Highlighted Year: Patsy Dougherty, 1903

Outfielder, Boston Americans

Age:  26

2^nd season with Americans

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 190 

Prior to 1903:

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. 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.

1903 Season Summary

Appeared in 139 games

LF – 139

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 647 [1]

At Bats – 590 [1]

Runs – 107 [1]

Hits – 195 [1]

Doubles – 19

Triples – 12 [10, tied with four others]

Home Runs – 4 [13, tied with Sam Crawford & Freddy Parent]

RBI – 59 [18, tied with Frank Isbell]

Bases on Balls – 33 [16, tied with Kid Elberfeld, Charles Moran & Rabbit Robinson]

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 62 [7]

Stolen Bases – 35 [3, tied with Ducky Holmes]

Caught Stealing – N/A

Average - .331 [3]

OBP - .372 [6]

Slugging Pct. - .424 [12]

Total Bases – 250 [5]

GDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 6 [10, tied with eight others]

Sac Hits – 18 [14, tied with Jimmy Barrett, Lefty Davis & Lee Tannehill]

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading plate appearances were +10 ahead of runner-up Harry Bay

League-leading at bats were +11 ahead of runner-up Harry Bay

League-leading runs scored were +6 ahead of runner-up Bill Bradley

League-leading hits were +11 ahead of runner-up Sam Crawford

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 6, 3B – 3, HR - 3, RBI - 30, SB – 18, AVG - .320, OBP – .359, SLG – .391

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 6 AB) vs. NY Highlanders 7/29, (in 5 AB) vs. Phila. A’s 9/5

Longest hitting streak – 12 games

HR at home – 3

HR on road – 1

Most home runs, game – 1 on four occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 5 at Washington 4/28

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 289

Put Outs – 259

Assists – 16

Errors – 14

DP – 3

Pct. – .952 

Postseason: 8 G (World Series vs. Pittsburgh)

PA – 37, AB – 34, R – 3, H – 8, 2B – 0, 3B – 2, HR – 2, RBI – 5, BB – 2, IBB – 0, SO – 6, SB – 0, CS – N/A, AVG - .235, OBP - .297, SLG - .529, TB – 18, GDP – N/A, HBP – 1, SH – 0, SF – N/A

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The Americans (aka Pilgrims) went 91-47 to win the AL pennant by 14.5 games over the Philadelphia Athletics while leading the league in runs scored (708), hits (1336), triples (113), home runs (48), RBIs (609), batting (.272), slugging (.392), and total bases (1928). Following a slow start in April, a strong May performance put the Americans into contention and they moved into first place to stay in June, propelled by outstanding hitting and pitching. They won the World Series over the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5 games to 3. With Boston down 3-games-to-1 in the best of 9 format, ace RHP Cy Young won Games 5 and 7 and RHP Bill Dinneen picked up wins in Game 6 and the decisive Game 8. Dougherty had the distinction of hitting two home runs and accounting for 5 RBIs.

Aftermath of 1903:

The Americans had new ownership in 1904 which led to a clash over salary with Dougherty, who was traded to the New York Highlanders (now Yankees) 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. The Highlanders narrowly lost the pennant but Dougherty proved helpful as he again led the circuit in runs scored (113) while batting .280 with 18 doubles, 14 triples, 6 home runs, 26 RBIs, 21 stolen bases, and a .329 OBP. In a 1905 season in which AL batting averages in general dropped, Dougherty’s fell to .263 with a .319 OBP and 56 runs scored 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 pitching, 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 Boston he batted .325 with 398 hits, 217 runs scored, 97 RBIs, 65 stolen bases, and a .382 OBP. He went into banking following his playing career, also serving as president of the Class D Inter-State League in 1916. Dougherty 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.