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Larry Doyle
Nickname(s): Laughing Larry
1886-1974

2B 1907-20 Giants, Cubs
  • Led League in ba 15
  • Most Valuable Player Award in 1912

GamesAverageHRRBI
Career 1766.29074793
World Series 19.23715

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RELATED LINKS
» 1914: The Miracle in Boston

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» August 14, 2003 (#349)

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Doyle was a nervous youngster in June 1907 when he took the wrong ferry across the Hudson River and arrived late for his first ML game. Giants manager John McGraw started the scrappy prospect at second base, a position unfamiliar to Doyle. The game was close, coming down to a crucial ninth-inning grounder which Doyle booted. Certain McGraw would send him down, Doyle sheepishly confronted him, only to receive words of encouragement and, the following season, the Giants' captaincy. He became a five-time .300 hitter.

Doyle's hitting and solid defense helped New York to three straight pennants, starting in 1911, when he led the NL in triples and said, "It's great to be young and a Giant." He scored the famous "phantom" run that forestalled the Athletics' victory in the 1911 World Series. In the dusk of Game Five's 10th inning, Doyle came home on an outfield fly but did not touch the plate, umpire Bill Klem later admitted, saying he would have called Doyle out had the A's tried to tag him.

Doyle led the NL with 172 hits in 1909, and batted a high of .330 in 1912. He won the NL batting title in 1915 with a .320 mark and league highs of 189 hits and 40 doubles. He stole 297 career bases, swiping home 17 times. His eight errors tie him with Eddie Collins for most in total World Series at 2B. (ASN)


Contribute your recollections of Larry Doyle by clicking here.
FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
» June 27, 1907: At Baker Bowl, Christy Mathewson and Hooks Wiltse combine to beat the Phillies, 2-0. Lew Moren pitches a fine game but loses. The Giants, playing .625 ball, are still 10 games in back of the Cubs. New York buys the contract of Larry Doyle for $4500 from Mattoon (Kitty L.).

» July 22, 1907: In the Giants 2-1 loss to the Cubs, Larry Doyle debuts a 2B for New York. The Giants manage just four hits off Cubs ace Ed Reulbach, but Doyle has two of them.

» July 24, 1908: At the Polo Grounds, the Giants edge the visiting Pirates, 2–1, behind Hooks Wiltse. Larry Doyle leads the offense with a single, double and RBI triple.

» August 24, 1908: The Giants gain the NL lead by winning two at Pittsburgh, after first refusing to play a doubleheader. John McGraw protests that only one game was scheduled and he was not given 24 hours notice about the 2nd match. But after polling the players, he relents. Hooks Wiltse then tops Vic Willis, 4-1 and Christy Mathewson beats Lefty Leifield, 5-1. Willis tires in the 8th, giving up a 2-run triple to Roger Bresnahan, followed by a Mike Donlin homer. In the nitecap, Donlin and Larry Doyle each drive home a pair. The doubleheader is watched in New York on electric diamonds known as "Compton's Baseball Bulletin" at Madison Square Garden and the Gotham Theatre. Bulletins will display all remaining games.

» August 25, 1908: The Giants win their 3rd in a row from Pittsburgh, stopping Nick Maddox, 5-3. Maddox had won eight in a row. Doc Crandall is the winner. Larry Doyle triples in the 3rd inning, then steps off the bag while chatting with Buc third sacker Tommy Leach. George Gibson's throw from home nails Doyle.

» June 5, 1909: St. Louis admirers give Roger Bresnahan a diamond ring and the rest of the team silk umbrellas, then Cardinal errors give the Giants six runs and the game, 8-7. John McGraw and Larry Doyle are tossed by umpire Charlie Criger.

» August 21, 1909: The Giants edge the Reds, 1-0, with Christy Mathewson winning this one, 1-0. Jack Rowan takes the loss when Larry Doyle walks in the 1st, goes to 3B on a ground out and scores on another grounder.

» June 25, 1910: Larry Doyle cracks a 3-run homer off Bill Foxen and the Giants defeat the Phillies, 4–1. Christy Mathewson earns the victory and is now 12–2.

» September 24, 1910: In another matchup of aces, the Giants score four runs in the 1st inning off Three Finger Brown, who is lifted after six innings, trailing, 5–1. The Cubs rally against Christy Mathewson, and score two runs in both the 8th and 9th innings to tie. Larry Doyle, who sloppy play helped the Cubs scoring, singles home the winning run for New York in the bottom of the 9th. Despite the Cubs tying the game after his departure, Brown is handed the loss.

» October 20, 1910: The Giants win the City Series against the Highlanders, 4–2, as Christy Mathewson is victorious over Jack Warhop, 6–3. Larry Doyle's 3rd inning 3-run homer into the upper grandstand in RF is the big blow. Paid admission for the six games is over 100,000, and each Giant takes home $1,110.62. Art Fletcher will use the winnings to marry his childhood sweetheart, Blanche Dieu.

» April 17, 1911: The Giants pick up four stolen bases in a 3–1 win over Brooklyn, the start of a post-1900 record 347 steals for the year. Eight Giants will steal 19 bases or better, topped by Josh Devore's 61 and Larry Doyle's 38.

» September 18, 1911: The Giants beat Pittsburgh 7–2, as the Giants steal eight bases with Larry Doyle swiping home twice. New York ties a ML mark with the three steals. Christy Mathewson is the winner on a 4-hitter over Howie Camnitz, increasing the Giants lead to five games.

» August 16, 1912: In Chicago, the Giants score twice in the opening frame off Jim Lavender to knock out the would-be Giant killer and go on to win, 7–4. Fred Merkle and Larry Doyle pull off a double steal in the inning, with Doyle on the front end. Jeff Tesreau puzzles the locals and the Cubs drop six games behind the Giants.

» September 2, 1912: At Boston, Christy Mathewson wins both games for the Giants in a 5–2, 6–1 sweep of the Braves. In the opener, Matty relieves Marquard in the 9th with score 2–2 and tosses three shutout innings. Larry Doyle ends it with a 3-run homer in the 12th. Matty coasts to his 19th win in the nitecap after the Giants chase Ed Doheny with five runs in the 3rd.

» April 17, 1913: After two losses and four rainouts, the Giants finally register a victory, in Boston, winning 3–2 in 10 innings. Larry Doyle collects four of the five New York hits, including the game winner in the 10th off Bill James. Christy Mathewson is the winner, scattering nine hits.

» June 26, 1913: The Giants sweep two from the Braves, winning 5–4 and 11–3. Christy Mathewson preserves the 1st win with two innings of relief, then starts the 2nd contest. Led by Larry Doyle's grand slam off Otto Hess, the Giants forge into a 9–0 lead after six innings and Matty exits. Mathewson now has throw 21 innings without a walk.

» July 17, 1914: At Forbes Field, Rube Marquard and Babe Adams each go a marathon 21 innings before Larry Doyle's 2-run home run gives the Giants a 3–1 win over the Pirates. Adams yields no walks and 12 hits, the longest non-walk game in ML history. Marquard walks two (one intentional) and yields 15 hits. In the 6th, Honus Wagner goes from first to 3B on a hit by Jim Viox. When New York CF Bob Bescher throws to 3B Milt Stock, the ball bounces out of his hands and disappears. Wagner scores before it's discovered that the ball bounced up under his arm and stayed there as he ran home. Wagner is called out for interference, and the Bucs protest. Manager Clarke is then ejected by umpire Bill "Lord" Byron. In a fitting ending to this unusual game, Giants OF Red Murray is knocked unconscious by a bolt of lightning after catching a fly ball for the final out. Murray is uninjured. Marquard's win is his last in 1914. He will lose 10 straight on his way to a 12–22 record.

» January 8, 1916: The Giants pick up Jesse Barnes, last year's National League leader in losses (21), along with Larry Doyle from the Boston Braves. Boston receives veteran Buck Herzog. Barnes will go 6–1 this year and then win a league high 25 games in 1917.

» August 28, 1916: The Giants send veteran Larry Doyle to the Cubs, along with Herb Hunter, for 3B Heinie Zimmerman and SS Mickey Doolan. The move allows Buck Herzog to shift to 2B.

» January 4, 1918: The Cubs acquire Braves crossfiring ace Lefty Tyler, sending vets Larry Doyle, Art Wilson and $15,000 to Boston (National League). Tyler will win 19 games for the Cubs this year.

» January 8, 1918: Buck Herzog, in John McGraw's doghouse since September, is traded to the Braves for veteran Larry Doyle and righty Jesse Barnes. Doyle, a former Giant and fan favorite, was acquired from the Cubs four days ago and his trade was rumored. He will play three years in New York before retiring.

» December 15, 1920: The Giants hand a release to 2B Larry Doyle so that he can manage the Toronto team.

» September 30, 1921: Prior to the Braves-Giants game, the Giants Old Timers take on the Giants regulars in a 5-inning contest. Twenty thousand fans cheer as former stars, Christy Mathewson, Roger Bresnahan, George Wiltse, Art Devlin, Larry Doyle and Fred Tenney whip the current Giants, 2–0. The regular game is called because of rain after one inning, but only 4,000 fans ask for a refund.