Charlie Duffee
From BR Bullpen
Charles Edward Duffee (Home Run)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 6", Weight 151 lb.
- Debut April 17, 1889
- Final Game April 30, 1893
- Born January 27, 1866 in Mobile, AL USA
- Died December 24, 1894 in Mobile, AL USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Charlie Duffee was the first Alabama-born player to come to the major leagues. Nicknamed "Home Run Duffee", his 16 home runs as a rookie were third in the American Association in 1889.
Duffee's best year was 1891 when both his home runs and his doubles were in the top five in the league. The next year he moved to the National League, where he played one full season in 1892 and four more games in 1893 before bowing out. Charlie Comiskey, who had been his manager in 1889 when Duffee broke in, was also his manager in his last season, 1893.
He died the next year, in 1894, of consumption.
The year he broke in (1889) was a turbulent one, coming right before the founding of the Players League. Duffee is mentioned in the book Baseball in 1889: Players vs. Owners.
The Baseball Rookies Encyclopedia notes that Duffee's performance in 1889, hitting over 15 home runs with a batting average below .250, was rare before 1940, but after that date it became common.
