Frank White
Silky-smooth Frank White won eight Gold Glove Awards for his stellar play at second base. In his first 11 seasons as a regular, the Royals advanced to the post-season seven times. In 1980, White was named Most Valuable Player of the American League Championship Series, when he hit .545 with six hits and three RBI in Kansas City's three-game sweep of the Yankees. White spent all of his 18 seasons as a member of the Royals, earning five All-Star births and a Sliver Slugger Award to go along with his defensive honors. His range on artificial turf was unmatched in his era.
Quotes About White
"You watch Frank at second base every day and you realize how good he is. He's got super range. He's very quick. He has sure hands, and he can throw and make the double play. I don't think anybody, anywhere, is his equal on the artificial turf." — Whitey Herzog
Quotes From White
"I don't feel inferior when people think of me as a gloveman, but as far as I'm concerned, guys who can make the routine plays are a dime a dozen. I want to be a complete player, a guy who can hit .270 or .280." — in 1977
"I feel I'm the best second baseman in the game. That's the first time I've said it like that, but I'm going to say it a lot more. I'm tired of being humble, of others reaping rewards while I'm on the outside looking in." — in February 1981, speaking of his contract negotiations with the Royals
Played For
Kansas City Royals (1973-1990)
All-Time Rankings
Frank White ranks #26 among the Top 50 all-time at 2B. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1982
White never hit for a high average and he rarely walked. In 1982, the streaky right-handed hitter batted a career-best .298 with a career-high .469 SLG mark. He slugged 45 doubles, six triples, and 11 homers. He was still one of the best defensive second basemen in the game, if not the best.
Factoids
In the early 1970s, the Royals established a Baseball Academy to locate and train prospective baseball players at an early age. Frank White was the best player to come out of the academy, and the only one to have a long big league career.
Born
Frank (Jr.) White was born on September 4, 1950, in Greenville, MS.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: 2B
Primary Team: KCA
College: Longview CC
Major League Debut
June 12, 1973
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1973
Dave Winfield
George Brett
Dave Parker
Brian Downing
Frank White
Bill Madlock
Frank Tanana
Steve Rogers
Randy Jones
Related Players
White's competition as the best second basemen in the AL included Bobby Grich, Lou Whitaker, and Willie Randolph... White owned southpaw Jim Umbarger. In 12 at-bats against him, White had 10 hits, including two doubles, a triple, and a homer.
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1996 |
BBWAA |
18 |
3.8% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1976 American League Championship Series
1977 American League Championship Series
1978 American League Championship Series
1980 American League Championship Series
1980 World Series
1981 American League Division Playoffs
1984 American League Championship Series
1985 American League Championship Series
1985 World Series
Post-Season Notes
White was clutch in the 1985 World Series against the Cardinals, driving in six runs, with four extra-base hits. He slugged a two-run homer off Joaquin Andujar in Game Three, giving the Royals a 4-0 lead in what turned out to be their first victory of the series.
Awards and Honors
1977 AL Gold Glove
1978 AL Gold Glove
1979 AL Gold Glove
1980 AL ALCS MVP
1980 AL Gold Glove
1981 AL Gold Glove
1982 AL Gold Glove
1986 AL Gold Glove
1987 AL Gold Glove
Feats
In 1977, White played 62 consecutive games without committing an error.
Batting Feats
- September 26, 1979: Cycle...
- August 3, 1982: Cycle...
Notes
White led AL second basemen in fielding three times.
Matchup Data
White hit .406 (13-for-32) against Oil Can Boyd, with nine of hits for extra-bases... He slugged four homers off Ron Guidry in 54 at-bats... Hit four homers and eight doubles (.844 SLG) and batted .400 (18-for-45) off Bruce Hurst.
All-Star Selections
1978 AL
1979 AL
1981 AL
1982 AL
1986 AL
Replaced
White replaced Cookie Rojas, one of the most popular players on the team in the early 1970s. "Last season, at first, I felt the fans were comparing me to Cookie," White said in 1977. "It was mostly my fault. I expected the fans to accept me sooner than they did.... I still don't know if the fans have accepted me, but now it doesn't bother me."
Replaced By
Terry Shumpert
Best Strength as a Player
Range and throwing arm
Largest Weakness as a Player
Getting on base
Learn More about Frank White
Search Amazon.com for Books about Frank White ⇒
Search for Frank White at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
