Bill Carrigan

William Francis Carrigan
(Rough)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9", Weight 175 lb.
• School College of the Holy Cross
• High School Lewiston (ME) High School
• Debut July 7, 1906
• Final Game September 30, 1916
• Born October 22, 1883 in Lewiston, ME USA
• Died July 8, 1969 in Lewiston, ME USA

BR page

Biographical Information

“You might as well try to move a stone wall.” - Nixey Callahan, on Carrigan's plate blocking skills

Bill Carrigan was a catcher for 10 years in the major leagues, and also managed for 7 seasons, all with the Boston Red Sox. He was a member of the championship-winning 1912 team and was player-manager of the 1915 and 1916 teams that also won the World Series. He is one of the few catchers to catch three no-hitters in the majors and was a posthumous inductee to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2004.

He retired from the grind to his hometown of Lewiston, ME after the 1916 World Series and started a chain of movie theaters around New England, which he eventually sold for a tidy profit; at the time, he had just married, his first child had just been born and he considered that a life in baseball was incompatible with raising a family. He was convinced to return to the dugout in 1927, but the team was no longer competitive and the style of play had changed considerably from the time of his heyday. He stayed for three seasons and then retired for good. Carrigan later coached at Bates College in 1933-1934 and had a successful career in banking following that second retirement.

Bill attended Holy Cross at the same time as John Flynn, Jack Hoey, and Queenie O'Rourke.

Notable Achievements

• Won three World Series with the Boston Red Sox (1912, 1915 & 1916)
• AL Pennants: 2 (1915 & 1916)
• Managed two World Series Champions with the Boston Red Sox (1915 & 1916)
• 100 Wins Seasons as Manager: 1 (1915)

Preceded by Jake Stahl

Boston Red Sox Manager 1913-1916

Succeeded by Jack Barry

Preceded by Lee Fohl

Boston Red Sox Manager 1927-1929

Succeeded by Heinie Wagner

Year-By-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs	Notes
1913	Boston Red Sox	American League	40-30	4th	Boston Red Sox		replaced Jake Stahl (39-41) on July 16
1914	Boston Red Sox	American League	91-62	2nd	Boston Red Sox
1915	Boston Red Sox	American League	101-50	1st	Boston Red Sox	World Series Champs
1916	Boston Red Sox	American League	91-63	1st	Boston Red Sox	World Series Champs
1927	Boston Red Sox	American League	51-103	8th	Boston Red Sox
1928	Boston Red Sox	American League	57-96	8th	Boston Red Sox
1929	Boston Red Sox	American League	58-96	8th	Boston Red Sox

Further Reading

• Mark Armour: "William Francis Carrigan", in David Jones, ed.: Deadball Stars of the American League, SABR, Potomac Books, Inc., Dulles, VA, 2006, pp. 432-433.

Related Sites

• Bill Carrigan at the SABR Bio Project
• BR Manager page