Tommy Tucker (baseball)

Infobox MLB retired
name=Tommy Tucker
position=First Baseman


bgcolor1=#000080
bgcolor2=#000080
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
birthdate=October 28, 1863
deathdate=death date and age|1935|10|22|1863|10|28
bats=Both
throws=Right
debutdate=April 16
debutyear=1887
debutteam=Baltimore Orioles
finaldate=September 13
finalyear=1899
finalteam=Cleveland Spiders
stat1label=Batting average
stat2label=Runs batted in
stat3label=Runs scored
stat1value=.290
stat2value=932
stat3value=1084
teams=
*Baltimore Orioles (1887-1889)
*Boston Beaneaters (1890-1897)
*Washington Senators (1897)
*Brooklyn Bridegrooms (1898)
*St. Louis Browns (1898)
*Cleveland Spiders (1899)
highlights=
*American Association batting champion: 1889
*American Association hits leader: 1889
*5 seasons with 100+ runs scored
*1 season with 100+ RBI

Thomas Joseph Tucker (October 28, 1863 - October 22, 1935) was a first baseman in Major League Baseball who played with six different teams between 1887 and 1899. Listed at 5' 11", 165 lb., Tucker was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. Tucker was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, where he started his baseball career playing for the Springfield and Newark clubs. He was a flashy first baseman in an era when using two hands was normal, making one-handed scoops of wild throws and pick-ups with his small glove, in contrast to the big-sized gloves employed by today's first basemen. He entered the majors in 1887 with the Baltimore Orioles of the American Association, playing for them three years before joining the National League with the Boston Beaneaters (1890-1897), Washington Senators (1897), Brooklyn Bridegrooms (1898), St. Louis Browns (1898) and Cleveland Spiders (1899). His most productive season came in 1889 with Baltimore, when he led the AA hitters with a .372 batting average and 196 hits. In a 13-season career, Tucker was a .290 hitter (1882-for-6479) with 42 home runs and 932 RBI in 1687 games, including 1084 runs, 240 doubles, 85 triples, 352 stolen bases, and a .364 on-base percentage.

Tucker died in Montague, Massachusetts, just six days short of his 72th birthday.

Facts

*Tucker received the nickname "Noisy Tom" in Boston, while "Foghorn Tom" was among the many names by which he was known in Baltimore.
*Was the successor of celebrated Dan Brouthers at first base with Boston.
*Tied a major league record with four doubles in a single game, on July 22, 1893.
*Posted a 6-for-6 game on July 15, 1897.
*During his career collected 272 hit by pitches, ranking third in the all-time list behind Hughie Jennings (287) and Craig Biggio (285), and over Don Baylor (267) and Ron Hunt (243).

ee also

* List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs

ources

*baseball-reference|id=t/tucketo01
* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/T/Tucker_Tommy.stm Baseball Library]
* [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/T/Ptuckt103.htm Retrosheet]
* [http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Tucker.Tommy.Obit.html The Deadball Era]