Larry Doyle
The greatest second baseman in Giants' history, Larry Doyle was named the National League Most Valuable Player in 1912, the second of three straight seasons he helped the Giants to the World Series. In 1915 he won the batting title, and he hit .300 five times in his career, also stealing home 17 times. But he was more than a good hitter with decent speed, he was a power hitting second baseman, a rarity in his era. He finished in the top five in homers and slugging five times each. In 1920 he retired a few months after his 34th birthday to become a player/manager in the minor leagues, despite still having the skills to be a major leaguer.
Played For
New York Giants (1907-1916)
Chicago Cubs (1916-1917)
New York Giants (1920)
All-Time Rankings
Larry Doyle ranks #13 among the Top 50 all-time at 2B. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1912
On paper, his 1911 season is superior, but we'll take the word of those who saw him play and gave him the 1912 MVP Award. He hit .330 with 33 doubles, eight triples, 10 homers, 98 runs scored, 90 RBI and 36 steals.
Born
Lawrence Joseph Doyle was born on July 31, 1886, in Caseyville, IL.
Died
March 1, 1974, Saranac Lake, NY
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
Primary Position: 2B
Primary Team: NY1
Major League Debut
July 22, 1907
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1907
Tris Speaker
Ed Konetchy
Clyde Milan
Larry Doyle
Dode Paskert
Fred Merkle
Heinie Zimmerman
Walter Johnson
Bill McKechnie
Nicknames
Laughing Larry
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1937 |
BBWAA |
2 |
1.0% |
1938 |
BBWAA |
4 |
1.5% |
1939 |
BBWAA |
1 |
.4% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1911 World Series
1912 World Series
1913 World Series
Awards and Honors
1912 NL MVP
Transactions
On August 28, 1916, the Giants traded Doyle and Herb Hunter to the Cubs for Heinie Zimmerman and Mickey Doolan. The trade allowed manager John McGraw to shift Buck Herzog to second base and put Zimmerman at the hot corner. Less than two years later, in January of 1918, McGraw reacquired Doyle, sending Herzog to the Braves.
Replaced
39-year old veteran Tommy Corcoran, in mid-season 1907.
Replaced By
Johnny Rawlings initially, and eventually Frankie Frisch.
Best Strength as a Player
Power
Largest Weakness as a Player
Throwing arm
Learn More about Larry Doyle
Search Amazon.com for Books about Larry Doyle ⇒
Search for Larry Doyle at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
