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Hugh Duffy

{{Short description|American baseball player and manager (1866–1954)}}

{{For|the rugby union and rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, and 1960s|Hugh Duffy (rugby)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Hugh Duffy

|image=Hugh Duffy portrait.jpg

|position=Outfielder / Manager

|birth_date={{Birth date|1866|11|26}}

|birth_place=Cranston, Rhode Island, U.S.

|death_date={{Death date and age|1954|10|19|1866|11|26}}

|death_place=Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|debutleague=MLB

|debutdate=June 23

|debutyear=1888

|debutteam=Chicago White Stockings

|finalleague=MLB

|finaldate=April 13

|finalyear=1906

|finalteam=Philadelphia Phillies

|statleague=MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.326

|stat2label=Hits

|stat2value=2,293

|stat3label=Home runs

|stat3value=106

|stat4label=Runs batted in

|stat4value=1,302

|stat5label=Stolen bases

|stat5value=574

|stat6label=Managerial record

|stat6value=535–671

|stat7label=Winning %

|stat7value={{Winning percentage|535|671}}

|teams=

As player

As manager

| highlights=

|hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

|hoftype = National

|hofdate=1945

|hofmethod=Old-Timers Committee

}}

Hugh Duffy (November 26, 1866 – October 19, 1954) was an American outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball. He was a player or player-manager for the Chicago White Stockings, Chicago Pirates, Boston Reds, Boston Beaneaters, Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies between 1888 and 1906. He had his best years with the Beaneaters, including the 1894 season, when he set the National League single-season record for batting average (.440), a record that has stood for over a century.

He also managed the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox and spent several seasons coaching in collegiate baseball and in the minor leagues. Later in life, he spent many years as a scout for the Red Sox. In 1945, Duffy was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He worked for Boston until 1953. He died of heart problems the next year.

Early life

File:Hugh_Duffy_Baseball.jpg

Duffy was born in Cranston, Rhode Island to Irish immigrant Michael Duffy and wife Margaret Duffy.{{cite book |last=Hubbard |first=Donald |date=2008 |title=The Heavenly Twins of Boston Baseball: A Dual Biography of Hugh Duffy and Tommy McCarthy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gyr-wiqCsJAC&q=%22Hugh+Duffy%22+father+mother |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9780786434558}} A right-handed batter and thrower, Duffy was listed as {{convert|5|ft|7|in}} tall and {{convert|168|lb}}. He was a textile mill worker who had taken up baseball as a semipro for weekend diversion.Bill Ferber (2007) A Game of Baseball: The Orioles, The Beaneaters and The Battle For The 1897 Pennant, University of Nebraska Press, {{ISBN|978-0-8032-1136-0}}, pg. 36 He played a couple years of minor league ball in the New England League before jumping to the majors, starting up in the league's initial season of 1886, and playing on clubs in Hartford, Springfield and Salem, as well as the Lowell, Massachusetts team in 1887.George V. Tuohey (1897) A History of the Boston Base Ball Club, M.F. Quinn & Co, [https://books.google.com/books?id=lNSlQHMV5c0C&pg=PA131&sig=Ks2oDwEsopQyu3SoA07JAQ6Pl3M&dq=hugh+duffy+%221891%22+%22Oliver+Tebeau+tells+this+interesting+story+about+Hugh+Duffy:++The+most+remarkable+play+I+ever+witnessed+was+a+steal+from+second+base+home+on+a+sacrifice+fly+to+the+outfield+by+Hugh+Duffy+in+a+game+against+St.+Louis+in+1891.+%22#PPA130,M1 Excerpt, pg. 130]

Playing career

Duffy entered the National League with Cap Anson's Chicago White Stockings in {{Baseball year|1888}} after receiving an offer of $2,000 from the club. Anson initially was unimpressed with the {{height|ft=5|in=7}}, 150 pound Duffy, telling him, "We already have a batboy."Bill Ferber (2007) A Game of Baseball: The Orioles, The Beaneaters and The Battle For The 1897 Pennant, University of Nebraska Press, {{ISBN|978-0-8032-1136-0}}, pg. 37 He shortly thereafter earned the reputation of an outstanding outfielder and powerful hitter. Duffy ended up replacing Billy Sunday as the team's regular right fielder. He switched leagues, joining the American Association's Boston Reds in {{Baseball year|1891}}; he then returned to the NL with the Boston Beaneaters in {{Baseball year|1892}}, where he enjoyed his best seasons.

From 1891 through {{Baseball year|1900}}, Duffy knocked in 100 runs or more eight times. In {{Baseball year|1894}} Duffy had one of the greatest seasons in baseball history, leading the league with 18 home runs, with 145 RBI and a .440 batting average (see Major League Baseball Triple Crown). Duffy's .440 average is the MLB single-season batting average record.Baseball's Top 100: The Game's Greatest Records, p.26, Kerry Banks, 2010, Greystone Books, Vancouver, BC, {{ISBN|978-1-55365-507-7}} At one point during the season, Duffy had a 26-game hitting streak. During his time with Boston, Hughie and Tommy McCarthy forged a reputation as the celebrated “Heavenly Twins” outfield of the early 1890s. Both Heavenly Twins were named to the Hall of Fame.

He was player-manager for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1901. During the 1902 and 1903 seasons, Duffy was player-manager for the Western League's Milwaukee Creams franchise.Louis P. Masur (2003) Autumn Glory: Baseball's First World Series, Hill and Wang, {{ISBN|0-8090-2763-1}}, pg. 98

Duffy was a player-manager for the Phillies from 1904 to 1906. He finished his career in {{Baseball year|1906}} with 106 home runs which was, at the time, one of the highest career totals.

Post-playing career

File:Hugh Duffy HOF plaque.jpg]]

Duffy spent three years (1907–1909) as manager of the Providence Grays. He made $2,000 in his last season as the Providence manager and The Evening News in Providence wrote that Duffy was paid hundreds of dollars less than any other manager in the Eastern League. During Duffy's three seasons, Providence finished in third place, second place and third place, respectively.{{cite news|title=Hugh Duffy has signed to manage "White Sox"|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1982&dat=19091020&id=SABhAAAAIBAJ&pg=1016,3820217|access-date=November 23, 2014|work=The Evening News (Providence, Rhode Island)|date=October 20, 1909}}

Duffy agreed to manage the Chicago White Sox in 1910. He stayed with the team in 1911. He moved to the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association in 1912, but he was fired after a season in which the team struggled.{{cite news|title=Timely homer took heat off Felsch sale|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19490206&id=aVQaAAAAIBAJ&pg=6375,2658330|access-date=November 23, 2014|work=Milwaukee Journal|date=February 6, 1949}}{{Dead link|date=November 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He turned down an offer to manage the 1913 St. Paul Saints, saying that he was hoping to work in the east.{{cite news|last1=Vaughan|first1=Manning|title=Hugh Duffy turns down St. Paul job|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19121113&id=w0FQAAAAIBAJ&pg=6999,6524831|access-date=November 23, 2014|work=Milwaukee Sentinel|date=November 13, 1912}}{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He wound up in Portland, Maine, where he founded and managed a minor league club that became known as the Portland Duffs in his honor.{{Cite web |last=admin |title=Hugh Duffy – Society for American Baseball Research |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/hugh-duffy/ |access-date=2025-03-08 |language=en-US}} He coached the Harvard varsity and freshman baseball squads from 1917 through 1919.{{cite web|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/csmonitor_historic/access/298390512.html?dids=298390512:298390512&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Feb+14%2C+1919&author=Special+to+The+Christian+Science+Monitor&pub=Christian+Science+Monitor&desc=BATTERY+MEN+AT+HARVARD+REPORT&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525045852/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/csmonitor_historic/access/298390512.html?dids=298390512:298390512&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Feb+14,+1919&author=Special+to+The+Christian+Science+Monitor&pub=Christian+Science+Monitor&desc=BATTERY+MEN+AT+HARVARD+REPORT&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 25, 2011|title=Battery men at Harvard report|date=February 14, 1919|publisher=The Christian Science Monitor}} He also managed the 1920 Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League to a .701 winning percentage—the best in the team's 83-year history, but only good enough for second place in the league.

In 1921, Duffy was hired as full-time manager of the Red Sox, guiding them for two seasons. Duffy then became a scout for the Red Sox in {{Baseball year|1924}}. From 1928 to 1930, Duffy was the head baseball coach at Boston College.

Managerial record

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
rowspan="2"|Teamrowspan="2"|Yearcolspan="5"|Regular seasoncolspan="4"|Postseason
GamesWonLostWin %FinishWonLostWin %Result
MIL|| 1901

||137||48||89||{{Winning percentage|49|68}}|| 8th in AL || – || – || – || –

colspan="2"|MIL total || 137 || 48 || 89 || {{Winning percentage|49|68}} || || 0 || 0 || – ||
PHI|| 1904

||152||52||100||{{Winning percentage|52|100}}|| 8th in NL || – || – || – || –

PHI|| 1905

||152||83||69||{{Winning percentage|83|69}}|| 4th in NL || – || – || – || –

PHI|| 1906

||153||71||82||{{Winning percentage|71|82}}|| 4th in NL || – || – || – || –

colspan="2"|PHI total || 457 || 206 || 251 || {{Winning percentage|206|251}} || || 0 || 0 || – ||
CWS|| 1910

||153||68||85||{{Winning percentage|68|85}}|| 6th in AL || – || – || – || –

CWS|| 1911

||151||77||74||{{Winning percentage|77|74}}|| 5th in AL || – || – || – || –

colspan="2"|CWS total || 304 || 145 || 159 || {{Winning percentage|145|159}} || || 0 || 0 || – ||
BOS|| 1921

||154||75||79||{{Winning percentage|75|79}}|| 5th in AL || – || – || – || –

BOS|| 1922

||154||61||93||{{Winning percentage|61|93}}|| 8th in AL || – || – || – || –

colspan="2"|BOS total || 308 || 136 || 172 || {{Winning percentage|136|172}} || || 0 || 0 || – ||
colspan="2"|Total || 1206 || 535 || 671 || {{Winning percentage|535|671}} || || 0 || 0 || – ||

Later life

Duffy was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.

Duffy remained on the Red Sox' scouting staff nearly to the end of his life, retiring in {{Baseball year|1953}}. He died in Boston on October 19, 1954.{{cite news|title=Hugh Duffy left unequaled mark, was mighty mite|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19541020&id=PD4oAAAAIBAJ&pg=7171,2484030|access-date=November 9, 2014|work=The Milwaukee Journal|date=October 20, 1954}}{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He had been suffering from heart problems.{{cite news|title=Hugh Duffy dies|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19541020&id=DQBWAAAAIBAJ&pg=5069,5120877|access-date=November 9, 2014|work=Eugene Register-Guard|date=October 20, 1954}} Duffy's wife Nora died the previous year; they did not have children.{{cite news|title=Baseball's Hugh Duffy dies at home at 87|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19541020&id=DWBIAAAAIBAJ&pg=3725,2506368|access-date=November 9, 2014|work=Ocala Star-Banner|date=October 20, 1954}}

Posthumously

In 2019, Duffy was inducted into the Ivan Allen Jr. Braves Museum and Hall of Fame, along with Terry Pendleton.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/terry-pendleton-hugh-duffy-make-braves-hof/c-302019104|title=Terry Pendleton, Hugh Duffy make Braves HOF|website=MLB.com|language=en|access-date=2019-01-18}}

See also

References

{{reflist}}

External links

{{commons category|Hugh Duffy}}

  • {{bbhof|duffy-hugh}}
  • {{baseballstats|mlb=|espn=|br=d/duffyhu01|fangraphs=1003533|brm=duffy-001hug|retro=D/Pduffh101}}
  • {{baseball-reference manager|duffyhu01}}
  • {{find a Grave}}

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{{succession box|title=Boston Red Sox first-base coach|years=1939|before=N/A|after=Moe Berg}}

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{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duffy, Hugh}}

Category:1866 births

Category:1954 deaths

Category:American people of Irish descent

Category:Boston Beaneaters players

Category:Boston Braves scouts

Category:Boston College Eagles baseball coaches

Category:Boston Reds (AA) players

Category:Boston Red Sox coaches

Category:Boston Red Sox managers

Category:Boston Red Sox scouts

Category:Chicago Pirates players

Category:Chicago White Sox managers

Category:Chicago White Stockings players

Category:Hartford Dark Blues (minor league) players

Category:Harvard Crimson baseball coaches

Category:Lowell Magicians players

Category:Major League Baseball outfielders

Category:Major League Baseball player-managers

Category:Milwaukee Brewers (1901) managers

Category:Milwaukee Brewers (1901) players

Category:Milwaukee Brewers (minor league) managers

Category:Milwaukee Creams players

Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees

Category:National League batting champions

Category:National League home run champions

Category:National League RBI champions

Category:National League hitting Triple Crown winners

Category:Philadelphia Phillies managers

Category:Philadelphia Phillies players

Category:Providence Grays (minor league) players

Category:Salem Fairies players

Category:Sportspeople from Cranston, Rhode Island

Category:Baseball players from Providence County, Rhode Island

Category:Springfield Horsemen players

Category:Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) managers

Category:Baseball players from Boston