Hugh Duffy
| Birthdate | 11/26/1866 |
| Death Date | 10/19/1954 |
| Debut Year | 1888 |
| Year of Induction | 1945 |
| Teams | Beaneaters, Phillies, White Stockings |
| Position | Center Field |
Hugh Duffy is the only player to bat .300 in four major leagues; the Players League, the American Association, & the National and American leagues.
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Hugh Duffy hit .440 in 1894 - the highest mark in MLB history
Hugh Duffy hit .440 in 1894 - the highest mark in MLB history
The son of Irish immigrants, 5’7″ Hugh Duffy hit .326 over the course of his 17-year big league career. The flycatcher debuted in 1888 and played for six teams in four leagues and retired in 1906.
Duffy broke in with the National League’s Chicago White Stockings. Two years later he switched to the Players League but remained in the Windy City with the Chicago Pirates.
In 1891 Duffy suited up in his third team and league as a member of the American Association’s Boston Reds. In Boston he had a breakout season hitting .336 with a league-leading 110 runs batted in.
Duffy stayed in Boston but jumped to the NL’s Beaneaters in 1892. The next season he began a run of 7 straight 100-RBI campaigns. His career year came in 1894 when he lead the Senior Circuit in hits, doubles, triples, and batting average, OPS, and total bases. For good measure he also tallied a career best 145 RBI.
Duffy’s .440 average in 1893 established a still-standing single MLB season mark.
He retired in 1906 with a .326 lifetime average and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1945.
In the collection is this document signed 47 years after his retirement as a player. Here Duffy agrees to a radio contract as a Red Sox Vice President.
Duffy remained in the game until shortly before his death in 1954
Duffy remained in the game until shortly before his death in 1954
After retiring from the game after the 1906 season, Hugh Duffy remained close to the game for the rest of his life.
Duffy coached and managed in college, the minors, and the majors from 1906-1920. Then in ’21 he was hired by the Boston Red Sox as a scout.
In the ensuing decades Duffy rose all the way to the position of team vice president under Hall of Fame owner Tom Yawkey. He retired from the game completely in 1953.
High Duffy passed away in October of 1954 at the age of 87.
In the collection is this telegram sent by Duffy to Frank Stevens on May 4, 1934. Duffy expresses sympathy for the death of Stevens’ father Harry. The elder Stevens’ was a longtime baseball concessionaire credited with coining the term “hot dog”.
Note the handwriting at the bottom of the telegram indicating Duffy sent the telegram from Boston’s Fenway Park.
