| Hall of Fame |
Class of 1905
Lip Pike is the newest member of the BBC Hall of Fame. Pike was a player in the amateur National Association, and was also part of the first professional league, also the National Association. In the first year of the NA, Pike was the best player in the league, batting .377 with a .654 slugging percentage, and a 195 OPS. Pike was 26 that season in Troy. He made a habit of switching clubs, playing for Baltimore in 1872 and '73, Hartford in 1874, and St. Louis in 1875. When the National League started, Pike played for St. Louis there in 1876, batting .323. He played for Cincinnati in 1877, then split 1878 between Cincy and Providence. Pike played mostly center field. He appeared in 5 games with Worcester in 1881, and one game for New York in the American Association in 1887 at age 42. He posted a lifetime .321 average in recognized major leagues. He was a four-time home run champion, in the years when that meant running out an inside-the-park job. Voting Results: 11 votes cast