Billy Hamilton, whose major league career spanned 1888–1901, holds the all-time record for runs scored in a season (196 in 129 games), number of consecutive games scoring a run (24), and career runs scored per game (1.06); he shares records for most triples in a game (4) and sacrifices in a game (4); and his average of one steal every 1.74 games bests Ricky Henderson’s. Despite these records, and his 1961 induction into the Hall of Fame, little has been written about him. This biography covers Hamilton’s entire life, including his major league career with the Kansas City Cowboys, Philadelphia Phillies, and Boston Nationals, as well as his later career as a minor league player-manager and bench-manager, team owner, major league scout, and plant foreman. The author exclusively uses primary sources for all information dealing with Hamilton’s career and personal life.

Roy Kerr, a retired professor of Spanish and a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), lives in Lakeland, Florida.

Roy Kerr
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 216
Bibliographic Info: 26 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2010
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4639-1
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8919-0
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vi

Preface      1

Introduction: Billy Who?      3

1. Billy Baseball      15

2. Early Innings      38

3. Cowboys and Ponies      60

4. Boston Billy      103

5. Home to Clinton      142

6. Late Innings      168

7. In the Country of Baseball      184

Appendix A: The Hamilton Legacy      189

Appendix B: Hamilton’s All-Time Records      191

Notes      193

Bibliography      201

Index      205

“With the precision of an ace runner on the base paths, Society for America Baseball Research member Roy Kerr uncovers the life and times of a forgotten superstar”—Sporting News; “Sliding Billy Hamilton is impeccably researched and exudes historical integrity. It captures the essence of both Billy Hamilton and the fascinating age in which he played. Sliding Billy is now one of my most cherished baseball heroes. This is a great read!”—Bill Jenkinson, The Year Babe Ruth Hit 100 Home Runs