Paul Hines
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Paul Aloysius Hines (March 1, 1855 – July 10, 1935) was an American
center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...
in professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
who played in the National Association and
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
from 1872 to 1891. Born in
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, he is credited with winning baseball's first batting triple crown in (
Tommy Bond Thomas Ross Bond (September 16, 1926 – September 24, 2005) was an American actor, director, producer and writer. He was best known for his work as a child actor for two nonconsecutive periods in ''Our Gang'' (''Little Rascals'') comedies (fir ...
had accomplished the pitching version the year before); the accomplishment was not noted at the time, as
runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...
would not be counted until years later,
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
s were rare and home run leadership obscure, and Abner Dalrymple was then erroneously recognized as the batting champion. Hines was the first of only three players to achieve the batting Triple Crown in the 19th century. Hines likely practiced with the original
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
or played on its junior team before joining the National Association with that club in . When the original Chicago White Stockings resumed play in , the teenage Hines played every game, usually in center field. He remained with the club four seasons, including the inaugural
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
championship season of , and then played eight seasons for the
Providence Grays The Providence Grays were a Major League Baseball team based in Providence, Rhode Island who played in the National League from until . The Grays played at the Messer Street Grounds in the Olneyville neighborhood. The team won the National ...
from 1878 to 1885, spanning that club's entire major league association, during which the club won two pennants.


Professional career

Hines started his professional career with the National Association Washington Nationals at the age of seventeen in 1872. In eleven games, he batted .224 with eleven hits. The following year, he played one last year with Washington (with the Blue Legs) and batted .331 in 39 games. He then moved over to the Chicago White Stockings in 1874. He batted .295 in 59 games with eighty hits. He also stole four bases (the first recorded ones of his career). The following year, he batted .328 in 68 games with 101 hits. He essentially repeated himself the following year, batting .331 with 101 hits in 64 games; he led the new National League in doubles with 21. The White Stockings were the first champions of the NL that year, going 52–14 that year. In his last year with Chicago in 1877, he batted .280 in sixty games with 73 hits. He moved to the Providence Grays in 1878 and remained there for the next seven years. He thrived in his first season with the team in 62 games played, leading the league in batting average (.358), home runs (four), runs batted in (fifty), OPS (.849), and total bases (125). As the category of runs batted in (RBI) was not generally recognized at the time, Hines was only given credit as the first "Triple Crown" winner years later. On May 8, 1878, he took part in what is believed to have been an
unassisted triple play In baseball, an unassisted triple play occurs when a defensive player makes triple play, all three outs by himself in one continuous play, without his teammates making any Assist (baseball), assists. Neal Ball was the first to achieve this in Majo ...
. Playing at home in the Messer Street Grounds against Boston, runners Jack Manning and Ezra Sutton were on third and second base, respectively; Jack Burdock was up to bat with no outs. Burdock hit a short fly to left field that Hines ran hard to catch for an out, and he ran all the way to third base to get Manning out. What is in dispute is whether Sutton had in fact rounded third base. The rules of the time stated that if both players had passed third base, runners would be out if the fielder had caught a fly ball and then stepped on third base. However, second baseman Charles Sweasy was quoted as stating that he had assisted Hines when Sutton had apparently reached third base and tried to run back to second base, as Hines threw the ball to Sweasy at second base. First baseman Tim Murnane had stated that it was all done by Hines, even stating so when he became a sportswriter for the
Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
. For his part, Sutton described himself as having been twenty feet away from third base when the ball was caught. The play remains a subject for researchers to discuss, with even official MLB historian John Thorn believing that the play was indeed unassisted (although the official MLB website does not recognize it). The scoresheet for the game does not survive as well. The next year, he led the league in numerous categories again, doing so with 85 games played, hits (146), and batting average (.357); he also led the league in total bases (197), plate appearances, and at-bats. Hines was the first player to collect six hits in an extra-inning game. On August 26, 1879, he went 6-for-6 in a game against the
Troy Trojans The Troy Trojans are the sports teams of Troy University. They began playing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's Division I (NCAA), Division I-A in 2001 in sports, 2001, became a American football, football only member of the ...
. While a handful of players would match the hits total over the years, only four have surpassed it ( Johnny Burnett did so first in 1932 with nine). In 1880, he batted .307 with 115 hits while leading in plate appearances (387) within 85 games. The next year saw him play eighty games and bat just .285 but led the league in doubles with 27 while having 103 hits. The next year, he batted .309 with 117 hits in 84 games. He batted .299, .302, and .270 in his last three seasons with the Grays, which included at least 110 hits in each one while leading the league in doubles in 1884 with 36. He made his only postseason appearance in the pre-modern World Series in 1884. He batted .250 (2-for-8) with three walks, an RBI, and two stolen bases as the Grays won the title. The Providence club folded in 1885. Hines moved over to the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
of the National League in 1886, and he batted .312 that year while stealing 21 bases (his first since 1875 according to recorded statistics) with 152 hits (a career high) in 121 games. He played in 123 games in 1887 and batted .308 and walked 48 times (the second time in his career he walked 40+ in a season) while recording a career high 72 RBIs with 147 hits. He then moved to the Indianapolis Hoosiers in 1888, where he played two seasons. He collected over 140 hits in each season, which included a career high 133 games played in 1888 along with his final .300 season in 1889 (.305). He played for both Pittsburgh Alleghenys and Boston Beaneaters in 1890 and batted just .239 in 100 games while driving in 57 runs with 94 hits, which helped push him to over 2,000 career hits. He closed his career where it had started in Washington (with the American Association team in the Washington Statesmen) in . He batted .282 with 58 hits. He continued to play baseball in minor leagues. He finished his professional career splitting
1896 Events January * January 2 – The Jameson Raid comes to an end as Jameson surrenders to the Boers. * January 4 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state. * January 5 – An Austrian newspaper reports Wilhelm Röntgen's dis ...
between the minor league teams
Burlington, Iowa Burlington is a city in, and the county seat of, Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,982 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a decline from the 26,839 population in 2000 United States Census, 2000. Burlington ...
and
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, at the age of 41.


Legacy

Hines played in the outfield (primarily center field) in his career, playing 1,376 of his 1,682 total games there; he also played/started a game at first base (194), second base (74), third base (eighteen), shortstop (sixteen), catcher (three), and even pitcher (one inning). Hines had a .884 fielding percentage as an outfielder and a total fielding percentage of .903. Hines was a two-time batting champion (1878–79) while finishing in the top ten of the NA once (1875) and the NL four times (1876, 1880, 1882, 1886). He batted .300 in eleven of his twenty seasons played. He finished in the top ten among hits leaders in ten seasons. During the first five NL seasons, from 1876 through 1880, Hines had more base hits than any other player, and he retired third to
Cap Anson Adrian Constantine Anson (April 17, 1852 – April 14, 1922), nicknamed "Cap" (for "Captain"), "Pop", and "Baby" (early in his career) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman. Including his time in the National Association ...
and Jim O'Rourke with 1,884 career hits in the majors. He also remained among the top ten major league career home run hitters as late as 1887. His total of sixteen seasons as a major league team's primary center fielder was not surpassed until
Tris Speaker Tristram Edgar Speaker (April 4, 1888 – December 8, 1958), nicknamed "the Gray Eagle", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a center fielder from 1907 to 1928. Considered one o ...
and
Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American professional baseball center fielder. A native of rural Narrows, Georgia, Cobb played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent ...
in 1925. In 1,658 games over twenty seasons, Hines posted a .302
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
(2,133-for-7,062) with 1217 runs, 399 doubles, 93 triples, 57
home runs In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run ...
, 855 RBI, 372 bases on balls, .340
on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...
and .409
slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at-bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at-bats for a given player, an ...
. Hines was a favorite player of
William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until Assassination of William McKinley, his assassination in 1901. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...
while the latter was a
United States Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
from Ohio.


Personal life

After his playing career ended, William McKinley helped him secure a government job. He was arrested in 1922, at the age of 65, on charges of pickpocketing. Hines died at age 80 in
Hyattsville, Maryland Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. It is an urban suburb of Washington, D.C. The population was 21,187 at the 2020 United States census. History Before Europeans reached the area, the upper Anacostia ...
, deaf and blind. His hearing had been impaired since 1886 after being hit in the head by a pitch.


See also

* Major League Baseball Triple Crown *
List of Major League Baseball batting champions In baseball, batting average (baseball), batting average (AVG) is a measure of a Batting (baseball), batter's success rate in achieving a Hit (baseball), hit during an at bat. In Major League Baseball (MLB), it is calculated by dividing a player's ...
*
List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit so far that the batter is able to circle all the bases ending at home plate, scoring himself plus any runners already on base, with no errors by the defensive team on the play. An automat ...
*
List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders In baseball, a run batted in (RBI) is awarded to a Batting (baseball), batter for each Baserunning, runner who Run (baseball), scores as a result of the batter's action, including a Hit (baseball), hit, fielder's choice, sacrifice fly, bases load ...
* List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders *
List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders Listed are all Major League Baseball players who have reached the 2,000 hit (baseball), hit milestone during their career in MLB. Pete Rose holds the Major League record for most career hits, with 4,256. Rose and Ty Cobb, second most, are the only ...
*
List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders Listed are all Major League Baseball (MLB) players with 1,000 or more career runs scored. Players in boldface are active as of the 2025 Major League Baseball season. Key List *Stats updated as of June 16, 2025. Through June 16, 2025, th ...
*
List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders In baseball, a Hit (baseball), hit is credited to a Batting (baseball), batter when he reaches first base – or Extra-base hit, any subsequent base – Safe (baseball), safely after hitting a fair ball, without the benefit of an Error (baseball) ...


References

*Ivor-Campbell, Frederick (1989). "Paul A. Hines." ''Nineteenth Century Stars''. Edited by Robert L. Tiemann, and Mark Rucker. Kansas City, Missouri: SABR. *''SABR Biographical Research Committee Report''. Bill Carle, ed. Cleveland, Ohio: SABR. February 2006.


External links

*
Paul Hines
at
SABR Sabr () (literally 'endurance' or more accurately 'perseverance' and 'persistence'"Ṣabr", ''Encyclopaedia of Islam'') is one of the two parts of Iman (concept), faith (the other being ''shukr'') in Islam. It teaches to remain Spirituality, sp ...
Bio Project {{DEFAULTSORT:Hines, Paul 1855 births 1935 deaths Major League Baseball center fielders Washington Nationals (NA) players Washington Blue Legs players Chicago White Stockings players Providence Grays players Washington Nationals (1886–1889) players Indianapolis Hoosiers (NL) players Pittsburgh Alleghenys (NL) players Boston Beaneaters players Washington Statesmen players Baseball players from Virginia Baseball players from Washington, D.C. National League batting champions National League home run champions National League RBI champions National League hitting Triple Crown winners Minor league baseball managers Sandusky Sandies players Nashville Tigers players Burlington (minor league baseball) players Burlington Colts players Mobile Blackbirds players Burials at Mount Olivet Cemetery (Washington, D.C.)