BOSTON — Bobby Doerr, a Hall of Fame second baseman who was dubbed the “Silent Captain” by longtime Boston Red Sox teammate and life-long friend Ted Williams, has died. He was 99.
A sweet-fielding, hard-hitting player, Doerr was signed on the same scouting trip that brought Williams to Fenway Park, where the latter established himself as one of the greatest hitters in baseball history.
Doerr played 14 seasons with the Red Sox from 1937 to 1951, posting a .288 career average with 2,042 hits, 223 home runs, and 1,247 RBIs. He had six 100-RBI seasons — an accomplishment that was not matched by another second baseman for 25 years.
Forced to retire by a bad back in 1951, Doerr lived out his retirement in Oregon. He returned to the Red Sox as a coach from 1967-69 and was a batting coach for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1980.
Doerr and Williams remained friends and fishing buddies after their careers were over.
