WOODROW (WOODIE) DUNPHY Woodrow “Woodie” Dunphy, Principal of Hodgdon High School since 1978, played varsity baseball at Houlton High School, Ricker College and the University of Maine Orono.
he is remembered as an outstanding shortstop by Richard W. “Dick” Redmond who was inducted into the Maine Baseball Hal] of Fame in 1993.
‘| had the pleasure of coaching and playing with and against Woodie in the late fifties and early sixties,” said Redmond.
“In the two years he played for me at Ricker College, he made only one error playing shortstop.
Considering the condition of some of the fields we played on, this was a really remarkable feat.”
“Without any reservations, | would say that Woodie Dunphy was the best shortstop | ever played with or coached.”
Dunphy was a four-year starter at Houlton High and captained the team in 1955 and 1956.
in American Legion baseball, he played for Sumner, the Northern Division champion and was a two-year captain.
He went on to Ricker College and in the summer played for the Woodstock Capitals, a team in a Canadian semi-professional league.
Dunphy also wore the uniform of the Presque Isle Indians in the Maine-New Brunswick League and was voted to the league’s all-star team at second base.
From 1958 to 1961 Dunphy was player-coach of the Houlton Collegians, also in the Maine-New Brunswick League.
Dunphy was referred to in newspaper stories as the “mighty mite” and was highlighted as the “Spudland Sports Figure of the Week.” re transferred to UMaine in 1959. After a year of sitting out due to the NCAA transfer rule, Dunphy played for the Black Bears in '60 and 1961.
As a senior he made only two errors.
‘Jack Butterfield (Maine Baseball Hall of Fame 1980) who coached Woodie at Maine was very high on his defensive ability,” said Redmond.
“When | had the opportunity of discussing Woodie’s play with Jack, he made the following statement.”
“Woodie Dunphy’s play at shortstop saves us two to three runs a game.” redmond recalls that Dunphy was more than a superior fielder.
“Woodie was a good base runner and had surprising power for his size (5-foot-3, 120 pounds).
In an extra-inning game at Woodstock, New Brunswick, | remember him scoring the winning run from first base on a single to left field when the fielder inadvertently threw to second base.” “In a game at Saint John, all the outfielders moved in the first time Woodie came to the plate.
Woodie hit the first pitch over the center fielder’s head for an inside-the-park home run.”
After graduating from Maine, Dunphy served for two years in the U.S.
Army, then returned to Ricker as baseball coach from 1965 to 1972.
His teams were Northeast College champions in 1965 and 1967.
in 1978, Dunphy accepted his current appointment at Hodgdon High School.
For six years he served as a member of the Maine Principals Association basketball committee including a term as chairman, 1984-87.
He was chairman of the MPA’s classification committee 1984-87 and since 1988 has served on the organization’s Interscholastic Executive Committee.