What Took so Long for Bobby Doerr to Make the Hall of Fame?
Bobby Doerr was such a good baseball player that the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League signed him at the age of sixteen in 1934, when he was still in high school. The Red Sox scouted Bobby Doerr and signed him in the summer of 1937, purchasing his PCL contract for $75,000. Bobby Doerr had a friend and teammate that also got noticed that August; the scout that signed Doerr made a gentlemen’s agreement with the club owner that Boston would get the first crack at signing Ted Williams after the kid got some seasoning. Williams and Bobby Doerr would remain the best of friends for the rest of their lives, and would play together in Boston for ten seasons.
Boston boasted such greats as Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, and Joe Cronin when Bobby Doerr joined them for good in 1938, but the youngster, although in awe of his childhood idols, produced at the plate and in the field. Bobby Doerr hit .289 with 80 RBI that season, and although he committed his career high of 26 errors, he was involved in 118 double plays. Over his fourteen years span in baseball, Bobby Doerr would have nine seasons when he took part in over at least 105 double plays and would field his position at a wonderful .980 clip. Bobby Doerr played every game of his career at second base, all 1.852 of them.
The nine-time All-Star had the first of his 100 RBI years in 1940 and the last in 1950. Bobby Doerr batted over .300 three times, hitting a career high .325 in 1944 at the age of 26. In 1946, Bobby Doerr had a 116 RBI campaign and helped Boston into the World Series against the Cardinals. Once there, Bobby Doerr hit a sizzling .409 with a homer and three runs batted in. However, Boston lost in excruciating fashion when Enos Slaughter scored from first on a Harry Walker base hit in the bottom of the eighth in Game Seven. Bobby Doerr had a base hit in the top of the ninth to put men on first on second, but Boston would leave the game-tying run on third and lose 4-3.
After knocking in a more than respectable 95 runs in 1947, Bobby Doerr had three great years in a row, sending at least 109 men across home plate in every one of them. Horrible back pain from an August injury began to take its toll, and despite a solid 1951 season, Robert Pershing “Bobby” Doerr retired after year’s end at the age of 33. His list of accomplishments is impressive, despite the fact that Bobby Doerr could have had at least five more good years had he remained pain-free. He is the only Red Sox player to hit for the cycle twice, on May 17th, 1944 and again on May 13th, 1947. In that contest, Bobby Doerr collected a double and a single to complete the cycle in a nine-run eighth inning. Ted Williams hit two home runs that day, after he had promised a sick child that he would hit one for him.
On June 8th, 1950, Bobby Doerr took part in the biggest margin of victory one club ever recorded over another. Bobby Doerr slammed three home runs and knocked in eight of Boston’s 29 as they clobbered the Browns 29-4. In 1948, Bobby Doerr handled 414 consecutive chances at second without an error, an American League record at the time. Bobby Doerr led AL second sackers in double plays five times, putouts four, and assists three. He was well liked by his teammates and foes alike. His lifelong friendship with Williams, Dom DiMaggio, and Johnny Pesky has been well documented. Bobby Doerr currently lives in Oregon, where he retired to after he was done playing. Now 88 years old, Bobby Doerr was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee in 1986, a decision that group shouldn’t have even had to consider. Only a handful of the second basemen in the Hall of Fame have more homers and runs batted in than Bobby Doerr; only Jackie Robinson had a better lifetime fielding percentage. Bobby Doerr should never have been forced to wait that long for the recognition he so richly deserved.
