April 6, 2018

Tomorrow, April 7, is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Bobby Doerr (pronounced DOUGH-er), one of the best second basemen in Major League Baseball (MLB) history. A rare power-hitting middle infielder for his era, Doerr hit 223 home runs and drove in 1,247 runs over 14 seasons with the Boston Red Sox from 1937 through 1951. An excellent fielder as well, Doerr made nine American League (AL) All-Star teams during his career. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986. For several months until his death at age 99 on Nov. 13, 2017, Doerr was the oldest living former MLB player.

Boston Red Sox second baseman Bobby Doerr pauses before a 1951 game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in New York City. Credit: © Kidwiler Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images

Robert Pershing Doerr was born in Los Angeles, California, on April 7, 1918. He received his middle name in honor of General John J. Pershing, leader of the American Expeditionary Forces (A.E.F.) in Europe during World War I (1914-1918). While still in high school, Doerr began playing professional baseball with the Hollywood Stars (later the minor league San Diego Padres) of the Pacific Coast League. Doerr signed an MLB contract with Boston in 1936  and debuted with the Red Sox in 1937. He became the team’s starting second baseman the following season.

With Boston, Doerr led the AL in fielding percentage four times. For many years, he held records for most consecutive errorless games at second base (73) and consecutive chances at second base without an error (414). During World War II (1939-1945), Doerr served in the United States Army, missing part of the 1944 MLB season and the entire 1945 season. Doerr returned to the Red Sox in 1946, helping lead the team to the World Series. After several highly productive years, back problems forced Doerr to retire after the 1951 season at age 33.

During his 14 MLB seasons, Doerr’s 2,042 hits included 381 doubles and 89 triples. He also scored 1,094 runs. After his playing career, Doerr served as a scout and coach for the Red Sox and he later coached for the Toronto Blue Jays. The Red Sox retired Doerr’s uniform number 1 in 1988. Outside Boston’s Fenway Park, a statue called The Teammates depicts Red Sox legends Doerr, Dom DiMaggio (brother of Joe), Johnny Pesky, and Ted Williams.