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Hugh Duffy began his big league career in 1888 under manager Cap Anson with the NL’s Chicago White Stockings. In 71 games Duffy hit .282 with a .305 on-base percentage. His skipper was initially unimpressed with the 5’7″ outfielder.

According to Bill Ferber’s book A Game of Baseball: The Orioles, The Beaneaters and The Battle For The 1897 Pennant, Anson said told the diminutive fly-catcher, “We already have a batboy.”

After two seasons Duffy left the White Stockings and soon blossomed into a Hall of Fame hitter. Duffy hit .300 or better in 12 of his 17 seasons. By the time he hung up his spikes Duffy claimed a .326 lifetime average and a .386 on-base percentage. He was inducted into Cooperstown in 1945.

Shown here is a lineup card from the June 21, 1881 filled out entirely in the hand of Hall of Famer Harry Wright. Batting cleanup was Chicago’s Cap Anson who went 2-for-3 with a run scored against the Wright’s Providence club. More scorecards from Harry Wright’s personal collection can be seen by clicking here.

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The son of Irish immigrants, 5’7″ Hugh Duffy hit .326 over the course of his 17-year big league career. The flycatcher debuted in 1888 and played for six teams in four leagues and retired in 1906.

Duffy broke in with the National League’s Chicago White Stockings. Two years later he switched to the Players League but remained in the Windy City with the Chicago Pirates.

In 1891 Duffy suited up in his third team and league as a member of the American Association’s Boston Reds. In Boston he had a breakout season hitting .336 with a league-leading 110 runs batted in.

Duffy stayed in Boston but jumped to the NL’s Beaneaters in 1892. The next season he began a run of 7 straight 100-RBI campaigns. His career year came in 1894 when he lead the Senior Circuit in hits, doubles, triples, and batting average, OPS, and total bases. For good measure he also tallied a career best 145 RBI.

Duffy’s .440 average in 1893 established a still-standing single MLB season mark.

He retired in 1906 with a .326 lifetime average and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1945.

In the collection is this document signed 47 years after his retirement as a player. Here Duffy agrees to a radio contract as a Red Sox Vice President.

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In 1894 Hugh Duffy set the still-standing big league record for highest average in a season. He established a new mark for most hits in a single year. Though his .440 mark stood the test of time, his 237 kept him in the top spot for only two years.

Jesse Burkett eclipsed Duffy by tallying 240 base hits in 1896. Like Duffy, Burkett topped the .400 plateau in his record-breaking season. In fact it was the second consecutive year that Jesse reached the mythical figure.

Shown here is the autograph of Burkett. Cooperstown class of ’46, Burkett holds a .338 lifetime average with a .415 on-base percentage.

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After retiring from the game after the 1906 season, Hugh Duffy remained close to the game for the rest of his life.

Duffy coached and managed in college, the minors, and the majors from 1906-1920. Then in ’21 he was hired by the Boston Red Sox as a scout.

In the ensuing decades Duffy rose all the way to the position of team vice president under Hall of Fame owner Tom Yawkey. He retired from the game completely in 1953.

High Duffy passed away in October of 1954 at the age of 87.

In the collection is this telegram sent by Duffy to Frank Stevens on May 4, 1934. Duffy expresses sympathy for the death of Stevens’ father Harry. The elder Stevens’ was a longtime baseball concessionaire credited with coining the term “hot dog”.

Note the handwriting at the bottom of the telegram indicating Duffy sent the telegram from Boston’s Fenway Park.