Bobby Doerr Becomes the Last Surviving Red Sox Player From Two Decades

Iconic Red Sox second baseman Bobby Doerr had a shorter career than you might expect from a Hall of Famer, but when it comes to being alive, he's outlasted most of his contemporaries.

Doerr is already the last living MLB player from the 1930s, but with the passing of Tom Wright on September 5, he also became the last living Red Sox player from the 1940s. Doerr was a 31-year-old veteran in 1949, but none of Boston's youngsters managed to outlive him. In addition to Wright, the last calendar year has seen 1940s BoSox Dave Ferriss and Sam Mele go to the great beyond.

With his 100th birthday less than a year away, Doerr has only three teammates who are still living, all from his final two seasons in the early 1950s: Paul Hinrichs, Charlie Maxwell, and Al Richter. The odds of Doerr being the last surviving 1950s Red Sox player are pretty slim, but how often does a player have a substantial career and survive until he has only three living teammates? Has any player with a decade-plus career ever outlived every single one of his teammates? Further digging may be needed to answer that question.

Keep on going, Mr. Doerr. Only seven months needed to reach the century mark!