Red Sox in Cooperstown Pt. 38: Hugh Duffy

HUGH DUFFY
Years in Boston: 1921-1922 (136-172)
Best Year in Boston: 1921 (75-79)

Like the last post in this series (Frank Chance), Hugh Duffy is far more known for his playing career than his managerial career and it is his managerial career that brought him to the Red Sox.  Duffy spent 17 seasons in the Majors and had his best seasons prior to the 20th century.  He nearly won the Triple Crown as an outfielder for the Boston Beaneaters (later, the Braves) in 1894 when he hit .440/.502/.694 with 18 home runs and 145 RBIs.  He was something of a slugger of the time period, hitting double digits in home runs three times.

Duffy was a player/manager for a few years late in his career, but was mostly out of Major League baseball after 1911.  The Red Sox hired him to be their manager in 1921 and he inherited a team that had lost a ton of talent to the New York Yankees.  The 1921 team still had Herb Pennock, Bullet Joe Bush and Everett Scott and had just acquired Del Pratt.  That team was not terrible, finishing four games under .500, which was an improvement from the prior season.  Hopes were high.

Unfortunately, the team jettisoned more talent going into 1922, shipping away Bush, Scott and Stuffy McInnis.  New acquisitions were Jack Quinn and George Burns.  Despite a few decent seasons from Burns, Pratt and Joe Harris, the pitching was in shambles and the team finished 61-93.  That was it for Duffy as manager.  Duffy though remained in the Boston organization, mostly as a scout until 1953.  He died in 1954.

Duffy's time with the Red Sox is largely irrelevant to his presence in Cooperstown.  He was not a successful manager and his career as a scout is mostly a footnote.