Bobby Doerr facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bobby Doerr |
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| Second baseman | |||
| Born: April 7, 1918 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| Died: November 13, 2017 (aged 99) Junction City, Oregon, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 20, 1937, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| Last 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 | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 1986 | ||
| Election Method | Veterans Committee | ||
Robert "Bobby" Pershing Doerr (April 7, 1918 – November 13, 2017) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played his entire 14-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox. Bobby Doerr was a fantastic second baseman. He was chosen as an All-Star nine times.
Doerr was known for hitting well, batting over .300 three times. He also helped his team score by driving in more than 100 runs six times. He set many team records for the Red Sox. He even missed one season to serve in the military during World War II. In 1986, he was honored by being put into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
After he stopped playing, Doerr became a scout and a coach. He even helped famous player Carl Yastrzemski before his amazing Triple Crown season. For a short time before he passed away, Bobby Doerr was the oldest living former major league player. He was also the last person alive who played in the major leagues in the 1930s.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Start
Bobby Doerr was born in Los Angeles, California. His middle name, Pershing, was a tribute to a famous general, John J. Pershing. Bobby finished high school in 1936. By then, he had already started playing professional baseball.
He played for teams like the Hollywood Stars and the San Diego Padres. While playing for the Padres in 1936, Doerr met Ted Williams. Williams would later become his teammate on the Red Sox. They became very good friends for many years. That year, Doerr played in 175 games and had a great batting average of .342. He also led his league with 238 hits.
Playing in Major League Baseball
Becoming a Star Player
Bobby Doerr joined the major leagues in 1937 when he was just 19 years old. In his very first game, he got three hits out of five tries. By 1938, he was a regular player for the Red Sox. He was good at helping his teammates advance on base.
From 1939, Doerr had 12 seasons in a row where he hit 10 or more home runs. He also had 73 or more runs batted in (RBIs) each year. In 1940, the Red Sox had four players, including Doerr, who each had over 100 RBIs. This was a rare achievement for a team.
All-Star Games and World Series
In 1941, Doerr was picked for the All-Star team. This was the first of nine times he would be an All-Star. In 1944, he was one of the best hitters in the league. His batting average was .325, which was the second best in the league. The Sporting News even named him the Most Valuable Player for the American League.
Doerr achieved a rare feat called hitting for the cycle twice in his career. This means he hit a single, a double, a triple, and a home run all in the same game. He did this on May 17, 1944, and again on May 13, 1947.
Bobby Doerr missed the 1945 season because he was serving in the Army during World War II. When he returned in 1946, he played a big part in the Red Sox reaching the 1946 World Series. Even though the Red Sox lost the World Series, Doerr hit very well, with a .409 batting average. He also hit a home run and had three RBIs in the series.
He was also an excellent defensive player. In 1948, he set a league record by not making any errors in 73 games. This meant he handled 414 chances perfectly.
Last Years as a Player
In 1949, Doerr continued to play well, hitting .309 with 18 home runs and 109 RBIs. In 1950, he had a great year, hitting a career-high 11 triples. He also scored 103 runs and had 120 RBIs. On June 8, 1950, he hit three home runs in one game.
Bobby Doerr played his last season in 1951. He had been dealing with a back problem for two years. He retired in September of that year.
Career Highlights
Doerr played only at second base during his career. He was known as one of the best defensive second basemen of his time. He led American League second basemen in double plays five times. He also led in putouts and fielding percentage four times each.
He set many records for the Red Sox, including most career games, at bats, hits, doubles, and RBIs. His teammate, Ted Williams, called Doerr "the silent captain of the Red Sox." This shows how important Doerr was to the team, even if he wasn't always the loudest player.
Life After Playing Baseball
After retiring as a player, Bobby Doerr became a cattle rancher in Oregon for a few years. But he soon returned to baseball. From 1957 to 1966, he worked as a scout for the Red Sox. He also taught minor league players how to hit.
In 1967, he became the first base coach for the Red Sox. That year, the Red Sox won their first league championship in 20 years. They played in the 1967 World Series. Doerr later coached for the Toronto Blue Jays from 1977 to 1981.
Later Life and Honors
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| Bobby Doerr's number 1 was retired by the Boston Red Sox in 1988. |
Bobby Doerr lived in Oregon for most of his life. He was married to Monica Terpin from 1938 until she passed away in 2003. They had one son.
In 1986, Doerr was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. This is one of the highest honors a baseball player can receive. On May 21, 1988, the Red Sox retired his jersey number 1. This means no other Red Sox player will ever wear that number again.
Doerr often visited the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, for induction ceremonies. He once said that winning a World Series would have made his life complete. On August 2, 2007, the Red Sox held "Bobby Doerr Day" at Fenway Park. He rode around the field, threw out the first pitch, and gave a speech.
Longest Living Player
Bobby Doerr lived a very long life. In November 2012, he became the oldest living member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. In November 2016, he became the oldest living former major league player.
He was the last surviving member of the 1946 Boston Red Sox team. This team won the American League championship. He was also the last person alive who played in the major leagues during the 1930s. This means he was the last living player who had played against baseball legend Lou Gehrig.
Bobby Doerr passed away on November 13, 2017, in Junction City, Oregon. He was 99 years old.
Awards and Honors
- The Sporting News Most Valuable Player for the American League (1944)
- The Sporting News Major League All-Star Team (1944, 1946)
- Uniform number 1 retired by the Boston Red Sox (1988)
- Honored by the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award for his military service in World War II (2013)
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
