 21 five years prior but Anson was outhomered by three of his teammates that year.

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Posted By: <b>Dan Bretta</b><p>Was that the year that Chicago had a ridiculously short right field?

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Posted By: <b>dennis</b><p>the right field was very short but the increase in HRs was due to a rule change...prior anything hit over the fence to rt. was a 2b but in 1884 it was changed to a HR,thus the high totals for that year.then i think it was changed back to a 2 base hit.<br /><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHC/1884.shtml" target="_new" rel="nofollow">http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHC/1884.shtml</a>

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Posted By: <b>Mark Tylicki</b><p>Ted - He was also included in the Scrapps Tobacco issue...<br /><br /><img src="http://www.rustywilly.com/cards/PSACARD/1237777_003_FRONT.jpg"><br><br>------------------------------<br />MY COLLECTION: <a href="http://www.rustywilly.com/MYCOLLECTION.htm" target="_new" rel="nofollow">http://www.rustywilly.com/MYCOLLECTION.htm</a>

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Posted By: <b>Dan Bretta</b><p>The dimensions of Lakefront Park in 1884<br /> * Left Field - 180 ft.<br /> * Center Field - 300 ft.<br /> * Right Field - 196 ft.<br /><br />Could you imagine todays game being played in that park? You'd have 50-60 run games every night.