Tom Hamilton

Thomas Ball Hamilton
(Ham)

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 213 lb.
• School University of Texas at Austin
• High School Crozier Tech High School
• Debut September 4, 1952
• Final Game September 13, 1953
• Born September 29, 1925 in Altoona, KS USA
• Died November 29, 1973 in Tyler, TX USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Tom Hamilton won the 1949 College World Series Most Outstanding Player award [1] in the first year it was awarded. He is one of six players from University of Texas at Austin to win that award. The others are: J.L. Smith, Mickey Reichenbach, Calvin Schiraldi, Huston Street and David Maroul. In both 1948 and 1949, he was an All-Southwest Conference first baseman, and in 1949 he was also a first-team All-American. He hit .417 with a .848 slugging percentage in 1949.

He also played basketball at the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a center. He was an All-SWC basketball selection in 1950, and he was the first player in school history to score 1,000 points.

Hamilton was signed by the Philadelphia Athletics as an amateur free agent in 1950.

Although his big league career was over after 1953, his professional career was not. For example, on December 13, 1953, he was involved in a huge 11-player trade between the Athletics and the New York Yankees. He was traded with Loren Babe, Harry Byrd, Carmen Mauro, and Eddie Robinson for Don Bollweg, Johnny Gray, Jim Robertson, Jim Finigan, Vic Power, and Bill Renna.

In 1971, he was elected to the University of Texas to Austin Hall of Honor.

He was baseball coach (1961-1973) and athletic director at St. Edward's University at the time of his death in 1973.

Following his death, he was buried in Capitol Memorial Park in Austin, TX.