Bill Carrigan
Encyclopedia
William Francis Carrigan (October 22, 1883 - July 8, 1969), nicknamed "Rough", was a Major League
baseball
catcher
. He was born in Lewiston, Maine
.
Carrigan started his career as a platoon
catcher and played all ten seasons with the Boston Red Sox
. Midway through the 1913 baseball season, he replaced Jake Stahl as manager
of the defending World Series
champion Red Sox as a player-manager. He then led Boston to a second-place finish in 1914 and two world championships in 1915 and 1916, compiling an 8-2 record as a manager in World Series play. Until Terry Francona
duplicated the feat in 2007, he was the only manager to have won two World Series titles with Boston.
Babe Ruth called Carrigan the best manager he ever played for.
He then left baseball to become a banker in his home state of Maine. He returned to manage the Red Sox in 1927, but he was unable to duplicate his previous success as Boston finished in last place for three straight seasons. Bill Carrigan died in Lewiston, Maine
, at the age of 85. He was posthumously elected to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
in 2004.
David Jones, ed., Deadball Stars of the American League (Washington, D.C.: Potomac Books, Inc., 2006).
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
. He was born in Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine...
.
Platoon system
The platoon system in baseball is a method of designating two players to a single defensive position—usually one right-handed and one left-handed. Typically the right-handed half of the platoon is played on days when the opposing pitcher is left-handed and the left-handed player is played otherwise...
catcher and played all ten seasons with the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. Midway through the 1913 baseball season, he replaced Jake Stahl as manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
of the defending World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
champion Red Sox as a player-manager. He then led Boston to a second-place finish in 1914 and two world championships in 1915 and 1916, compiling an 8-2 record as a manager in World Series play. Until Terry Francona
Terry Francona
Terry Jon Francona , nicknamed "Tito," is a former Major League Baseball manager and a former player. He was a first baseman and outfielder in the majors from 1981 to 1990. After retiring as a player, he managed several minor league teams in the 1990s before managing the Philadelphia Phillies for...
duplicated the feat in 2007, he was the only manager to have won two World Series titles with Boston.
Babe Ruth called Carrigan the best manager he ever played for.
He then left baseball to become a banker in his home state of Maine. He returned to manage the Red Sox in 1927, but he was unable to duplicate his previous success as Boston finished in last place for three straight seasons. Bill Carrigan died in Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine...
, at the age of 85. He was posthumously elected to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
The Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame was instituted in 1995 to recognize the careers of former Boston Red Sox baseball players. A 15-member selection committee of Red Sox broadcasters and executives, past and present media personnel, and representatives from The Sports Museum of New England and the...
in 2004.
External links
- Baseball-Reference.com - managerial statistics and analysis
- Page at Baseball Library
- TheDeadBallEra.com - Carrigan's Obituary
David Jones, ed., Deadball Stars of the American League (Washington, D.C.: Potomac Books, Inc., 2006).