Page 23 - 1975 BoSox

16 ’75—THE RED SOX TEAM THAT SAVED BASEBALL
“ at was the rst year of the free-agent draft for amateurs. Before that, all the clubs competed to sign prospects. ousands of prospects were drafted, but I wasn’t one of them. I was very disappointed,” Doyle emphasized.
“I stuck around Morehead State for summer school to pick up the few credits I needed for my degree. My baseball coach at Morehead approached me and asked me if I would help him out with a two-day Little League clinic he was giving in Ashland, Kentucky. I was still disappointed about not being drafted, but I told him I would help out.
“When we got there, Mel Clark, who was a longtime scout for the Philadelphia Phillies, was there. He was surprised that I hadn’t been drafted and he told me to bring my glove the next day and he would work me out. After our workout he called the Phillies and got permission to sign me. I may be the only former major leaguer who was signed from a Little League clinic.”
Doyle’s journey from Morehead Sate to Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia encompassed stops in four cities, a coast-to coast journey and almost ve years. His odyssey began with the Phillies farm club in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where he led the league in hits and batted .308. ere he teamed up with a shortstop who would be his double-play partner for the next seven seasons, Larry Bowa, who went on to play 16 big-league seasons and manage the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies for 51⁄2 seasons.
After a strong 1967 season with the Tidewater club in Portsmouth, Virginia, Doyle was promoted to Reading in the Eastern League. Reading was a short distance from Philadelphia, but at age 24 with two young children, Doyle was feeling a little discouraged.
“I had a good spring training in 1968, but I wasn’t sure if I was on track for the big leagues. I talked to my manager, Frank Lucchesi, and he told me to hang in there. He said I was headed to Triple-A the next season and the next stop was the big leagues.”
Lucchesi proved to be as good as his word. e fol- lowing season Doyle, Bowa, and Lucchesi were all promoted to Eugene, Oregon, the Phillies’ top minor- league club. At Eugene, Doyle led the Paci c Coast League in hits and was named both the league’s Rookie of the Year and its Most Valuable Player.
Doyle had the distinction of playing for the 1970 Philadelphia Phillies in their last year at ancient Shibe Park, which had been renamed Connie Mack Stadium. He also played for the Phillies in their rst year at Veterans Stadium, 1971. Best of all, he played both seasons as their regular second baseman. Connie Mack Stadium was showing its age, but Doyle remembered the well-manicured in eld. “ e stadium wasn’t much but they still took care of the in eld. It reminded me of Fenway that way.” Doyle and Bowa formed an outstanding double-play combination for Philadelphia.
On July 18, 1972, San Diego Padres pitcher Steve Arlin had a no-hitter in progress when Doyle stepped to the plate with two outs in the ninth inning. Padres manager Don Zimmer pulled in his third baseman to guard against the possible bunt. Doyle placed a ball right over the third baseman’s head and Arlin’s date with destiny was over.
Doyle spent four solid seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. As Christmas 1973 approached, the Doyles were comfortably settled in their Laurel Springs home in southern New Jersey. en on December 6, Denny learned that he had been traded to the California Angels.
“ at was tough,”Doyle re ected.“We had three little girls and we were happy in the area. You know it can happen any time in baseball, but to get traded to the other coast in a new league. at was hard.”
e following season with the Angels, Doyle played a career-high 147 games, and batted a respectable .260. But the team nished a disappointing sixth in the American League West. Despite musical chairs with the manager’s seat, the Angels managed only 68 wins.
e 1975 Boston Red Sox were considered a contender in the American League East, but they were not the favorites. at honor went to the Baltimore Orioles,who