Frankie Frisch
Frankie Frisch was a winner. He played in 50 World Series games and won four World Series rings. He managed the Cardinals to a world title and a .564 winning percentage over parts of six seasons. He was a solid fielder, and a pesky hitter with great speed. To a generation of modern fans however, he's the guy who voted all his buddies into the Hall of Fame. His value as a player can be summed up by the fact that he was traded for Rogers Hornsby in his prime, and not too many people thought it was a lopsided deal.
| Career Batting Stats |
| G |
AB |
H |
R |
HR |
RBI |
SB |
AVG |
SLG |
OBP |
OPS |
OPS+ |
| 2311 |
9112 |
2880 |
1532 |
105 |
1244 |
419 |
.316 |
.432 |
.369 |
.801 |
109.9 |
|
Teams Frankie Frisch Managed
St. Louis Cardinals (1933-1938)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1940-1946)
Chicago Cubs (1949-1951)
Where does Frankie Frisch rank among baseball greats?
Frankie Frisch ranks #7 among the Top 50 all-time at 2B. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1921
Frisch led the NL in just one category - stolen bases (49), but he was among leaders in many more. He was 7th in batting (.341), 9th in slugging (.485), 8th in OPS (.870), 2nd in games, 2nd in runs (121), 2nd in hits (211), 5th in total bases (300), 8th in doubles and home runs, 3rd in triples, 7th in RBI (77), and 8th in walks. Splitting his time between third base and second, he made 33 errors (no one's perfect).
Most Times Ejected, Manager, All-Time
1. John McGraw... 131
2. Leo Durocher... 124
3. Bobby Cox... 117
4. Earl Weaver... 98
5. Frankie Frisch... 86
6. Paul Richards... 80
7. Tony LaRussa... 73
8. Lou Piniella...71
9. Clark Griffith... 67
10. Bill Dahlen... 65
11. Joe Torre... 64
Source: Doug Pappas and SABR
As a Manager
In the September 25, 1946 issue of The Sporting News, Frisch the manager is described this way:
"Frisch, well liked off the field, is a demon when a game is going on. Even his own players shudder at his tirades."
Born
Frank Francis Frisch was born on September 9, 1898, in Bronx, NY.
Died
March 12, 1973, Wilmington, DE
Batted: Both
Threw: Right
Major League Debut
6 14,
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1919
Frankie Frisch
Bucky Harris
Lefty O'Doul
George Uhle
Curt Walker
Dickie Kerr
Bernie Friberg
Chick Galloway
Virgil Barnes
Nicknames
The Fordham Flash
Baseball historian Bill James has pointed out that writer John Kieran frequently referred to Frisch as "Onkel Franz" in print.
Similar Players
Roberto Alomar, Eddie Collins
Related Players
Rogers Hornsby, Leo Durocher... Burleigh Grimes and Frisch had a long-running feud that lasted more than a decade.
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1939 |
BBWAA |
26 |
9.5% |
1942 |
BBWAA |
84 |
36.1% |
1945 |
BBWAA |
101 |
40.9% |
1946 |
BBWAA |
67 |
25.5% |
1946 |
Nominating Vote |
104 |
51.5% |
1947 |
BBWAA |
136 |
84.5% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1921 World Series
1922 World Series
1923 World Series
1924 World Series
1928 World Series
1930 World Series
1931 World Series
1934 World Series
Awards and Honors
1931 NL MVP
Batting Feats
- September 10, 1924: 6 Hits...
Notes
Three teammates of Frisch's were elected to the Hall of Fame while Frisch was on the Veterans Committee: Jesse Haines, Chick Hafey and George Kelly. Most experts agree that they are three of the weakest inductees ever.
All-Star Selections
1933 NL
1934 NL
1935 NL
Replaced
Larry Doyle
Largest Weakness as a Player
As a manager, Frisch was criticized for his handling of pitchers. He was however, superb at shuffling his offensive lineup and at having the perfect pinch-hitter available for key situations.
Other stories on the Web about Frankie Frisch
"Sports Flashes" with Frankie Frisch ⇒
Learn More about Frankie Frisch
Search Amazon.com for Books about Frankie Frisch ⇒
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View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒