| Hall of Fame |
Class of 1906
Billy Hamilton and Amos Rusie take their place among their fellow immortals in the Baseball Clubhouse Hall of Fame. Both were elected unanimously in their first year on the ballot. Hamilton was a small man, very fast, and perhaps the first great leadoff hitter. He posted a .344 lifetime average, and drew 1187 walks with his 2158 hits to post a .455 on-base average. He scored 1690 runs in just 14 major league seasons. After beginning his major league trek with Kansas City in the American Association, Hamilton played for Philadelphia and Boston. Rusie was a hard thrower, possibly even faster than contemporary Cy Young. An early-day Nolan Ryan, he led the league in strikeouts five times, and in walks five times in 10 big-league seasons. Rusie pitched most of his career with New York (one season with Indianapolis, one with Cincinnati) and famously battled with Giants owner Andrew Friedman, who was always one step away from the asylum. Rusie held out the whole 1896 season after a low-ball offer and bad treatment. He came back and won the 1897 ERA crown, his second. Rusie was indisputedly the best pitcher in the NL in 1894, leading the loop in wins, ERA, and strikeouts, the pitching triple crown. Rusie's "most similar" match is Bob Feller, and that's a pretty good estimate. Voting Results 9 ballots cast: