Outfielder, Boston
Americans/New York Highlanders
Age: 27
3rd season
with Americans
Bats – Left,
Throws – Right
Height: 6’2” Weight: 190
Prior to 1904:
A native of New York state, Patrick “Patsy” Dougherty was the son of an Irish immigrant who made a fortune thanks to the oil boom in the southwest of New York in the 1880s. The family moved to the town of Bolivar where Dougherty played high school baseball with Frank Gannett, who became the founder of the Gannett newspaper chain. From 1896 to 1901, the brawny and red-haired Dougherty played for several minor league teams in the Northeast. Originally a pitcher who played in the outfield when not on the mound, his hitting and speed caused him to become a full-time outfielder. Following the 1901 season he went to play winter ball in California (a common practice at the time). Joining a Los Angeles-based team managed by Jimmy Collins, the player/manager of the new American League’s Boston Americans (now Red Sox). The impressed Collins brought Dougherty back east to play left field for Boston in 1902. Despite missing some 30 games due to assorted injuries, Dougherty’s rookie major league season was a success as he batted .342 with a .407 on-base percentage, 20 stolen bases, and 77 runs scored, although his defense was far less impressive. A good hitter and excellent bunter, he followed up with an outstanding season in 1903, batting .331 while leading the AL with 195 hits and 107 runs scored. His .372 OBP ranked sixth. Boston won the AL pennant and Dougherty had the distinction of hitting two home runs and accounting for 5 RBIs as the Americans topped the NL-champion Pittsburgh Pirates. The Americans had new ownership in 1904 which led to a clash over salary with Dougherty, who was traded to the Highlanders in June for utility infielder Bob Unglaub in a deal which might well have been facilitated by AL president Ban Johnson to improve the league’s New York franchise, although Boston’s president declared that Dougherty was traded due to his poor defense and a quarrelsome attitude.
1904 Season Summary
Appeared in 155
games (Boston – 49 /NYH – 106)
LF – 155
[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]
Batting
Plate Appearances
– 703 [2] (BOS – 224/ NYH – 479)
At Bats – 647
[1] (BOS – 195/ NYH – 452)
Runs – 113 [1]
(BOS – 33/NYH - 80)
Hits – 181 [4]
(BOS – 53/ NYH – 128)
Doubles – 18 (BOS
– 5/NYH – 13)
Triples – 14
[10] (BOS – 4/NYH – 10)
Home Runs – 6 [4,
tied with five others] (NYH)
RBI – 26 (BOS –
4/ NYH – 22)
Bases on Balls
– 44 [13, tied with Sam Crawford & Matty McIntyre] (BOS – 25/NYH – 19)
Int. BB – N/A
Strikeouts – 64
[15, tied with Jesse Burkett] (BOS – 20/NYH – 44)
Stolen Bases – 21
[16, tied with Willie Keeler] (BOS – 10/ NYH – 11)
Caught Stealing
– N/A
Average - .280
[11, tied with Buck Freeman] (BOS – .272/NYH – .283)
OBP - .329 [19,
tied with Buck Freeman] (BOS – .355/NYH – .316)
Slugging Pct. -
.379 [14, tied with Lave Cross & Jimmy Collins] (BOS – .338/NYH – .396)
Total Bases – 245
[5, tied with Danny Murphy] (BOS – 66/ NYH – 179)
GDP – N/A
Hit by Pitches
– 3 (NYH)
Sac Hits – 7 (BOS
– 3/ NYH – 4)
Sac Flies – N/A
League-leading at
bats were +16 ahead of runner-up Jimmy Collins
League-leading runs scored were +16 ahead of runner-up Elmer Flick
Midseason snapshot: 3B – 8, HR - 2, RBI - 10, SB – 13, AVG - .282, OBP – .352
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Most hits, game
– 5 (in 6 AB) at Washington 6/22
Longest hitting
streak – 11 games
HR at home – 6
HR on road – 0
Most home runs,
game – 1 on six occasions
Multi-HR games
– 0
Most RBIs, game
– 2 vs. Bos. Americans 7/11, at Washington 6/22
Pinch-hitting – No appearances
Fielding
(combined)
Chances – 268
Put Outs – 230
Assists – 18
Errors – 20
DP – 4
Pct. – .925
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The Americans (aka Pilgrims) went 95-59 to win the AL pennant by 1.5 games over the New York Highlanders, while leading the league in triples (105). The Americans started fast and were in first place from April 19 to August 4, weathering the unpopular June trade of Dougherty to New York with no ill effects. From that point they were locked in a tight battle with the Highlanders and White Sox. Heading into September the race narrowed to the Americans and Highlanders, as each took turns in first place. A half-game in front following a three-game sweep of the White Sox, the Americans headed to New York for a season-ending series. New York pulled ahead by a half-game with a win in the first game. With New York’s co-owner having rented out Hilltop Park to Columbia University for a football game, the next game in the series was transferred to Boston, creating a double header to make up for a June rainout. Boston swept the Saturday double-header to go up by 1.5 games as the clubs returned to New York for a season-capping double header on Monday, with the Americans needing just one win to secure the pennant. With 41-game winner Jack Chesbro on the mound for New York and the score tied at 2-2 in the top of the ninth and a Boston runner on third, Chesbro uncorked a spitball that went over the catcher’s head and was scored a wild pitch, allowing the Americans to take the lead. New York was unable to score in the bottom of the ninth, giving Boston a 3-2 win and the pennant. The Highlanders won the meaningless nightcap in 10 innings.
The Highlanders went 92-59 to finish second in the AL, 1.5 games behind the pennant-winning Boston Americans while leading the league in hits (1354) and fewest batting strikeouts (552). The scrappy Highlanders contended from the start and were locked in a tight battle with the Americans and Chicago White Sox in August. By September the race was between the Highlanders and Boston, as each took turns in first place. A half-game behind following two losses in a mid-September road trip to Boston, RHP Jack Chesbro, pitching on two days’ rest, put them ahead by a half-game with a home win in the climactic series against the Americans. With the team’s co-owner having rented out Hilltop Park to Columbia University for a football game, the next game in the series was transferred to Boston, creating a double-header to make up for a June rainout. Chesbro, instructed by manager Clark Griffith to remain in New York and rest up, took the train to Boston, insisted on starting, and was rocked by the Americans in the first game of the double-header. Boston won the darkness-shortened nightcap as well to go up by 1.5 games as the clubs returned to New York for a season-capping double-header, which the Highlanders needed to sweep to capture the pennant. With Chesbro on the mound and the score tied at 2-2 in the top of the ninth and a Boston runner on third, Chesbro uncorked a spitball that went over the catcher’s head and was scored a wild pitch, allowing the Americans to take the lead. New York was unable to score in the bottom of the ninth as Dougherty struck out for the final out with a runner on second, giving Boston a 3-2 win and the pennant. The Highlanders won the meaningless nightcap in 10 innings to finish 1.5 games back.
Aftermath of 1904:
In a season in which AL batting averages in general dropped, Dougherty’s fell to .263 with a .319 OBP and 56 runs scored in 1905 as the Highlanders dropped to sixth place. With his offense and defensive performance continuing to slide in 1906, Dougherty clashed with manager Clark Griffith (including a fistfight on one occasion). Hitting only .192 after 12 games, he quit the team and was suspended by the American League. The Chicago White Sox, managed by Fielder Jones, who had known Dougherty since their days playing for town teams in New York state, purchased his contract in July and got him reinstated. In 75 games for the White Sox Dougherty hit .233 and improved his play in the outfield. Chicago’s “Hitless Wonders”, getting by on speed and defense, won the AL pennant. In the World Series upset of the Cubs, Dougherty had only two hits in 20 at bats (.100) and his three walks pulled his OBP up to .217. In 1907 his batting improved to .270 with a .322 OBP and 33 stolen bases as the White Sox remained in contention until the last week of the season. The White Sox became involved in a hot pennant race in 1908 with Detroit and Cleveland and Dougherty hit .278 with a .367 OBP and led the league with 47 stolen bases. For the second time in his career, he broke up a no-hitter when his seventh-inning single ended a no-hit bid by Joe Lake of the Highlanders. In 1909 he was the top hitter for the fourth-place White Sox, batting .285 with 23 doubles, 13 triples, 55 RBIs, 36 stolen bases, and a .359 OBP helped by drawing 51 walks. With the White Sox embarking on a youth movement in 1910, the 33-year-old Dougherty was the oldest regular starting player and hit .248 with 43 RBIs and a .318 OBP. He was afflicted by health problems that lingered into 1911, although he batted .289 in 76 games in what proved to be his final season. He retired as one of the wealthiest major league players at the time due to his investment in oil wells and various businesses in Bolivar, New York. For his major league career, he batted .284 with 1294 hits that included 138 doubles, 78 triples, and 17 home runs. He scored 678 runs and compiled 413 RBIs, 261 stolen bases, and a .346 OBP. With the Highlanders he batted .269 with 248 hits, 139 runs scored, 55 RBIs, 28 stolen bases, and a .311 OBP. He went into banking following his playing career, also serving as president of the Class D Inter-State League in 1916. He died of a heart attack in 1940 at age 63.
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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league
in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum
of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who
led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a
minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between
the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc.
players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the
postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.
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