Jean Dubuc

American baseball player (1888 1958)
the former politician in Quebec, Canada

Jean Joseph Octave Dubuc (September 15, 1888 – August 28, 1958), sometimes known by the nickname "Chauncey", was a right handed American baseball pitcher, manager, and scout, and a coach of both baseball and ice hockey. A native of Vermont, Dubuc played professional baseball for 17 years between 1908 and 1926, including nine seasons in Major League Baseball with the Cincinnati Reds (1908–1909), Detroit Tigers (1912–1916), Boston Red Sox (1918), and New York Giants (1919). During his major league career, he had an 85–76 win–loss record with a 3.04 earned run average (ERA). His best season was 1912 when he compiled a 17–10 record with a 2.77 ERA. Dubuc was an above average hitting pitcher in his major league career, posting a .230 batting average (150 for 652) with 57 runs, 23 doubles, 10 triples, 4 home runs, 58 RBI and drawing 30 bases on balls. He was used as a pinch hitter 109 times and also played five games in the outfield. He attended Saint Michael's College in Vermont as a member of the high school class of 1906. While attending Saint Michael's, he played three sports, compiled a 23–1 record in two years as a pitcher for the baseball team, and threw a no hitter against the University of Vermont baseball team in 1906. He was inducted into the Saint Michael's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.

Dubuc enrolled at the University of Notre Dame in the fall of 1906 and played both baseball and basketball for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. As a freshman in the spring of 1907, he compiled a 5–1 record as a pitcher. In his only loss in 1907, Dubuc threw a one hitter and struck out 16 batters but Notre Dame lost to Minnesota, 2–1. In 1908, his record improved to 8–1, his only loss coming against the University of Vermont. On June 7, 1908, Dubuc and the Notre Dame catcher, Ray Scanlan, appeared in a semipro baseball game for the "White Rocks" at Gunther Park in Chicago. Dubuc appeared under the name Williams, but he was recognized by fans present at the game. Despite the presence of the Notre Dame battery, the White Rocks lost by a 2–1 score. The Notre Dame athletic board of control charged Dubuc and Scanlan with professionalism, and they denied having played in the game and requested time to gather evidence in their defense. Dubuc was ultimately found to have appeared in the game, and his college eligibility was removed. He returned to the mound as a relief pitcher two weeks later on July 12 and allowed only one hit in four innings. He also pitched a complete game shutout over the 1908 World Series champion Chicago Cubs team on September 7, 1908. In all, Dubuc appeared in 15 games for the 1908 Reds, nine as a starter, and compiled a 5–6 record and a 2.74 ERA. He was then acquired by the Montreal Royals where he remained through the 1911 season. He compiled a 21–11 record with Montreal in 1911.

On September 1, 1911, after Dubuc's strong performance during the 1911 season, the Detroit Tigers selected Dubuc in the Major League Baseball draft. Dubuc signed with the Tigers in January 1912 after some wrangling over salary with Tigers owner Frank Navin. Dubuc became part of the Tigers' starting rotation for five consecutive years from 1912 to 1916. In five seasons with Detroit, Dubuc was 72–60 with 90 complete games. He compiled a 22–16 record a in 1917 and a 3.18 ERA in 42 games for Salt Lake in 1917. He appeared in only two games for the Red Sox, compiling an 0–1 record with a 4.22 ERA. Two weeks later, on April 23, the New York Giants bought Dubuc from Salt Lake. He appeared in 36 games, 33 as a relief pitcher, for the 1919 Giants and compiled a 6–4 record with a career low 2.66 ERA.

Although his major league career ended in 1919, Dubuc continued to play in the minor leagues for the Toledo Mud Hens of the American Association in 1920 and the Syracuse Stars of the International League in 1922 and 1923. In 1924, Dubuc organized an Ottawa baseball team, called the Ottawa Aces, as part of the Ontario–Quebec–Vermont League. He also served as the team's player manager in the 1924 season. He compiled a 2–2 record and a .286 batting average for Ottawa in 1924. Dubuc was a player manager for Manchester, making an occasional appearance as a pitcher. He remained as player manager of the Manchester in 1926 as it transitioned into the New England League, which was revived for the 1926 season. At age 37, he appeared in 10 games as a pitcher and compiled a 2–2 record with a 2.00 ERA. He also batted .311 in 61 at bats.

In December 1926, Dubuc signed a three year contract to coach the Brown University baseball team. During the 1927 1928 and 1928–1929 seasons, he also coached the Brown ice hockey team. From 1929 and into the 1930s, he also served as manager and president of a professional hockey team at Providence, Rhode Island, known as the Rhode Island Reds, as part of the Canadian–American Hockey League. Dubuc also scouted for the Detroit Tigers in the late 1920s and 1930s. As a scout, he signed catcher Birdie Tebbetts and first baseman Hank Greenberg. He also served as the manager of the New Bedford Whalers baseball team of the New England League during the 1936 season.