With rare exception, anyone with the dream of playing professional
baseball is going to have to work their butts off and hope they get noticed.
Even if they are lucky enough to get signed or drafted, that’s just the start
of the journey to the major leagues. The vast majority don’t make it but there
are some who do, including those who toil year after year to make it to that
top rung on the ladder. A great example of that was Paul Doyle, who finally
toed a big league rubber after spending a decade in the minor leagues.
Doyle was born in Philadelphia in 1939 but spent most of his
youth in Ohio. A left-handed pitcher, he was a high school star but at 5’11”
and 170 pounds didn’t garner a lot of attention from the pros. He signed his
first contract in 1959 with the Detroit Tigers’ organization but had a 13.09
ERA in five appearances for their New York Penn League team, walking 19 batters
in just 11 innings.
The next season he latched on with the New York Yankees and
pitched much better, accumulating 10 wins for their Class C team.
Unfortunately, he just wasn’t a hot prospect and during the ensuing years he
also pitched in the systems of the San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros. He
was typically solid but rarely spectacular, making it easier for the big league
team to skip over him when searching for help from the farm.
Finally, in the winter of 1969 he received his first big
break, as the Astros traded him to the Atlanta Braves for anemic hitting backup
outfielder, Sandy Valdespino. Doyle started 1969 in the minors but was called
up in late May at the age of 29. He became an important cog in the bullpen of
the Braves, going 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA and four saves in 36 relief appearances
as their primary lefty.
The team won 93 games that year and played the Amazin’ New
York Mets in the NLCS. Although they lost the series, Doyle had a career
highlight, striking out the side (Ed Kranepool, Jerry Koosman and Cleon Jones) in
his lone inning of work.
Despite his good results, Doyle was sold that offseason to
the California Angels. He was never as effective again, posting a 5.33 ERA with
California and the San Diego Padres in 1970 and then throwing 2.1 scoreless
innings for the 1972 Angels. His struggles coincided with shoulder trouble
which ultimately ended his career following a May 2, 1972 appearance against
the New York Yankees.
In total, Doyle made 87 career major league appearances—all
out of the bullpen. He was a combined 5-3 with a 3.79 ERA and 11 saves. In his
12 minor league seasons he was 83-94 with a 3.82 ERA, 13 shutouts and 12 saves.
More information about his career statistics is available at BaseballReference.com.
After baseball, Doyle went into business with a brother and
retired to California where he still lives. An excellent biography giving even
more detail about his life and career is available here.
Paul Doyle Interview:
How did you come
to be signed by the Tigers in 1959?: Jim Campbell was from my home
town of Huron, Ohio. He was the farm director at that time for the Tigers. My
high school baseball coach grew up with Jim. He went on to be the general
manager of the Detroit Tigers later.
What type of pitches
did you throw, and which was your best pitch?: Fastball. I was very tough
on left-handed hitters.
How were you told
you had been traded by the Astros to the Braves?: I was
advised by a letter from the Braves that they acquired me.
Who was the toughest hitter you ever faced?: Every hitter is tough when you aren't
throwing well. As a relief pitcher, you don't pitch too often to the same
hitters as you do as a starter. Pete Rose was an easy out. He'd yell at you if
you got him out. *Writer’s note- Rose was hitless in three career at-bats
against Doyle.
Who was the best
catcher you ever worked with?: 1964 in the Texas League, my
catcher was Randy Hundley. He signed for $100,000, and the Giants traded him
after that season to the Chicago Cubs. He was their main catcher for 10 plus
years.
Do you have a
favorite moment from your playing career?: My favorite moment was when I was called up to the big
leagues in 1969. I should have gotten the chance six years earlier. My first
game I was called in relief. I did my warm up pitches and looked over at the
third base dugout. Who was there? "The St. Louis Cardinals."
You know then that you reached the top.
Who was your favorite
coach or manager?: I liked Del Rice- Angels.
If you could do
anything differently about your career, what would that be?: I was a power
pitcher. I would have worked on off-speed pitches.
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A good one is Chris Colabello with the Jays. After kicking around the minors for years, he got a chance with the Twins in 2013, but hit .194 and again .229 in 2014. For some reason with the Jays, he figured it out, this year hitting .321 and being .292 in the playoffs - getting it started with the Jays as a 32-yr-old.
ReplyDeleteSadly, Paul Doyle passed away on May 6, 2020.
ReplyDelete