Denny Doyle
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1970-1977)
Denny Doyle was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1970 to 1977 for the Philadelphia Phillies, the California Angels, and the Boston Red Sox, a span of 8 seasons. In 944 career games, he hit .250 with 823 hits, 16 home runs, and 237 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 175 lb
- Died
- 12/20/2022 in Winter Garden, FL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1970-04-07
- Last Game
- 1977-09-30
Full name: Robert Dennis Doyle
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 944 | 3,290 | 357 | 823 | 113 | 28 | 16 | 237 | 38 | 205 | 310 | .250 | .295 | .316 | .611 | -6,256 |
Career AVG .250 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .295 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — 8.7% below league average.
Career SLG .316 vs. league average .374 across their career seasons — 15.5% below league average.
Career OPS .611 vs. league average .697 across their career seasons — 12.3% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | PHI | NL | 112 | 413 | 43 | 86 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 16 | 6 | 33 | 64 | .208 | .253 (-18%) | .325 (-18%) | .385 (-27%) | .711 (-23%) | -1550.6 |
| 1971 | PHI | NL | 95 | 342 | 34 | 79 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 24 | 4 | 19 | 31 | .231 | .249 (-7%) | .316 (-12%) | .365 (-18%) | .682 (-15%) | -800.9 |
| 1972 | PHI | NL | 123 | 442 | 33 | 110 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 26 | 6 | 31 | 33 | .249 | .243 (+2%) | .310 (-5%) | .353 (-16%) | .664 (-11%) | -738.7 |
| 1973 | PHI | NL | 116 | 370 | 45 | 101 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 26 | 1 | 31 | 32 | .273 | .256 (+6%) | .325 (avg) | .378 (-11%) | .703 (-6%) | -306.1 |
| 1974 | CAL | AL | 147 | 511 | 47 | 133 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 34 | 6 | 25 | 49 | .260 | .256 (+1%) | .324 (-9%) | .369 (-16%) | .693 (-13%) | -1028.3 |
| 1975 | CAL | AL | 8 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .067 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1975 | BOS | AL | 89 | 310 | 50 | 96 | 21 | 2 | 4 | 36 | 5 | 14 | 11 | .310 | .257 (+20%) | .327 (+4%) | .374 (+15%) | .701 (+10%) | 0.0 |
| 1976 | BOS | AL | 117 | 432 | 51 | 108 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 26 | 8 | 22 | 39 | .250 | .255 (-2%) | .320 (-11%) | .360 (-15%) | .681 (-13%) | -904.5 |
| 1977 | BOS | AL | 137 | 455 | 54 | 109 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 49 | 2 | 29 | 50 | .240 | .264 (-9%) | .329 (-12%) | .401 (-23%) | .730 (-18%) | -1358.2 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 944 | 3,290 | 357 | 823 | 113 | 28 | 16 | 237 | 38 | 205 | 310 | .250 | — | — | — | — | -6,687 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (944 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 476 | 1635 | 205 | 427 | 8 | 128 | .261 |
| Away | 468 | 1655 | 152 | 396 | 8 | 109 | .239 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-09-30 | BOS | BAL | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1977-09-28 | BOS | TOR | L | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-09-27 | BOS | TOR | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-09-27 | BOS | TOR | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-09-24 | BOS | DET | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1977-09-22 | BOS | DET | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-09-21 | BOS | NYY | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1977-09-19 | BOS | NYY | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-09-18 | BOS | BAL | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-09-17 | BOS | BAL | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 912 | 844 | 1891 | 2409 | 101 | 547 |
| 3B | 7 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | PHI | 2B | 103 | 98 | 251 | 228 | 11 | 55 |
| 1971 | PHI | 2B | 91 | 83 | 241 | 264 | 17 | 62 |
| 1972 | PHI | 2B | 119 | 114 | 265 | 288 | 10 | 66 |
| 1973 | PHI | 2B | 114 | 94 | 231 | 296 | 14 | 71 |
| 1974 | CAL | 2B | 146 | 144 | 311 | 404 | 12 | 99 |
| 1974 | CAL | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | CAL | 2B | 6 | 2 | 12 | 13 | 2 | 2 |
| 1975 | CAL | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | BOS | 2B | 84 | 79 | 141 | 193 | 9 | 35 |
| 1975 | BOS | 3B | 6 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 1975 | BOS | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | BOS | 2B | 112 | 103 | 209 | 311 | 12 | 67 |
| 1977 | BOS | 2B | 137 | 127 | 230 | 412 | 14 | 90 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 912 |
| Third Base | 7 |
| Shortstop | 4 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morehead State University | Morehead | KY | 1963, 1964, 1965 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 23th | 5.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Denny Doyle (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Denny Doyle: the record in brief
Denny Doyle's major league career runs from a debut on April 7, 1970 to a final game on September 30, 1977. Doyle played for the Philadelphia Phillies (1970 to 1973), the California Angels (1974 to 1975), and the Boston Red Sox (1975 through 1977). At 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds, Doyle is listed as a second baseman. The bio says Doyle threw right-handed and batted left-handed. The recorded birth is January 17, 1943, in Glasgow, KY, USA. The bio records the death on December 20, 2022, in Winter Garden, FL, USA. On the record, Denny Doyle was born Robert Dennis Doyle.
Doyle collected 823 hits in 3,290 at bats across 944 games, good for a .250 batting average, plus 16 home runs, 237 runs batted in, and 38 stolen bases. Doyle's career OPS of .611 combines a .295 on-base mark with .316 slugging. Against a .255 league average for those years, Doyle's .250 average was near the norm. By OPS the gap is 12.3% below league average (.611 against .697). The hits column peaks at 133, in 1974. The RBI column peaks at 49 in 1977.
Frequently Asked Questions about Denny Doyle
- What years did Denny Doyle play?
- Denny Doyle played in Major League Baseball from 1970 to 1977.
- Was Denny Doyle a pitcher?
- No. Denny Doyle was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Denny Doyle hit?
- Denny Doyle hit 16 career home runs with 823 hits.
- What was Denny Doyle's career batting average?
- Denny Doyle batted .250 over his career, with 823 hits in 3,290 at bats.
- How many RBI did Denny Doyle have?
- Denny Doyle drove in 237 runs in his career.
- Is Denny Doyle in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Denny Doyle has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.