Joseph Gordon “Joe” Dobson (January 20, 1917 - June 23, 1994) reached Hall of Fame status within the Boston Red Sox organization as he spent nine years in Beantown and went 106-72 for the BoSox (1941-1943, 1946-1950, 1954) and helped them win the 1946 American League pennant. As a boy, Dobson lost his left thumb and forefinger with a childhood prank of attempting to blow up a rock with a dynamite blasting-cap when the cap went off. But his handicap did little to derail his future. The Cleveland Indians signed Joe in 1936 and he then went 19-12 for the Troy Trojans of the Alabama-Florida League and 11-7 with the New Orleans Pelicans of the Southern Association in 1937 and ’38, respectively. Dobson never really caught on in Cleveland (1939-1940) going only 5-10 over 75 games before he was shipped to Boston in a five-player deal. Joe hit double figures in wins in 1941 and 1942 but struggled in 1942. World War II claimed another player as Joe joined the United States Army in 1942 and he spent the next three seasons pitching for the Camp Wheeler Spokes. In 1946, with the war over, Dobson returned to the Red Sox and went 13-7 as he helped lead Boston to their first World Series since 1918. In 1947, he had his best year as he went 18-8 with 110 strikeouts, 15 complete games and a 2.95 ERA. In 1948, going 16-10, but also likely due to this previous year’s performance, Joe earned a trip to the MLB All-Star Game. In 1951, Dobson went to the Chicago White Sox for three seasons (1951-1953), but then returned to the Red Sox for one final year before he retired. Over the course of his 14-year career, Joe Dobson went 137-103 with 992 strikeouts, 112 complete games, 22 shutouts, 15 saves and a 3.62 ERA.
