| Denny Doyle | |
|---|---|
 Doyle, c. 1976 | |
| Second baseman | |
| Born:(1944-01-17)January 17, 1944 Jefferson County, Kentucky, U.S. | |
| Died: December 20, 2022(2022-12-20) (aged 78) Winter Garden, Florida, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 7, 1970, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 30, 1977, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .250 |
| Home runs | 16 |
| Runs batted in | 237 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Robert Dennis Doyle (January 17, 1944 – December 20, 2022) was an American professionalbaseballsecond baseman who played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for thePhiladelphia Phillies,California Angels, andBoston Red Sox. Listed at 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) and 175 pounds (79 kg), he batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
Doyle attendedMorehead State University where he played baseball and basketball.[1] After not being selected in the1965 MLB draft, he signed as afree agent with thePhiladelphia Phillies.[2] He then remained at Morehead to complete his degree, playing in theBasin League andCentral Illinois Collegiate League.[3] Doyle began his professional career in 1966 with theClass ASpartanburg Phillies and advanced through the Phillies'farm system, reaching theTriple-A level in 1969 with theEugene Emeralds of thePacific Coast League.[4]
Doyle debuted in MLB in 1970, when he played in 112 games for the Phillies.[4] He remained with the team through the 1973 season, appearing in a total of 446 games with Philadelphia, posting a .240batting average with ninehome runs and 92runs batted in (RBIs).[5] While playing for Philadelphia, Doyle was involved in two notable nearno-hitters. On April 18, 1970, Doyle registered a lead-off single in the first inning againstNolan Ryan of theNew York Mets, which was the only hit Ryan allowed in acomplete game effort.[6] On July 18, 1972, Doyle broke up a no-hit bid bySteve Arlin of theSan Diego Padres with a two-out single in the ninth inning.[7] With two strikes on Doyle, Padres managerDon Zimmer had histhird baseman continue to play shallow to guard against a possiblebunt; Doyle then chopped a single that went over the fielder's head.[8] No Padres pitcher tossed a no-hitter untilJoe Musgrove in 2021; this was the closest any came to pitching one before then.
Doyle was sent from thePhillies to theAngels forAurelio Monteagudo andChris Coletta at theWinter Meetings on December 6, 1973, completing a transaction from four months earlier on August 14 when Philadelphia purchasedBilly Grabarkewitz's contract from California.[9] He played 147 games for the Angels in 1974 and eight games in 1975, batting .255 with one home run and 34 RBIs.[5]
In June 1975, Doyle was traded to theBoston Red Sox.[2] That season, Doyle batted a career-high .310 in 89 games with the Red Sox.[5] He also had a league-best 22-gamehitting streak.[10] He was Boston's starting second baseman in the1975 American League Championship Series and1975 World Series,[11] the only postseason appearances of his MLB career.[2]
Doyle is perhaps best remembered for his role in Game Six of the World Series versus theCincinnati Reds,[11] which featuredCarlton Fisk's dramatic twelfth-inning home run that has become one of baseball's most iconic highlights. In the bottom of the ninth inning, the score was tied, 6–6, and thebases were loaded with no outs with Doyle on third base.[12] BatterFred Lynn lifted a fly ball to short left field. After Reds left fielderGeorge Foster made the catch, Doyletagged up and attempted to score the winning run. He was thrown out at home plate, which inadvertently helped set the stage for Fisk's subsequent game-winning home run. (Longtime ESPN Announcer Jon Miller wrongfully claimed that it was Bernie Carbo who Foster threw out at home plate that inning.) After the game, Red Sox third-base coachDon Zimmer told the press, "I was yelling 'no, no, no' and with the crowd noise, he (Doyle) thought I was saying 'go, go, go.'"[13] In a World Series that included five futureHall of Fame players,[a] Doyle was the only player on either team to hit safely in all seven games.[14]
Doyle returned to Boston for 1976 and 1977, appearing in a total of 343 Red Sox games across three seasons while batting .261 with six home runs and 111 RBIs.[5]
Overall, Doyle played in 944 MLB games between 1970 and 1977, finishing with a career .250 average along with 16 home runs and 237 RBIs.[5] Defensively, he played 912 games as a second baseman, recording a .977fielding percentage.[2] He also made seven appearances as a third baseman, and four appearances as ashortstop.[5]
Doyle had two younger brothers, twinsBrian Doyle andBlake Doyle, both of whom also played professional baseball. Doyle served as the president of Doyle Baseball Camps, which he founded in 1978 along with his brothers.[15] Doyle died on December 20, 2022, at the age of 78.[11]