Bobby Doerr

Bobby Doerr
Doerr, circa 1947
Second baseman
Born:(1918-04-07)April 7, 1918 Los Angeles, California,U.S.
Died:November 13, 2017(2017-11-13)(aged 99) Junction City, Oregon,U.S.
Batted:Right Threw:Right
MLB debut
April 20, 1937, for the Boston Red Sox
Last MLB appearance
September 7, 1951, for the Boston Red Sox
MLB statistics
Batting average	.288
Hits	2,042
Home runs	223
Runs batted in	1,247
Teams
Boston Red Sox(1937–1944,1946–1951)
Career highlights and awards
9×All-Star(1941–1944,1946–1948,1950,1951) Boston Red Sox No. 1retired Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	1986
Election method	Veterans Committee

Robert Pershing Doerr(April 7, 1918 – November 13, 2017) was an Americanprofessional baseballsecond basemanandcoach.He played his entire 14-yearMajor League Baseball(MLB) career for theBoston Red Sox(1937–1951). A nine-timeMLB All-Star,Doerr batted over.300 three times, drove in more than 100 runs six times, and set Red Sox team records in several statistical categories despite missing one season due to military service during World War II. He was inducted into theBaseball Hall of Famein 1986.

After he retired as a player, Doerr served as ascoutand a coach; he worked withCarl Yastrzemskibefore hisTriple Crownseason. From April 25, 2017, until his death on November 13 of that year, Doerr was the oldest living former major league player. He was the last living person who played in the major leagues in the 1930s, and was the oldest of only three living people who made their MLB debut beforeU.S. involvementinWorld War II(the other two beingChuck StevensandFred Caligiuri).

Early life

Doerr was the son of Harold Doerr, a telephone company supervisor, and his wife, the former Frances Herrnberger; his middle name was a tribute to General of the ArmiesJohn J. Pershing,then the commander of U.S. military forces in World War I.

He graduated from Los Angeles'Fremont High Schoolin 1936, and by then, had already begun his professional career with the 1934 and 1935Hollywood Starsof thePacific Coast League(PCL).

While playing for theSan Diego Padresof the PCL in 1936, Doerr metTed Williams.The future Red Sox teammates became close friends for many years.Doerr played in 175 games for San Diego that year, batting.342. He led the league with 238 hits, including 37doublesand 12triples.

MLB playing career

Early career

Doerr broke into the majors in 1937 at the age of 19 and went 3-for-5 in his first game.In 1938, he became a regular in the Red Sox lineup.Doerr led the league with 22 sacrifice hits in 1938.In 1939, Doerr began a string of 12 consecutive seasons with 10 or more home runs and 73 or moreruns batted in(RBIs); in 1940 the Red Sox became the 12th team in major league history to have four players with 100 RBIs, with Foxx, Williams, Cronin and Doerr each collecting at least 105.

All-Star seasons and the World Series

In 1941, Doerr was an All-Star, the first of nine times he was selected for the AL All-Star team.In 1944, Doerr led the league inslugging percentage.The same year, his.325 batting average was good enough to allow him to finish second in the league, two percentage points behindLou Boudreauof theCleveland Indians.The Sporting Newsnamed himMost Valuable Playerfor theAmerican League(AL),although he finished only seventh inMajor League Baseball Most Valuable Player Awardvoting for the AL.Doerrhit for the cycletwice in his career;on May 17, 1944, in a 12–8 loss to theSt. Louis Brownsin the second game of a doubleheader,and again on May 13, 1947, in a 19–6 win over theChicago White Sox.

Doerr missed the 1945 season while serving in theArmyduring World War II,being stationed atCamp Roberts, California.In 1946, Doerr finished third in MVP voting for the AL (won by Williams, his teammate).Doerr drove in 116 runs despite a.271 average.He hit.409 in the1946 World Seriesloss to theSt. Louis Cardinals,with a home run and three RBIs.Doerr's average dropped to.258 in 1947 as he grounded into a league-high 25double plays,but he had 95 RBIs. He hit.285 with 27 home runs and 111 RBIs in 1948.Doerr had set an AL record in that year by handling 414 chances in a row over 73 games without anerror.

Final years as a player

In 1949, Doerr hit.309 with 18 home runs and 109 RBIs.At the start of the 1950 season, Doerr was in a slump; he was only batting.232 as of June 2.However, he finished the year with a league-leading 11 triples, and batted.294. On June 8 of that year, he hit three home runs in a 29–4 romp over the Browns.He set career highs that year in triples,runs(103) and RBIs (120); he tied his career high in home runs (27).Doerr appeared in only 106 games in 1951 and he retired that September after suffering from a spinal problem for two years.

Career totals

Doerr, circa 1939

Doerr retired with 8,028 plate appearances, 1,094runs,89 triples, 809walks,1,349singles,1,184runs created,693extra base hits,2,862 times on base, 115sacrifice hitsand nineAll-Star Gameselections. AtFenway Park,he hit.315 with 145 home runs, compared to a.261 average and 78 HR on the road. Doerr batted over.300 three times, with six seasons of at least 100 RBIs. He never played a game at a position other than second base.

Regarded as one of the top defensive second basemen of his era, Doerr led AL second basemen in double plays five times, tying a league record, inputoutsandfielding percentagefour times each, and inassiststhree times.Doerr held the major league record for career double plays at second base (1,507) until 1963.

He set Red Sox records for career games (1,865),at bats(7,093),hits(2,042),doubles(381),total bases(3,270) and RBIs (1,247),All of Doerr's offensive Red Sox records were later broken by Williams, who referred to Doerr as "the silent captain of the Red Sox." His 223home runswere then the third most by a major league second baseman.

Later MLB career

After spending a few years as a cattle rancher in Oregon, Doerr returned to baseball.He became ascoutfor the Red Sox from 1957 to 1966, also serving as a minor league hitting instructor for the team for the last six seasons of that span. He was hired as the first basecoachfor the Red Sox in 1967 under new managerDick Williams.The Red Sox won their first pennant in 20 years and played in the1967 World Series.

Doerr resigned from the Red Sox when Williams was fired asmanagerin September 1969. He was the hitting coach for the expansionToronto Blue Jaysfrom 1977 to 1981.

Later life

Bobby Doerr's number 1 wasretiredby theBoston Red Soxin 1988.

Doerr lived in Oregon from the late 1930s till his death, residing in the vicinity ofAgnessfor much of his career before relocating toJunction Cityin the 1950s. Doerr was married to Monica Terpin from October 1938 until her death in 2003; she had lived withmultiple sclerosissince the 1940s. They had one son.

He was inducted into theBaseball Hall of Famein1986.His jersey number 1 was retired by the Red Sox on May 21, 1988. He made annual trips to the Hall of Fame induction atCooperstown, New Yorkuntil 2008, after which he stopped attending. On July 29, 2007, the Hall of Fame honored Doerr after the induction ofCal Ripken Jr.andTony Gwynn.Reflecting on being inducted into the Hall of Fame and having his number retired by the Red Sox, Doerr said, "If I had played on a world champion, that would have made my life complete."

On August 2, 2007, the Red Sox held "Bobby Doerr Day" at Fenway Park where he rode along the warning track in a car, threw out thefirst pitch,and gave a speech. Doerr had what was characterized as a minor stroke on August 11, 2011.He attended theFenway Park100th anniversary celebration on April 20, 2012.

Longevity and records

Doerr at Fenway Park's 100th anniversary in 2012

Upon the death of former New York Yankees executive and American League presidentLee MacPhailin November 2012, Doerr became the oldest living member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. He became the oldest living former Red Sox player upon the death ofLou Lucierin October 2014.On November 4, 2016, Doerr became the oldest living former major leaguer upon the death ofEddie Carnett.

Doerr was the last surviving member of the1946 Boston Red Soxteam that won the AL pennant and lost the World Series in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals. He was also the last living person who played in the major leagues during the 1930s, and the last living person who played againstLou Gehrig.

Death

Doerr died on November 13, 2017, inJunction City, Oregon,at the age of 99.

Awards

• The Sporting NewsMost Valuable Playerfor the American League (1944)
• The Sporting NewsMajor League All-Star Team(1944, 1946)
• Uniform number retired by the Boston Red Sox (1988)
• In 2013, theBob Feller Act of Valor Awardhonored Doerr as one of 37 Baseball Hall of Fame members for his service in the United States Army during World War II.

See also

• Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
• List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
• List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
• List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
• List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise

Further reading

• Halberstam, David (1989).Summer of '49.New York: William Morrow & Co.ISBN978-0-688-06678-9.
• Halberstam, David (2003).The Teammates: A Portrait of a Friendship.New York: Hyperion.ISBN978-1-4013-0057-9.
• MLB (December 12, 2013)."Bobby Doerr joins the Hall of Fame".RetrievedNovember 28,2016– via YouTube.
• Taaffe, William (October 13, 1986)."Come Along with Bobby Doerr for a Very Special Visit to Cooperstown".Sports Illustrated.RetrievedNovember 26,2016.

External links

• Career statistics and player information fromMLB,orESPN,orBaseball Reference,orFangraphs,orBaseball Reference (Minors),orRetrosheet
• Bobby Doerrat theBaseball Hall of Fame
• Bobby DoerrArchivedNovember 27, 2016, at theWayback Machineat theBoston Red Sox Hall of Fame
• Bobby Doerrat theSABR Baseball Biography Project,by Bill Nowlin, Retrieved November 26, 2016.
• Bobby DoerratFind a Grave
• Bobby Doerr Oral History Interview - National Baseball Hall of Fame Digital CollectionArchivedJuly 2, 2019, at theWayback Machine