Frank Joseph Zupo (August 29, 1939 – March 25, 2005), nicknamed "Noodles", was an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

player Player may refer to: Role or adjective * Player (game), a participant in a game or sport ** Gamer, a player in video and tabletop games ** Athlete, a player in sports ** Player character, a character in a video game or role playing game who is ...

. A

catcher Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...

, he appeared in 16

games A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...

over parts of three seasons in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

for the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

in 1957–58 and 1961.

Biography

Born in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, Zupo batted left-handed, threw right-handed, stood tall and weighed . He signed with the Orioles for a $50,000 bonus after graduating from

Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, commonly known as SHC or SH, is a Catholic school located in the Cathedral Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Founded in 1852, Sacred Heart Cathedral is the oldest Catholic secondary school and wa ...

, a private

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

high school in his native city. In , Zupo entered the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

as a 17-year-old "bonus baby" without having played in the

minor leagues Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...

; the bonus rule of the day mandated that MLB teams keep bonus players on their big-league rosters for two full years. That season, together with

George Zuverink George Zuverink (August 20, 1924 – September 8, 2014) was a professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher over parts of eight Major League Baseball seasons (1951–1952, 1954–1959) with the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Redl ...

, Zupo twice formed the only " Z"

battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

in Major League history, the first time coming on July 1, 1957, when Zupo made his big-league debut with a 10th-

inning In baseball, softball, and similar games, an inning is the basic unit of play, consisting of two halves or frames, the "top" (first half) and the "bottom" (second half). In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other team ...

catching appearance against the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

. He batted only 12 times in ten games in 1957, with one

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from ''Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization in ...

( .083). In , the bonus rule was amended and Baltimore was able to send Zupo to the minors for needed experience. Recalled after spending that year at three different minor league levels, he appeared in one September game and went hitless in two at bats in relief of the Orioles' regular catcher, Gus Triandos. His other trial in the big leagues occurred early in the campaign, and he collected two hits, including a

double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * Th ...

, in four at bats; it would be his only

extra-base hit In baseball, an extra-base hit (EB, EBH or XBH), also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire anot ...

in the majors. Zupo's career continued in the minor leagues through 1964 before he left the game.

References

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20070806023012/http://historicbaseball.com/players/z/zupo_frank.html 1939 births 2005 deaths Asheville Tourists players Austin Senators players Baltimore Orioles players Baseball players from San Francisco Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery (Colma, California) Dallas Rangers players Knoxville Smokies players Louisville Colonels (minor league) players Major League Baseball catchers Rochester Red Wings players Salem Senators players Stockton Ports players Victoria Rosebuds players Wilson Tobs players Yakima Braves players York White Roses players {{US-baseball-catcher-1930s-stub