Paul Hines Marquee

b. March 1, 1855 · Washington Nationals 1872, Washington Blue Legs 1873, Chicago White Stockings 1874–1875, Chicago White Stockings 1876–1877, Providence Grays 1878–1885, Washington Nationals 1886–1887, Indianapolis Hoosiers 1888–1889, Pittsburg Alleghenys 1890, Boston Beaneaters 1890, Washington Statesmen 1891

In 1878, for Providence, he hit .358 with four home runs and 50 runs batted in — the most in the National League in all three, in a 62-game season. It was the first Triple Crown anyone had won. He led the league in hits in 1879 and in doubles three times.

On May 8 of that same 1878 season he is credited by some accounts with the first unassisted triple play in major-league history, catching a sinking line drive in center field and running in to touch the bases before two runners could return. Others who were there said the ball bounced. The argument has never been settled.

Sixteen major-league seasons gave him 1,881 hits, 368 doubles, 1,083 runs and a .301 average, and he had played four more in the National Association before that. He went deaf in later life, was arrested for pickpocketing in his sixties in an incident his friends attributed to his deafness and confusion, and died in a Maryland hospital in 1935, at eighty.

Honors

Award	Times	Years
Triple Crown (batting)	1	1878

Batting, season by season

Year	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	AVG
1872*	NAT	11	49	9	11	1	0	0	5	0	0	0	.224
1873*	WAS	39	181	33	60	6	3	1	29	1	2	0	.331
1874*	CHI	59	271	47	80	10	2	0	34	4	4	4	.295
1875*	CHI	68	308	45	101	14	4	0	36	1	0	6	.328
1876	CHC	64	305	62	101	21	3	2	59	1	3	0	.331
1877	CHC	60	261	44	73	11	7	0	23	1	8	0	.280
1878	PRO	62	257	42	92	13	4	4	50	2	10	0	.358
1879	PRO	85	409	81	146	25	10	2	52	8	16	0	.357
1880	PRO	85	374	64	115	20	2	3	35	13	17	0	.307
1881	PRO	80	361	65	103	27	5	2	31	13	12	0	.285
1882	PRO	84	379	73	117	28	10	4	34	10	14	0	.309
1883	PRO	97	442	94	132	32	4	4	45	18	23	0	.299
1884	PRO	114	490	94	148	36	10	3	41	44	28	0	.302
1885	PRO	98	411	63	111	20	4	1	35	19	18	0	.270
1886	WHS	121	487	80	152	30	8	9	56	35	21	21	.312
1887	WHS	123	478	83	147	32	5	10	72	48	24	46	.308
1888	IND	133	513	84	144	26	3	4	58	41	45	31	.281
1889	IND	121	486	77	148	27	1	6	72	49	22	34	.305
1890	BSN/PIT	100	394	52	94	13	3	2	57	43	27	15	.239
1891	WAS	54	206	25	58	7	5	0	31	21	16	6	.282
Major leagues	—	1481	6253	1083	1881	368	84	56	751	366	304	153	.301
All seasons	—	1658	7062	1217	2133	399	93	57	855	372	310	163	.302

Pitching, season by season

Year	Team	W	L	G	GS	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA
1884	PRO	0	0	1	0	0	1.0	3	0	0	0	0.00
Career	—	0	0	1	0	0	1.0	3	0	0	0	0.00

Seasons outside MLB's recognized major leagues appear in All seasons, but not in Major leagues or the leaderboards. For Paul Hines, that is 1872–1875. Why totals can differ.

On this day & linked events

1855

Born March 1, 1855

, VA, USA

1935

Died July 10, 1935

1872

Major-league debut: Paul Hines

Paul Hines made a major-league debut on April 20, 1872.

1891

Final major-league game: Paul Hines

Paul Hines played a final major-league game on July 3, 1891.

Image: Goodwin & Company, public domain