| Tommy Dowd | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Outfielder /Second baseman | |
| Born:(1869-04-20)April 20, 1869 Holyoke, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| Died: July 2, 1933(1933-07-02) (aged 64) Holyoke, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 8, 1891, for the Boston Reds | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 28, 1901, for the Boston Americans | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .271 |
| Home runs | 24 |
| Runs batted in | 501 |
| Stolen bases | 368 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
As player
As manager | |
Thomas Jefferson Dowd (April 20, 1869 – July 2, 1933), nicknamed "Buttermilk Tommy", was an AmericanMajor League Baseballoutfielder andsecond baseman fromHolyoke, Massachusetts, who played for six teams during his ten-season career.
Dowd played college baseball atBrown University, and according to an article in theBrown Alumni Magazine:
Nineteenth-century baseball authority Tim Murnane of theBoston Globe proclaimed Dowd the best center fielder he'd ever seen, especially for his skill at sprinting back on a ball over his head and then turning left or right for the catch. For years Dowd held the unofficial record time for circling the bases.
Dowd made his major-league debut on April 8, 1891 for theBoston Reds of theAmerican Association. He later played with theWashington Senators,St. Louis Browns,Philadelphia Phillies andCleveland Spiders in theNational League and theBoston Americans in theAmerican League. He was a right-handed batter with a careerbatting average of .271, andstole 366 bases in his major league career. His final game was September 28, 1901. Dowd has the distinction of being the firstMassachusetts native to play for the Americans, as well as the first official player, as he was the leadoff hitter in their first game, a road game in Baltimore.[1]
During the 1891 and 1892 off-seasons, Dowd was the head football coach atGeorgetown University.
After his career, he coached atAmherst College andWilliams College, and managed in severalminor and independent leagues. In 1908 he was managing at Hartford, and signedChick Evans to a contract. Dowd also studied law atGeorgetown University. He was given credit for discoveringRabbit Maranville.
In 1905, Dowd coached the football team atSt. Louis University,[2] leading the Blue and White to a 7–2 record.[3]
Dowd died at the age of 64 in his hometown of Holyoke of accidental drowning. His body was found in theConnecticut River. He is interred at the Calvary Cemetery.
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown(Independent)(1891–1892) | |||||||||
| 1891 | Georgetown | 2–2 | |||||||
| 1892 | Georgetown | 4–2–1 | |||||||
| Georgetown: | 6–4–1 | ||||||||
| Saint Louis Blue and White(Independent)(1905) | |||||||||
| 1905 | Saint Louis | 7–2 | |||||||
| Saint Louis: | 7–2 | ||||||||
| Total: | 13–6–1 | ||||||||
· Baseball Almanac, orRetrosheet| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Hitting for the cycle August 16, 1895 | Succeeded by |