Over thirty years of stellar service in several facets of baseball sum up the career of Phil Dugas. The Lisbon native who now resides in Gorham touched a lot of bases in a sparkling career.
After spending two years at Lisbon H.S.. Phil transferred to Edward Little H.S. in Auburn to compete for the Eddies in the Androscoggin Valley Conference. At E.L. Phil became the first schoolboy to win the league batting title twice - hitting .394 in 1946 and improving to .420 in 1947. He captained the 1947 baseball team, lettered in football and hockey and hurled the javelin a record 165.5 feet.
During the summers, he played American Legion baseball and for the Worumbo Indians.
in 1948, he attended Maine Central Institute, where he captained the baseball! team.
Following the stint at MCI, Dugas joined the noted Augusta Millionaires managed by Ben Houser and there he attracted the professional scouts.
He was soon signed by the St. Louis Cardinals. He spent the summer of 1949 with the Hamilton, Ontario, Cardinals, a Class D club, for whom he hit .284 in 93 games. The following season he moved up to Class C and hit .287 with the St.
Joseph, Missouri, Cardinals. The Army beckoned and Phil spent 1951 and ‘52 cavorting with the Fort Devens, Mass., Hornets.
His service tour completed, Dugas joined the Auburn Asas, a topnotch semipro outfit. With the Asas, Phil was a star player from 1953 to 1955. He added the managerial role to his duties in 1955. He became the first player to hit over .400 in the Down East League, taking the 1955 batting title with a lofty .404.
He also managed the club to the DEL pennant - with the league's best winning percentage since its inception.
in 1956, the Western Maine League replaced the defunct DEL and Dugas played and coached as the Asas won the first Western Maine League crown.
In 1957, he was the player-coach of the Truro Bobcats in Nova Scotia.
Thirteen years later he would return to the diamond wars as a player-coach with the Gorham Astros in the Portland Twilight League. Although over 40, Phil hit .254 with the Astros.
Bob Philbrick (HOF '88) described Phil as "a quality catcher who could handle pitchers" and a "natural left-hand batter with power".
When not playing , Phil dedicated himself to coaching youth baseball. He coached Gorham''s Babe Ruth baseball from 1963-1965 and won the league championship in '64. He coached Gorham H:S. in 1965 and the Smith-Wagner American Legion team from 1965 to 1967.
His 1964 Legion team won its league title.
He finished his coaching career at Yarmouth H.S. - with both baseball and softball - from 1976-1978.
After a career of 29 years in public education as a teacher, guidance counselor and principal, Phil retired in 1985.
He and his wife, Joanne, are the parents of two boys and four girls.
Welcome a great guy to the Hall of Fame!