Lewis was the left fielder in the famous Red Sox outfield that included
Tris Speaker
and
Harry Hooper. He became so adept at fielding along the steep incline in front
of
Fenway Park's left-field fence that it became known as "Duffy's Cliff." Despite
being one of the few players apparently liked by
Ty Cobb, Lewis's fondest memories
included throwing out Cobb as he attempted to stretch hits. At bat, he was a reliable
line-drive hitter and good RBI man, with a personal high of 109 in 1912. In 1914
he became the first ML player to pinch hit for
Babe Ruth, then a Red Sox rookie pitcher.
The next season, he saw Ruth's first homer; in 1935, as traveling secretary for the
Braves, a post he held for 30 years, he saw Ruth's last.
(EC)
Duffy Lewis
teams