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Best all-time center fielders in MLB history

By Bobby Mueller

ANAHEIM, CA - JULY 29: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hits a fly ball to deep center during the ninth inning of the MLB game against the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium on July 29, 2018 in Anaheim, California. The Mariners defeated the Angels 8-5. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - JULY 29: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hits a fly ball to deep center during the ninth inning of the MLB game against the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium on July 29, 2018 in Anaheim, California. The Mariners defeated the Angels 8-5. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images) /
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MILWAUKEE, WI – JULY 14: A detail view of the throwback Philadelphia Phillies hat during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on July 14, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

Best All-Time Center Fielders #11: Billy Hamilton

“I never saw a runner get a lead off first base like Billy.”—Jack Carney, on Billy Hamilton

This Billy Hamilton is not to be confused with the current Billy Hamilton who plays for the Cincinnati Reds. They have at least one big similarity, their speed. Both Billy Hamiltons were/are prodigious base-stealers. The big difference between them is that current Billy Hamilton has a career .299 OBP. The Billy Hamilton who ranks 11th all-time among center fielders had a .455 career OBP.

This speedy center fielder was known as “Sliding” Billy Hamilton. He played for three teams from 1888 to 1901. His main skills on the diamond included hitting for a high average, taking a good number of walks and stealing many bases. He led the league in batting average twice, on-base percentage five times and stolen bases five times.

Bill James wrote about Billy Hamilton in The New Historical Baseball Abstract (1999 ed.), saying, “Hamilton is completely invisible in the literature of the sport up to 1960 and was not elected to the Hall of Fame until 1961. He left no legend behind him, no stories, no anecdotes…”

The mysterious Hamilton was described in this SABR article as a short man with thick, muscular legs. “He learned to use his speed to beat out bunts, steal bases, and cover large amounts of ground in the outfield.” If not for his blazing speed, he likely would have spent his adult life as a textile worker.

Hamilton never saw an open base he didn’t want to steal. From 1889 to 1998, he averaged 82 stolen bases per season. Sam Thompson played with Hamilton early in his career and Ty Cobb later. He said Hamilton was “more daring and reckless” than Cobb.

Despite James assertion that Hamilton was “completely invisible” in the literature of the sport, there are some stories out there about the speedy player. He was known as one of the best at the fadeaway slide, a maneuver in which the runner slides past the base to avoid being tagged and hooks the bag with his toes.

In another story about Hamilton, it was said that he made an opposing third baseman so angry with his base stealing that the opponent picked Hamilton up and tossed him into the stands. That would light up social media if it were to happen today.

Hamilton’s 14-year career ended after the 1901 season. He had over 2000 career hits and drew more than 1000 walks. His 914 stolen bases (per Baseball-Reference) ranks him third all-time, behind only Rickey Henderson and Lou Brock. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1961 and is on the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame.

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