House That Hank Built
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Atlanta Braves Franchise Top 10 outfielders: Hugh Duffy

By Fred Owens

BOSTON - 1891. The Boston Red Stockings Base Ball Club pose for portraits, constructed into a team collage for 1891. John Clarkson, at third row from the top, left, King Kelly, second row from top, left, and Kid Nichols, fourth row from the top, left, are the stars of the team. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images)
BOSTON - 1891. The Boston Red Stockings Base Ball Club pose for portraits, constructed into a team collage for 1891. John Clarkson, at third row from the top, left, King Kelly, second row from top, left, and Kid Nichols, fourth row from the top, left, are the stars of the team. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images) /
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Tommy McCarthy batted behind Hugh Duffy for the Atlanta Braves forerunner Boston Eaters (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images) /

Back pitchers! Back I say!

In 1893 the league wanted more offense, so they moved the pitcher’s plate from 45′ to 60′ 6″, and offense returned as they hoped. Duffy batted .363/.416/.461/.876 and posted a 126 OPS+ to win his first NL batting title. Fangraphs says that was good for a .418 wOBA, 124 wRC+, and his second consecutive season posting 3.8 fWAR.

McCarthy chipped in with a .346/.429/.465/.894 season, and although they won only 84 games, they finished five games ahead of Pittsburgh and claimed their second straight NL pennant.

Duffy and McCarthy lead an 1894 Beaneater lineup that featured four batters with an OPS over .900 and two with an OPS over 1.000; catcher Fred Tenney (1.039), and Duffy.

Duffy had a monster season, winning his second straight batting title with a  .440/.502/.694/1.196 line, posted a 173 OPS+, stealing 48 bases, and leading the league with 251 hits, including 51 doubles and 18 home runs, 374 total bases.

The Beaneaters slipped to third the following year, and sixth the year after that, as McCarthy came in overweight and complaining and lost his job.  Duffy continued to rake, batting .353/.427/.482/.909, delivering 188 hits and stealing 42 bases.

Billy Hamilton joined the team in 1896 and added some of the spark lost without McCarthy, but Duffy slumped, and the club finished fourth.

In 1897, a resurgent Duffy batted .340/.403/.482/.885 and supported the new catalyst on the team (Hamilton) as the Beaneaters won 93 games to reclaim the NL championship. The club lost The Temple Cup (a postseason matchup with Baltimore), but Duffy went 11-21 (.524) and drove in seven runs.

After the game

Sir Hugh left the Beaneaters and the National League after the 1900 season. He later successfully managed in the minors, including the Milwaukee Brewers in 1912, his only losing season as a minor-league skipper.

In 1920, Duffy managed the Boston Red Sox, but after the sale of Ruth, the team didn’t contend. They relieved him as manager, but he remained with the Red Sox through the 1953 season and passed away in October 1954 at the age of 87.

Thanks to the Veteran’s committee, Hugh Duffy joined the Hall of Fame in 1945. His .440 single-season batting average, in 1894, remains a record, and one that probably stands forever.

That’s a wrap

Hugh Duffy’s story reminded me of Jose Altuve’s quest to land a job; The electricity he and his pal McCarthy added to the Boston lineup mirrors the impact of Albies and Acuna with Atlanta.

I understand the dead-ball era and the way the game changed over time, but a .440 batting average was never easy to do. Twenty-five players had single seasons over .400,  17 of them didn’t get higher than .410, six of them hit at least .420, but only Tip O; Neill’s .435 in 1887 got close to Duffy’s .440.

Next. If Hugh was around he could do this job. dark

We’re down to one player a day now. The stories are too interesting to cut short.  Next up is a 5’10” Irishman from Brooklyn.

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