Frankie Frisch
Encyclopedia
Francis “Frankie” Frisch (September 9, 1898 – March 12, 1973), nicknamed the "Fordham Flash" or "The Old Flash", was a German American
Major League Baseball
player of the early twentieth century.
Frisch was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed. Born in the Bronx
, New York City, he attended Fordham Preparatory School
, graduating in 1916. He went on to Fordham University
where he continued to star in four sports: Baseball, Football, Basketball and Track. There, given his speed, he earned the nickname "The Fordham Flash."
of the National League
, moving directly to the majors without playing in the minor leagues. He made an immediate impact, finishing third in the NL in stolen base
s and seventh in RBI
in 1920, his first full season. Manager John McGraw was so impressed by Frisch that he soon named him team captain, giving him advice in baserunning and hitting. The Giants played Frisch at both third base
and second base
early in his career, but by 1923 he was installed as the team's full-time second baseman.
Frisch batted
over .300 in his last six seasons with New York. He was also an expert fielder and a skilled baserunner. In 1921, he led the National League with 48 steals, in 1923 in hits, and in 1924 in runs. With Frisch adding his fiery competitiveness to the team, the Giants won the World Series
in 1921 and 1922, winning the NL pennant the following two seasons as well.
- to the St. Louis Cardinals
in exchange for star Rogers Hornsby
. After an August 1926 loss in which Frisch had missed a sign, costing the Giants a run, McGraw had loudly berated Frisch in front of the team; Frisch responded by leaving the team, and his previously close relationship with McGraw virtually ended.
Playing second base for the Cardinals, Frisch appeared in four more World Series (1928, 1930–31, 1934), bringing his career total to eight. He was the driving force of the "Gashouse Gang
", the nickname for the Cardinals clubs of the early 1930s, which were built around him to reflect his no-holds-barred approach. The Cardinals had won only one pennant before Frisch joined the team; the Giants would win the pennant only once in Frisch's nine seasons as the Cards' regular second baseman.
Frisch played eleven seasons with the Cardinals. In 1931, he was voted the Most Valuable Player
in the National League after batting .311 with 10 home run
s and 114 RBI. The 1931 Cardinals also triumphed in the World Series, defeating Connie Mack
's defending two-time champion Philadelphia Athletics
in seven games.
Frisch became player-manager of the Cardinals in 1933, and was named to the NL's first three All-Star
teams from 1933-35. In 1934, he managed the Cardinals to another seven-game World Series victory - this time over the Detroit Tigers
.
Frisch finished his playing career in 1937. His career statistics totaled a .316 batting average, still the highest ever for a switch hitter, with 2880 hits, 1532 runs, 105 home runs and 1244 RBI. He also stole 419 bases in his nineteen playing seasons. His hit total stood as the record for switch-hitters until Pete Rose
surpassed it in 1977.
Frankie Frisch was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947
. After no players had been selected by the writers in the previous two years (the only elections since 1942), the rules were revised to limit eligibility to those players who had retired after 1921; Frisch was among the first four players to benefit from the more reasonable field of candidates.
(1940–46) and the Chicago Cubs
(1949–51), but without the success he had in St. Louis. Frisch's career ledger as a manager shows a 1138-1078 mark including the pennant in 1934. In 1939, he did radio play-by-play for the Boston Braves and the Boston Red Sox
on the Colonial Network, a regional radio network serving five New England states.
For several years in the 1950s, he worked as a radio play-by-play announcer and coach for the Giants. His broadcasting trademark was worrying about pitchers walking batters: "Oh, those bases on balls!" A heart attack in 1956 forced him to curtail his activities. After his heart attack in September 1956, Phil Rizzuto
(recently released by Yankees
as a player) filled in for him on N.Y. Giant post-game TV shows.
A number of years after Frisch left the playing field as a manager, he became a member of the Hall of Fame's Committee on Baseball Veterans, which is responsible for electing players to the Hall of Fame who had not been elected during their initial period of eligibility by the Baseball Writers
; he later became chairman of the committee. In the years just prior to his death, a number of Frisch's Giants and Cardinals teammates were elected to the Hall; some notable writers, chiefly among them Bill James
, have criticized these selections - including Jesse Haines
, Dave Bancroft
, Chick Hafey
, Rube Marquard
, Ross Youngs
and George Kelly
- which include some of the most widely questioned honorees in the Hall's history. Critics have complained that many of these selectees had accomplishments which were less outstanding than those of other players who were bypassed, and were only selected because of Frisch's influence.
Frisch died in Wilmington, Delaware
from injuries suffered from a car accident near Elkton, Maryland
one month earlier. He was 74 years old. Frisch had been returning to Rhode Island from the meeting of the Veterans' Committee in Florida
when he lost control of his car. Frisch died in the same manner as other N.Y. Giant Hall of Famers Mel Ott
(1958) and Carl Hubbell
(1988). He is interred at Woodlawn Cemetery
in the Bronx, New York.
During his lifetime, Frisch used 1898 as his year of birth. Recent information available, however, suggests that he was born in 1897. New York City birth records (NYC did not include the Bronx until 1898) indicate an 1897 birth; Social Security death records give an 1897 birth, as do most census records.
In 1999, he ranked number 88 on the The Sporting News
list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball
All-Century Team.
Frisch is mentioned in the poem "Line-Up for Yesterday
" by Ogden Nash
:
Years later, Nash added a footnote to this stanza: "p.s. Thanks to Durocher
, now everything's kosher."
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
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...
player of the early twentieth century.
Frisch was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed. Born in the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York City, he attended Fordham Preparatory School
Fordham Preparatory School
Fordham Preparatory School is a private Jesuit all-boys high school located in the Bronx, New York City, with an enrollment of approximately 950 students. It is located on the Rose Hill campus of Fordham University....
, graduating in 1916. He went on to Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
where he continued to star in four sports: Baseball, Football, Basketball and Track. There, given his speed, he earned the nickname "The Fordham Flash."
New York Giants
In 1919, Frisch left Fordham to sign with the New York GiantsSan Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
of the 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...
, moving directly to the majors without playing in the minor leagues. He made an immediate impact, finishing third in the NL in 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...
s and seventh in RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 1920, his first full season. Manager John McGraw was so impressed by Frisch that he soon named him team captain, giving him advice in baserunning and hitting. The Giants played Frisch at both third base
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
and second base
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
early in his career, but by 1923 he was installed as the team's full-time second baseman.
Frisch batted
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 :...
over .300 in his last six seasons with New York. He was also an expert fielder and a skilled baserunner. In 1921, he led the National League with 48 steals, in 1923 in hits, and in 1924 in runs. With Frisch adding his fiery competitiveness to the team, the Giants won the 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...
in 1921 and 1922, winning the NL pennant the following two seasons as well.
St. Louis Cardinals
After the 1926 season, Frisch was traded - with pitcher Jimmy RingJimmy Ring
James Joseph "Jimmy" Ring was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds , Philadelphia Phillies , New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals . Ring batted and threw right-handed.Ring was used sparingly by the Cincinnati Reds from 1917-18...
- to the 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...
in exchange for star Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby, Sr. , nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball . He played for the St. Louis Cardinals , New York Giants , Boston Braves , Chicago Cubs , and St. Louis Browns...
. After an August 1926 loss in which Frisch had missed a sign, costing the Giants a run, McGraw had loudly berated Frisch in front of the team; Frisch responded by leaving the team, and his previously close relationship with McGraw virtually ended.
Playing second base for the Cardinals, Frisch appeared in four more World Series (1928, 1930–31, 1934), bringing his career total to eight. He was the driving force of the "Gashouse Gang
Gashouse Gang
The Gashouse Gang was a nickname applied to the St. Louis Cardinals Major League Baseball team of .The Cardinals, by most accounts, earned this nickname from the team's generally very shabby appearance and rough-and-tumble tactics...
", the nickname for the Cardinals clubs of the early 1930s, which were built around him to reflect his no-holds-barred approach. The Cardinals had won only one pennant before Frisch joined the team; the Giants would win the pennant only once in Frisch's nine seasons as the Cards' regular second baseman.
Frisch played eleven seasons with the Cardinals. In 1931, he was voted the Most Valuable Player
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
in the National League after batting .311 with 10 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 114 RBI. The 1931 Cardinals also triumphed in the World Series, defeating Connie Mack
Connie Mack (baseball)
Cornelius McGillicuddy, Sr. , better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball player, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds records for wins , losses , and games managed , with his victory total being almost 1,000 more...
's defending two-time champion Philadelphia Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
in seven games.
Frisch became player-manager of the Cardinals in 1933, and was named to the NL's first three All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
teams from 1933-35. In 1934, he managed the Cardinals to another seven-game World Series victory - this time over the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
.
Frisch finished his playing career in 1937. His career statistics totaled a .316 batting average, still the highest ever for a switch hitter, with 2880 hits, 1532 runs, 105 home runs and 1244 RBI. He also stole 419 bases in his nineteen playing seasons. His hit total stood as the record for switch-hitters until Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
surpassed it in 1977.
Frankie Frisch was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947
Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 1947
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 1947 followed yet another round of reform. The Baseball Writers Association of America continued to vote by mail but the Hall of Fame Committee had revised the procedures for that election and reduced its historical jurisdiction relative to the Old-Timers...
. After no players had been selected by the writers in the previous two years (the only elections since 1942), the rules were revised to limit eligibility to those players who had retired after 1921; Frisch was among the first four players to benefit from the more reasonable field of candidates.
Post-baseball career
After retirement, he continued to manage the Cardinals, but was never able to capture another pennant. Frisch also had managerial stints with the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(1940–46) and the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
(1949–51), but without the success he had in St. Louis. Frisch's career ledger as a manager shows a 1138-1078 mark including the pennant in 1934. In 1939, he did radio play-by-play for the Boston Braves and the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
on the Colonial Network, a regional radio network serving five New England states.
For several years in the 1950s, he worked as a radio play-by-play announcer and coach for the Giants. His broadcasting trademark was worrying about pitchers walking batters: "Oh, those bases on balls!" A heart attack in 1956 forced him to curtail his activities. After his heart attack in September 1956, Phil Rizzuto
Phil Rizzuto
Philip Francis Rizzuto , nicknamed "The Scooter", was an American Major League Baseball shortstop. He spent his entire 13-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
(recently released by Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
as a player) filled in for him on N.Y. Giant post-game TV shows.
A number of years after Frisch left the playing field as a manager, he became a member of the Hall of Fame's Committee on Baseball Veterans, which is responsible for electing players to the Hall of Fame who had not been elected during their initial period of eligibility by the Baseball Writers
Baseball Writers Association of America
The Baseball Writers' Association of America is a professional association for baseball journalists writing for daily newspapers, magazines and qualifying Web sites. The BBWAA was founded on October 14, 1908, to improve working conditions for sportswriters in the early part of the 20th century...
; he later became chairman of the committee. In the years just prior to his death, a number of Frisch's Giants and Cardinals teammates were elected to the Hall; some notable writers, chiefly among them Bill James
Bill James
George William “Bill” James is a baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books devoted to baseball history and statistics...
, have criticized these selections - including Jesse Haines
Jesse Haines
Jesse Joseph "Pop" Haines, was a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher and knuckleballer. He played briefly in 1918, then from 1920 to 1937.-Career:...
, Dave Bancroft
Dave Bancroft
David James "Beauty" Bancroft was an American baseball player who played Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1930. He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame....
, Chick Hafey
Chick Hafey
Charles James "Chick" Hafey was an American player in Major League Baseball. Hafey was part of two World Series championship teams as a St. Louis Cardinal, and was selected by the Veteran's Committee for the Hall of Fame in .Playing for the St...
, Rube Marquard
Rube Marquard
Richard William "Rube" Marquard was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball in the 1910s and early 1920s...
, Ross Youngs
Ross Youngs
Ross Middlebrook Youngs was a Major League Baseball outfielder best known for his superb defense and consistent hitting....
and George Kelly
George Kelly (baseball player)
George Lange Kelly , nicknamed "Long George" and "High Pockets", was a Major League Baseball first baseman. He played most of his MLB career for the New York Giants , but also played for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Cincinnati Reds , Chicago Cubs , and Brooklyn Dodgers...
- which include some of the most widely questioned honorees in the Hall's history. Critics have complained that many of these selectees had accomplishments which were less outstanding than those of other players who were bypassed, and were only selected because of Frisch's influence.
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
from injuries suffered from a car accident near Elkton, Maryland
Elkton, Maryland
The town of Elkton is the county seat of Cecil County, Maryland, United States. The population was 11,893 as of the 2000 census and 14,842 according to current July 2008 census estimates. It is the county seat of Cecil County...
one month earlier. He was 74 years old. Frisch had been returning to Rhode Island from the meeting of the Veterans' Committee in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
when he lost control of his car. Frisch died in the same manner as other N.Y. Giant Hall of Famers Mel Ott
Mel Ott
Melvin Thomas Ott , nicknamed "Master Melvin", was a Major League Baseball right fielder. He played his entire career for the New York Giants . Ott was born in Gretna, Louisiana. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
(1958) and Carl Hubbell
Carl Hubbell
Carl Owen Hubbell was an American baseball player. He was a member of the New York Giants in the National League from 1928 to 1943, and remained on the Giants' payroll for the rest of his life, long after their move to San Francisco.Twice voted the National League's Most Valuable Player, Hubbell...
(1988). He is interred at Woodlawn Cemetery
Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx
Woodlawn Cemetery is one of the largest cemeteries in New York City and is a designated National Historic Landmark.A rural cemetery located in the Bronx, it opened in 1863, in what was then southern Westchester County, in an area that was annexed to New York City in 1874.The cemetery covers more...
in the Bronx, New York.
During his lifetime, Frisch used 1898 as his year of birth. Recent information available, however, suggests that he was born in 1897. New York City birth records (NYC did not include the Bronx until 1898) indicate an 1897 birth; Social Security death records give an 1897 birth, as do most census records.
In 1999, he ranked number 88 on the The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the 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...
All-Century Team.
Frisch is mentioned in the poem "Line-Up for Yesterday
Line-Up for Yesterday
Line-Up for Yesterday: An ABC of Baseball Immortals is a poem written by Ogden Nash for the January 1949 issue of SPORT Magazine. In the poem, Nash dedicates each letter of the alphabet to an iconic Major League Baseball player...
" by Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash
Frederic Ogden Nash was an American poet well known for his light verse. At the time of his death in 1971, the New York Times said his "droll verse with its unconventional rhymes made him the country's best-known producer of humorous poetry".-Early life:Nash was born in Rye, New York...
:
Years later, Nash added a footnote to this stanza: "p.s. Thanks to Durocher
Leo Durocher
Leo Ernest Durocher , nicknamed Leo the Lip, was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball. Upon his retirement, he ranked fifth all-time among managers with 2,009 career victories, second only to John McGraw in National League history. Durocher still ranks tenth in career wins by...
, now everything's kosher."