Frank Snyder (baseball player)
Encyclopedia
Frank Elton Snyder was an American
professional
baseball
player and coach
. He played in Major League Baseball
as a catcher
from 1912 to 1927 for the New York Giants
and St. Louis Cardinals
. Nicknamed Pancho, Snyder was of Mexican descent on his mother's side.
at the age of 18. He was traded to the New York Giants in the middle of the 1919
season. Snyder was a member of John McGraw
's New York Giants teams that won four consecutive National League pennants
between and and, played on two World Series
winners in 1921
and 1922
. During that period, Snyder posted a batting average
above .300 three times, with a .320 average in 1921
, a .343 average in 1922
and a .302 average in 1924
. In 1926
, he was selected off waivers by the St. Louis Cardinals. He played for the Cardinals in 1927
before retiring at the end of the season at the age of 33.
, accumulating 1122 hits
in 4229 at bat
s for a .265 career batting average along with 44 triples
, 47 home run
s and 525 runs batted in. A good defensive player, his .981 career fielding average was 8 points higher than the league average over the span of his playing career. Snyder led National League
catchers in fielding percentage
three times: in 1914
, 1923
and 1925
. He also led the league twice in putout
s and caught stealing
percentage and, once in assists
and in baserunners caught stealing. His 204 assists as a catcher in is the seventh highest single-season total in major league baseball history. His 1,332 career assists rank him 17th all-time among major league catchers.
Richard Kendall of the Society for American Baseball Research
devised an unscientific study that ranked Snyder as the ninth most dominating fielding catcher in major league history. His reputation as a defensive stand out is enhanced because of the era in which he played. In the Deadball Era, catchers played a huge defensive role, given the large number of bunts and stolen base
attempts, as well as the difficulty of handling the spitball
pitchers who dominated pitching staffs.
manager
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player and coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
. He played in Major League Baseball
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...
as a catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
from 1912 to 1927 for the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
and St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. Nicknamed Pancho, Snyder was of Mexican descent on his mother's side.
Major league career
Snyder began his major league career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 19121912 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 31st season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 21st season in the National League. The Cardinals went 63-90 during the season and finished 6th out of eight teams in the National League.- Notable transactions :...
at the age of 18. He was traded to the New York Giants in the middle of the 1919
1919 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 38th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 28th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 54-83 during the season and finished 7th in the National League.- Notable transactions :...
season. Snyder was a member of John McGraw
John McGraw
John McGraw may refer to:* John McGraw , , New York lumber tycoon, and one of the founding trustees of Cornell University* John McGraw , , Governor of Washington state from 1893–1897...
's New York Giants teams that won four consecutive National League pennants
Pennant (sports)
A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...
between and and, played on two World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
winners in 1921
1921 World Series
In the 1921 World Series, the New York Giants beat the New York Yankees five games to three. This was the last of the experimental best-five-of-nine series....
and 1922
1922 World Series
In the 1922 World Series, the New York Giants beat the New York Yankees in five games...
. During that period, Snyder posted a batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
above .300 three times, with a .320 average in 1921
1921 New York Giants season
- Roster:- Starters by position:Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in-Other batters:Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg...
, a .343 average in 1922
1922 New York Giants season
- Roster:- Starters by position:Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in-Other batters:Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg...
and a .302 average in 1924
1924 New York Giants season
The New York Giants season was a season in American baseball. The team finished first in the National League with a record of 93-60, winning the pennant by 1½ games over the Brooklyn Robins...
. In 1926
1926 New York Giants (MLB) season
- Notable transactions :* June 14, 1926: Billy Southworth was traded by the Giants to the St. Louis Cardinals for Heinie Mueller.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
, he was selected off waivers by the St. Louis Cardinals. He played for the Cardinals in 1927
1927 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 46th season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 36th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 92-61 during the season and finished second in the National League.- Offseason :...
before retiring at the end of the season at the age of 33.
Career statistics
In a 16 year career, Snyder played in 1392 gamesGames played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
, accumulating 1122 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in 4229 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s for a .265 career batting average along with 44 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 47 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 525 runs batted in. A good defensive player, his .981 career fielding average was 8 points higher than the league average over the span of his playing career. Snyder led National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
catchers in fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
three times: in 1914
1914 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 33rd season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 23rd season in the National League. The Cardinals went 81-72 during the season and finished 3rd in the National League.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
, 1923
1923 New York Giants season
-Offseason:- Roster:- Starters by position:Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in-Other batters:Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg...
and 1925
1925 New York Giants (MLB) season
The New York Giants season was a season in Major League Baseball. The Giants finished second in the National League with a record of 86 wins and 66 losses.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
. He also led the league twice in putout
Putout
In baseball statistics, a putout is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the following methods:* Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base...
s and caught stealing
Caught stealing
In baseball, a runner is charged, and the fielders involved are credited, with a time caught stealing when the runner attempts to advance or lead off from one base to another without the ball being batted and then is tagged out by a fielder while making the attempt...
percentage and, once in assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
and in baserunners caught stealing. His 204 assists as a catcher in is the seventh highest single-season total in major league baseball history. His 1,332 career assists rank him 17th all-time among major league catchers.
Richard Kendall of the Society for American Baseball Research
Society for American Baseball Research
The Society for American Baseball Research was established in Cooperstown, New York, in August 1971 by Bob Davids of Washington, D.C. The Society's mission is to foster the research and dissemination of the history and record of baseball, while generating interest in the game...
devised an unscientific study that ranked Snyder as the ninth most dominating fielding catcher in major league history. His reputation as a defensive stand out is enhanced because of the era in which he played. In the Deadball Era, catchers played a huge defensive role, given the large number of bunts and stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
attempts, as well as the difficulty of handling the spitball
Spitball
A spitball is an illegal baseball pitch in which the ball has been altered by the application of saliva, petroleum jelly, or some other foreign substance....
pitchers who dominated pitching staffs.
Coaching career
After his playing career, he served as a coach for the New York Giants, and was a minor leagueMinor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
.