Hugh Duffy

Played For
Chicago Cubs (1888-1889)
Boston Reds, American Association (1891)
Boston Braves (1892-1900)
Milwaukee Brewers (1901)
Philadelphia Phillies (1904-1906)

Managed
Milwaukee Brewers (1901)
Philadelphia Phillies (1904-1906)
Chicago White Sox (1910-1911)
Boston Red Sox (1921-1922)

All-Time Rankings
Hugh Duffy ranks #29 among the Top 50 all-time at CF. Rankings ⇒

Best Season: 1894
Duffy led the National League in almost every offensive category, winning the triple crown with his .440 average, 18 homers, and 145 RBI.

Full Bio
Hugh Duffy is largely remembered for his amazing 1894 season, in which he hit .438, a mark that remains a major league record. But he was also a manager, executive, coach, and team owner, who was under contract in baseball for an incredible 68 years of his life.

Duffy was born in Cranston, Rhode Island, on November 26, 1866. After two seasons in minor leagues, he was scouted by Cap Anson, who signed Duffy to play for his Chicago White Stockings in the National League in 1888. It was the first of four major leagues that Duffy would play in, and he hit .300 in each of them.

At just over five-feet, seven-inches tall, Duffy was a small player who carried a heavy wallop in his bat. He had broad shoulders and powerful arms, and his range in the outfield was extraordinary. He was known as a sharp dresser, and he earned the attention of admiring female fans with his classic good looks.

In 1890, Duffy was one of many stars who jumped to the upstart Players' League, where he played under Charles Comiskey. After a season with Boston in the American Association in 1891, when he batted .341 with 83 stolen bases, Duffy was lured back to the National League by Frank Selee of the Boston Beaneaters.

With Boston, "Sir Hugh" enjoyed his best seasons, and gained tremendous popularity with fans after he was teamed with fellow outfielder Tommy McCarthy, also a product of the northeast. Duffy in center field and McCarthy in right (and later left) were dubbed "The Heavenly Twins" by adoring Boston bleacherites. The duo played four seasons together, helping the Beaneaters to two pennants.

In 1894, Duffy hit .438 with 236 hits in 124 games, 160 runs scored, 50 doubles, and 18 home runs, many of the inside-the-park variety. Duffy remained in center field for Boston through the 1900 season, before jumping to the upstart American League, where he played a major role in establishing the circuit as a rival to the N.L. As a conduit to players, Duffy helped convince several N.L. stars to bolt for the A.L., and he helped choose the location of Huntington Avenue Grounds, where the Boston Americans played. By 1906, Duffy's long career as player was over, but he stayed in the game as a minor league team owner, and managing the Phillies, White Sox, and Red Sox in three stints from 1904 to 1922.

Later in the 1920s, Duffy coached the baseball team at Harvard University, while also scouting for the Red Sox, keeping his ties to Boston strong. While under contract with the Red Sox, Duffy tutored a young Ted Williams in the 1930s, saying of Williams, "He's the greatest hitter it has been my pleasure to look at, and don't forget, I've been looking at Hugh Duffy in the shaving mirror for many a year."

Duffy was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1945, and died on October 19, 1954, in Boston. For his career, Duffy hit .330 in 1,722 games, with 2,307 hits, 1,545 runs scored, and 103 home runs.

Leaders, 1890s
1890s Leaders, Hits
Ed Delahanty .. 1862
Hugh Duffy... 1860
Jesse Burkett... 1798
George VanHaltren... 1782
Billy Hamilton... 1690

1890s Leaders, Home Runs
Hugh Duffy... 83
Ed Delahanty... 79
Mike Tiernan... 77
Sam Thompson... 75
Roger Connor... 72

1890s Leaders, Batting Average
Willie Keeler... .384
Billy Hamilton... .357
Jesse Burkett... .356
Ed Delahanty... .354
Joe Kelley... .340
Jake Stenzel... .339
Sam Thompson... .338
John McGraw... .336
Fred Clarke... .334
Hugh Duffy... .332

Where He Played
Center field (676 games), left (574), right (437)

As a Manager
After his successful 1894 season, Boston offered Duffy a meager $12.50 raise per month, but only if he accepted the position of team captain. Duffy relented, but since the team captain was responsible for replacing lost or broken equipment, he actually lost money on the deal.

Born
Hugh Duffy was born on November 26, 1866, in Cranston, RI.

Died
October 19, 1954, Boston, MA

Batted:  Right
Threw:  Right

Primary Position:  OF

Primary Team:  BSN

Major League Debut
June 23, 1888

Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1888
Coming soon...

Nicknames
Sir Hugh

Similar Players
None

Related Players
Cap Anson was Duffy's favorite player... Tommy McCarthy joined Duffy as the "Heavenly Twins" for Frank Selee's 1890s Beaneaters... "Sliding Billy" Hamilton joined Duffy as yet another future Hall of Famer in the Boston outfield in the 1890s.

Hall of Fame Voting Year Election Votes Pct 1936 Veterans 4 % 1937 BBWAA 7 3.5% 1938 BBWAA 24 9.2% 1939 BBWAA 34 12.4% 1942 BBWAA 77 33.0% 1945 BBWAA 64 25.9% 1945 Old Timers %

Awards and Honors
1894 NL Triple Crown

Feats
Hugh Duffy won the Triple Crown in the National League in 1894.

Notes
Depending on your source: Elias, Total Baseball, or the Baseball Encyclopedia, Duffy hit .438 or .440 in 1894. In any case, it is the highest single-season mark in major league baseball history.

Hitting Streaks
26 games (1894)

Best Strength as a Player
Hitting for average.

Largest Weakness as a Player
None

Learn More about Hugh Duffy
Search Amazon.com for Books about Hugh Duffy ⇒
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View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒