Sam Thompson
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Sam Thompson was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for 5 teams, including the Indianapolis ABCs. Across 85 career appearances, he went 25-31 with a 4.41 ERA and 216 strikeouts. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 2644.8.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 158 lb
- Died
- 1/29/1978 in Los Angeles, CA, USA
Full name: Samuel Tommy Thompson
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | AB2 | NSL | 7 | 5 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 104.2 | 94 | 30 | 24 | 52 | 2.58 | 4.13 (+37%) | 2265.9 |
| 1934 | KCM | IND | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.2 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4.15 | — | 0.0 |
| 1935 | CEG | NN2 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 65.2 | 68 | 34 | 14 | 30 | 4.66 | 4.35 (-7%) | 1647.2 |
| 1936 | PS | NN2 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 57.1 | 64 | 33 | 23 | 23 | 5.18 | 4.59 (-13%) | -438.3 |
| 1937 | PS | NN2 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 66.2 | 71 | 31 | 13 | 27 | 4.18 | 4.34 (+4%) | -731.8 |
| 1938 | PS | NN2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 7.88 | — | 0.0 |
| 1939 | PS | NN2 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 51.1 | 60 | 32 | 23 | 28 | 5.61 | 4.28 (-31%) | -65.0 |
| 1940 | PS | NN2 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 59.1 | 74 | 34 | 21 | 31 | 5.16 | 4.21 (-22%) | -5.3 |
| 1942 | CAG | NAL | 0 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 52.1 | 69 | 27 | 15 | 20 | 4.64 | 3.57 (-30%) | -27.8 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 25 | 31 | 85 | 57 | 32 | 3 | 2 | 474.0 | 528 | 232 | 137 | 216 | 4.41 | — | 2,645 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 | 180 | 18 | 35 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 1 | .194 | .237 | .239 | .476 | 0 |
Career AVG .194 vs. league average .273 across their career seasons — 28.9% below league average.
Career OBP .237 vs. league average .339 across their career seasons — 30.2% below league average.
Career SLG .239 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — 38.7% below league average.
Career OPS .476 vs. league average .729 across their career seasons — 34.7% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | AB2 | NSL | 16 | 39 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .179 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1934 | KCM | IND | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1935 | CEG | NN2 | 10 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .091 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1936 | PS | NN2 | 13 | 21 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .190 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1937 | PS | NN2 | 10 | 23 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .174 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1938 | PS | NN2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1939 | PS | NN2 | 14 | 22 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .364 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1940 | PS | NN2 | 15 | 26 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .231 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1942 | CAG | NAL | 9 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .150 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 90 | 180 | 18 | 35 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 1 | .194 | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| P | 85 | 57 | 15 | 145 | 9 | 4 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | AB2 | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1932 | AB2 | P | 15 | 11 | 3 | 36 | 1 | 1 |
| 1934 | KCM | P | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 1935 | CEG | P | 10 | 9 | 1 | 23 | 3 | 0 |
| 1936 | PS | P | 12 | 7 | 3 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| 1937 | PS | P | 10 | 8 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| 1938 | PS | P | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939 | PS | P | 14 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 1940 | PS | P | 12 | 7 | 4 | 17 | 1 | 1 |
| 1942 | CAG | P | 9 | 6 | 3 | 14 | 2 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 85 |
| Left Field | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Sam Thompson: the record in brief
Sam Thompson's record on this page is drawn from the season tables, which run from 1932 to 1942. The team column moves through the Indianapolis ABCs (1932), the Kansas City Monarchs (1934), the Columbus Elite Giants (1935), the Philadelphia Stars (1936 through 1940), and the Chicago American Giants (1942). Thompson, born on May 27, 1908, in Sulligent, AL, USA, is listed as a pitcher and threw and hit right-handed. Thompson's listed size is 6-foot-2 and 158 pounds. Thompson's death is recorded on January 29, 1978, in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Sam Thompson was the playing name; the full given name is Samuel Tommy.
Thompson went 25-31 with a 4.41 ERA in 85 games, 57 of them starts. The same table counts 216 strikeouts and 32 complete games. Thompson's 4.41 ERA was close to the 4.23 league figure for those seasons. No season topped the 7 wins of 1932. Among the heaviest workloads, the lowest ERA was 2.58 in 1932, when the league's was 4.13.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sam Thompson
- Was Sam Thompson a pitcher?
- Yes. Sam Thompson pitched in the major leagues, recording 25 wins and 216 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Sam Thompson hit?
- Sam Thompson hit 1 career home run with 35 hits.
- What teams did Sam Thompson play for?
- Sam Thompson played for 5 teams: the Indianapolis ABCs (1932), the Kansas City Monarchs (1934), the Columbus Elite Giants (1935), the Philadelphia Stars (1936–1940), and the Chicago American Giants (1942).
- What were Sam Thompson's career stats?
- In 85 games, Sam Thompson went 25-31 with a 4.41 ERA, 216 strikeouts, 474.0 innings pitched, and 2 saves.
- What position did Sam Thompson play?
- Sam Thompson played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Sam Thompson and how much did he weigh?
- Sam Thompson was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 158 pounds.
- What was Sam Thompson's career ERA?
- Sam Thompson finished with a 4.41 career ERA, going 25-31 with 216 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Sam Thompson have?
- Sam Thompson recorded 216 career strikeouts.
- Is Sam Thompson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Sam Thompson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.