Frank Bolick
Encyclopedia
Frank Charles Bolick is a former Major League Baseball
player from Ashland, Pennsylvania
. He was an infielder for the Montreal Expos
and Anaheim Angels
. He also played four seasons in Japan
with the Chiba Lotte Marines
. He threw right-handed, and was a switch hitter.
in 1985
, but did not sign, instead choosing to play college baseball at Georgia Tech
. He was drafted again by the Milwaukee Brewers
in 1987
, and signed with them on June 12 of that year.
of the Japanese Pacific League
in . The Marines hoped he would emerge as the new cleanup hitter that the team badly needed, but he did not hit well in pre-season games, and began the season in the minors. However, he hit a home run in his first at-bat in April, and emerged as the team's best power hitter by the end of his first season. The Marines compiled a 22-2-1 record in games where Bolick hit a home run, and a cult belief emerged among Marines fans that the team would never lose as long as Bolick hit a home run. However, he was also one at-bat away from tying the league record for consecutive at-bats without a hit, going 0 for 51 at the end of the season. He finished the season with 26 home runs and 61 RBIs.
Bolick's production increased in his second season in Japan, where he hit 29 home runs with 102 RBIs in 125 games. He played his best season in , hitting 31 home runs and 101 RBIs with a .279 batting average. He also drew 107 walks; the Japanese single-season record, and won the Best Nine Award
for designated hitter
. He played an epic game on July 9, 2001, against the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks; the Marines were 3 runs behind in the 10th inning, and Bolick finished the game with a walk-off grand slam off closer Rodney Pedraza.
A new strike zone was established in Nippon Professional Baseball in , and Bolick was unable to continue his hitting prowess, ending the season with a .204 batting average. He was demoted to the minors after injuring his left knee, and was released in August. He left Japan on September 28, and a large number of Marines fans showed up at Narita International Airport
to bid him farewell.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player from Ashland, Pennsylvania
Ashland, Pennsylvania
Ashland is a borough in Schuylkill county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, 12 miles northwest of Pottsville. The Borough lies in the anthracite coal region of eastern Pennsylvania. Settled in 1850, Ashland was incorporated in 1857, and was named for Henry Clay's estate near Lexington, Kentucky....
. He was an infielder for the Montreal Expos
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
and Anaheim Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
. He also played four seasons in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
with the Chiba Lotte Marines
Chiba Lotte Marines
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by the Lotte conglomerate.-History:...
. He threw right-handed, and was a switch hitter.
Early career
Bolick played high school baseball at Mount Carmel Area and was drafted out of high school by the Montreal ExposMontreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
in 1985
1985 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1985 Major League Baseball draft.-Background:Six of the first eight draft picks from the June regular phase had at least one full year of major league experience prior to the start of the 1987 season. Included in that list were...
, but did not sign, instead choosing to play college baseball at Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
. He was drafted again by the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
in 1987
1987 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1987 Major League Baseball draft.-Supplemental First Round Selections:-External links:*...
, and signed with them on June 12 of that year.
North America
Bolick made his way through various minor league organizations before making his major league debut in with the Expos. He played in 95 games that year, hitting 4 home runs and 24 RBIs with a .211 batting average. He spent several more years in the minors with five more organizations before being promoted to the majors again in with the Anaheim Angels. He played 21 games before being released at the end of the season.Japan
Bolick was signed by the Chiba Lotte MarinesChiba Lotte Marines
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by the Lotte conglomerate.-History:...
of the Japanese Pacific League
Pacific League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...
in . The Marines hoped he would emerge as the new cleanup hitter that the team badly needed, but he did not hit well in pre-season games, and began the season in the minors. However, he hit a home run in his first at-bat in April, and emerged as the team's best power hitter by the end of his first season. The Marines compiled a 22-2-1 record in games where Bolick hit a home run, and a cult belief emerged among Marines fans that the team would never lose as long as Bolick hit a home run. However, he was also one at-bat away from tying the league record for consecutive at-bats without a hit, going 0 for 51 at the end of the season. He finished the season with 26 home runs and 61 RBIs.
Bolick's production increased in his second season in Japan, where he hit 29 home runs with 102 RBIs in 125 games. He played his best season in , hitting 31 home runs and 101 RBIs with a .279 batting average. He also drew 107 walks; the Japanese single-season record, and won the Best Nine Award
Best Nine Award
The Best Nine Award is awarded annually to the best player at each position in both the Central League and Pacific League of Japanese professional baseball as determined by a pool of journalists.-History:...
for designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
. He played an epic game on July 9, 2001, against the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks; the Marines were 3 runs behind in the 10th inning, and Bolick finished the game with a walk-off grand slam off closer Rodney Pedraza.
A new strike zone was established in Nippon Professional Baseball in , and Bolick was unable to continue his hitting prowess, ending the season with a .204 batting average. He was demoted to the minors after injuring his left knee, and was released in August. He left Japan on September 28, and a large number of Marines fans showed up at Narita International Airport
Narita International Airport
is an international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is located east of Tokyo Station and east-southeast of Narita Station in the city of Narita, and the adjacent town of Shibayama....
to bid him farewell.