Herm Doscher

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=#ba0021
bgcolor2=#0f437c
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white


name=Herm Doscher
position=Third baseman/Umpire
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=December 20 1852
deathdate=death date and age|1934|3|20|1852|12|20
debutdate=September 5
debutyear=by|1872
debutteam=Brooklyn Atlantics
finaldate=August 4
finalyear=by|1882
finalteam=Cleveland Blues
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.224
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=0
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=40
teams=
*Brooklyn Atlantics - (by|1872-by|1873)
*Washington Nationals - (by|1875)
*Troy Trojans - (by|1879)
*Chicago White Stockings - (by|1879)
*Cleveland Blues - (by|1881-by|1882)
highlights=
*As an umpire, called two no-hitters

John Henry "Herm" Doscher, Sr. (December 20 1852 – March 20 1934) was an American third baseman and umpire in the early years of professional baseball, playing for five different teams in the National Association and National League from by|1872 though by|1882. He also served as a regular umpire in both early major leagues, the NL (1880–81) and American Association (1887–88, 1890).cite web| title = Herm Doscher's Stats | work = retrosheet.org | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/D/Pdosch101.htm | accessdate = 2008-03-28 ] His son Jack was a major league pitcher for several years, mainly for the Brooklyn Superbas.cite web| title = Jack Doscher's Stats | work = retrosheet.org | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/D/Pdoscj101.htm | accessdate = 2008-03-28 ] Jack Doscher was the first son of a major leaguer to also play in the majors.cite web| title = Baseball Fathers and Sons | work = baseball-almanac.com | url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/family/fam2.shtml | accessdate = 2008-03-28 ]

Playing career

Born in New York City, Doscher began his playing career in the National Association with the by|1872 Brooklyn Atlantics as a right fielder. He only played in six games that year, but batted .360, and played in only one game in the by|1873 season, also in Brooklyn. He didn't play in the Association in by|1874, but did return for the by|1875 season when he played in 22 games, all at third base, for the Washington Nationals. He didn't hit very well, and was only able to play in the minor leagues for the next few seasons. One of his stops was with the London Tecumsehs in by|1877, a team that went on to win the championship that season.cite web| title = Falls man looks back at father-son baseball combo | work = by John D'Onofrio, Niagara Gazette, June 17, 2006 | url=http://www.niagara-gazette.com/sports/gnnsports_story_168234520.html | accessdate = 2008-03-28 ]

He reached the National League again in by|1879, when he joined the Troy Trojans. After that season, Doscher was named to the NL umpiring staff, and he worked 51 games in by|1880 and 79 in by|1881 before returning to the playing ranks with five games for his newest and last team, the Cleveland Blues. He appeared in 25 games in by|1882, ending his playing career.

Expulsion and reinstatement

In 1882, he accepted a temporary job as a scout with Cleveland, even though he had signed a contract with the Detroit Wolverines for the by|1883 season. The Cleveland directors had him expelled from the league for "embezzelment and obtaining money under false pretense". He was able to gain his reinstatement in by|1886, and returned to umpiring in the American Association in 1887.cite web| title = Baseball: The Early Years, pg. 343 | work = by Harold Seymour | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=zQO-WWL1v1AC&pg=PA343&lpg=PA343&dq=expelled+Herm+Doscher&source=web&ots=eCc81mYDVZ&sig=6gIWvUuuBhE1fxb6oonPaVSyxM4&hl=en | accessdate = 2008-03-28 ] cite web| title = National League Club Games | work = by The New York Time, March 6, 1883 | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9906EFDE1731E433A25755C0A9659C94629FD7CF | accessdate = 2008-03-28 ]

Umpiring career

Known as a colorful, but a no-nonsense, hardline player, he was a natural to the umpiring profession. Once quoted as saying "I've got to play ring master, school teacher, poppa and momma, and doctor in every game", he would use any tactic he could to control the game, even physical force if nessessary.

His full-time return as an umpire lasted just three season, by|1887, by|1888 and by|1890, but his officiating career was not without notable occurrences. He was involved in two no-hitters; one occurred on August 19, by|1880, when he was the umpire for Larry Corcoran's no-hitter, just the fourth no-hitter thrown in the major leagues.cite web| title = No Hitters Chronologically | work = retrosheet.org | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/nohit_chrono.htm | accessdate = 2008-03-28 ] The other was Adonis Terry's no-hitter on May 27, by|1888, Terry's second career no-hitter.

On September 21, by|1890, with the Rochester Broncos at the St. Louis Browns in the second game of a doubleheader, and St. Louis leading 10-3 in the eighth inning, Doscher ejected Rochester's Sandy Griffin for arguing and called an end to game, giving the victory to St. Louis because Griffin refused to leave the field. It was Doscher's only forfeit on record as an umpire.cite web| title = Forfeits | work = Washington Post, 09/22/1890, p 6 | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/forfeits.htm | accessdate = 2008-03-28 ]

Later years

Doscher's occupations in subsequent years include work as a scout; the discovery of future Hall of Famer Willie Keeler is attributed to him. Doscher died in Buffalo, New York at the age of 81, and was interred at Elmlawn Cemetery in Tonawanda, New York.

References

External links

*baseball-reference|id=d/doschhe01
* [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/D/Pdosch101.htm Retrosheet]