Herm Doscher
{{Short description|American baseball player (1852–1934)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|image=Hermdoscher.jpg
|name=Herm Doscher
|position=Third baseman/Umpire
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date|1852|12|20}}
|birth_place=New York City
|death_date={{death date and age|1934|3|20|1852|12|20}}
|death_place=Buffalo, New York
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=September 5
|debutyear={{Baseball year|1872}}
|debutteam=Brooklyn Atlantics
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=August 4
|finalyear={{Baseball year|1882}}
|finalteam=Cleveland Blues
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=Batting average
|stat1value=.225
|stat2label=Home runs
|stat2value=0
|stat3label=Runs batted in
|stat3value=40
|teams=
- Brooklyn Atlantics ({{Baseball year|1872}}–{{Baseball year|1873}})
- Washington Nationals ({{Baseball year|1875}})
- Troy Trojans ({{Baseball year|1879}})
- Chicago White Stockings ({{Baseball year|1879}})
- Cleveland Blues ({{Baseball year|1881}}–{{Baseball year|1882}})
|highlights=
- As an umpire, called two no-hitters
}}
John Henry "Herm" Doscher, Sr. (December 20, 1852 – March 20, 1934) was an American third baseman and umpire in the early years of professional baseball, playing for five different teams in the National Association and National League from {{Baseball year|1872}} though {{Baseball year|1882}}. He also served as a regular umpire in both early major leagues, the NL (1880–81) and American Association (1887–88, 1890).{{cite web| title = Herm Doscher's Stats | work = retrosheet.org | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/D/Pdosch101.htm | access-date = 2008-03-28 }} His son Jack was a major league pitcher for several years, mainly for the Brooklyn Superbas.{{cite web| title = Jack Doscher's Stats | work = retrosheet.org | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/D/Pdoscj101.htm | access-date = 2008-03-28 }} Jack Doscher was the first son of a major leaguer to also play in the majors.{{cite web| title = Baseball Fathers and Sons | work = baseball-almanac.com | url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/family/fam2.shtml | access-date = 2008-03-28 }} His name is pronounced like dusher.
Playing career
Born in New York City, Doscher began his playing career in the National Association with the {{Baseball year|1872}} Brooklyn Atlantics as a right fielder. He only played in six games that year, but batted .360, and played in only one game in the {{Baseball year|1873}} season, also in Brooklyn. He didn't play in the Association in {{Baseball year|1874}}, but did return for the {{Baseball year|1875}} season when he played in 22 games, all at third base, for the Washington Nationals. He didn't hit very well, and was only able to play in the minor leagues for the next few seasons. One of his stops was with the London Tecumsehs in {{Baseball year|1877}}, a team that went on to win the championship that season.{{cite web|title=Falls man looks back at father-son baseball combo |work=by John D'Onofrio, Niagara Gazette, June 17, 2006 |url=http://www.niagara-gazette.com/sports/gnnsports_story_168234520.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130130010044/http://www.niagara-gazette.com/sports/gnnsports_story_168234520.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-01-30 |access-date=2008-03-28 }}
He reached the National League again in {{Baseball year|1879}}, when he joined the Troy Trojans. After that season, Doscher was named to the NL umpiring staff, and he worked 51 games in {{Baseball year|1880}} and 79 in {{Baseball year|1881}} before returning to the playing ranks with five games for his newest and last team, the Cleveland Blues. He appeared in 25 games in {{Baseball year|1882}}, ending his playing career.
Mistaken expulsion and reinstatement
In 1882, he accepted a temporary job as a scout with Cleveland, even though he had signed a contract with the Detroit Wolverines for the {{Baseball year|1883}} season. The Cleveland directors had him expelled from the league for "embezzelment and obtaining money under false pretense". It was later proven in NYC court that the original contract was never signed by Detroit, voiding the original contract. He was unanimously reinstated in {{Baseball year|1886}}, and returned to umpiring in the American Association in 1887.{{cite book| title = Baseball: The Early Years, pg. 343 | work = by Harold Seymour | isbn = 9780198020004 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zQO-WWL1v1AC&q=expelled+Herm+Doscher&pg=PA343 | access-date = 2008-03-28 | last1 = Seymour | first1 = Harold | last2 = Mills | first2 = Dorothy Seymour | date = 31 December 1960 | publisher = Oxford University Press }}{{cite news| title = National League Club Games | work = The New York Times, March 6, 1883 | url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9906EFDE1731E433A25755C0A9659C94629FD7CF | access-date = 2008-03-28 | date=March 6, 1883}}
Umpiring career
Known as a colorful, but a no-nonsense, hardline player, he was a natural to the umpiring profession. Once quoted as saying "I've got to play ring master, school teacher, poppa and momma, and doctor in every game", he would use any tactic he could to control the game, even physical force if necessary.
His full-time return as an umpire lasted just three season, {{Baseball year|1887}}, {{Baseball year|1888}} and {{Baseball year|1890}}, but his officiating career was not without notable occurrences. He was involved in two no-hitters; one occurred on August 19, {{Baseball year|1880}}, when he was the umpire for Larry Corcoran's no-hitter, just the fourth no-hitter thrown in the major leagues.{{cite web| title = No Hitters Chronologically | work = retrosheet.org | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/nohit_chrono.htm | access-date = 2008-03-28 }} The other was Adonis Terry's no-hitter on May 27, {{Baseball year|1888}}, Terry's second career no-hitter.
On September 21, {{Baseball year|1890}}, with the Rochester Broncos at the St. Louis Browns in the second game of a doubleheader, and St. Louis leading 10–3 in the eighth inning, Doscher ejected Rochester's Sandy Griffin for arguing and called an end to game, giving the victory to St. Louis because Griffin refused to leave the field. It was Doscher's only forfeit on record as an umpire.{{cite web| title = Forfeits | work = Washington Post, 22 September 1890, p 6 | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/forfeits.htm | access-date = 2008-03-28 }}
Later years
Doscher's occupations in subsequent years include work as a scout; the discovery of future Hall of Famer Willie Keeler is attributed to him. Doscher died in Buffalo, New York at the age of 81, and was interred at Elmlawn Cemetery in Tonawanda, New York.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Baseballstats|br=d/doschhe01|brm=dosche001her}}
- [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/D/Pdosch101.htm Retrosheet]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Doscher, Herm}}
Category:Major League Baseball third basemen
Category:Brooklyn Atlantics players
Category:Washington Nationals (NA) players
Category:Troy Trojans (NL) players
Category:Chicago White Stockings players
Category:Cleveland Blues (NL) players
Category:Baseball players from New York City
Category:Major League Baseball umpires