Frederick Meloy "Fred" Frankhouse (April 9, 1904 – August 17, 1989) was an American
baseball pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a ...
who played 13 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), ...
from 1927 to 1939. His specialty pitch was "the old roundhouse curve", and he was often referred to as a "spitballer" during his career as a pitcher. Frankhouse played in the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
for the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
(1927–30), the
Boston Braves
The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massachusetts. This article details the history of the Boston Braves, from 1871 to 1952, after which they moved to Milwaukee, and then to Atlanta.
During it ...
(1930–35), the
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association (19th century), American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the ...
(1936–38), and the
Boston Bees
The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massachusetts. This article details the history of the Boston Braves, from 1871 to 1952, after which they moved to Milwaukee, and then to Atlanta.
During it ...
(1939) In 1928, Frankhouse went to the World Series with the Cardinals but never got a chance to pitch. He did, however, receive a
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
ring with the rest of his team. In 1934, Frankhouse was a member of the All-Star roster. He made his major league debut on September 11, 1927 for the St. Louis Cardinals, and played his last game September 25, 1939 vs.
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
as a pitcher for the Boston Bees.
Early life and education
Frankhouse was born on April 9, 1904 to Charles David "CD" and Jennie (Meloy) Frankhouse in Port Royal,
Juniata County, Pennsylvania
Juniata County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,509. Its county seat is Mifflintown. The county was created on March 2, 1831, from part of Mifflin County and named for the Juniata ...
. He had two sisters, Margaret and Martha, and two brothers, Melvin and Joseph. Frankhouse attended Port Royal Elementary school and Port Royal High School and graduated from Lewistown High School. Frankhouse married
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
native, Mabel Skiles, on January 1, 1929. Frankhouse did not attend college, rather he began his professional baseball upon graduating high school.
Professional career
Career before Major League Baseball
Frankhouse began his baseball career in his teens by playing with local teams in Perry and Dauphin counties, and, from 1917 to 1923, he pitched for the minor league Harrisburg Senators. He was only 19 when a scout brought him from the lots of his home town of Port Royal, Pennsylvania. He signed his first professional contract with St. Louis in 1922 and was farmed out to the Ottawa Senators (1922–23), the Syracuse Stars (1923–26), and the Houston Buffaloes (1927).
St. Louis Cardinals
In 1927, Frankhouse was recalled by St. Louis, and played in his MLB debut on September 7, 1927. While with the Cardinals, Frankhouse knew such greats as
Dizzy Dean
Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean (January 16, 1910 – July 17, 1974), also known as Jerome Herman Dean (both the 1910 and 1920 Censuses show his name as "Jay"), was an American professional baseball pitcher. During his Major League Baseball (MLB) career ...
and
Pepper Martin
Johnny Leonard Roosevelt "Pepper" Martin (February 29, 1904 – March 5, 1965) was an American professional baseball player and minor league manager. He was known as the "Wild Horse of the Osage" because of his daring, aggressive baserunning ab ...
. Also on the Cardinals with Frankhouse were Hall-of-FamersFrankie "The Fordham Flash" Frisch and Walter "Rabbit" Maranville, both of whom Frankhouse later joined on the Braves. In 1928, Frankhouse went to the World Series with the Cardinals but never got a chance to pitch as his Cardinals were beaten in four games straight by the Yankees. He did, however, receive a
World Series ring
A World Series ring is an award given to Major League Baseball players who win the World Series. Since only one Commissioner's Trophy is awarded to the team, a World Series ring is an individual award that players and staff of each World Series ...
with the rest of his team. He remained with St. Louis until 1930 when he was traded to the Boston Braves.
Boston Braves
On June 16, 1930, Frankhouse, along with
Bill Sherdel
William Henry Sherdel (August 15, 1896 – November 14, 1968) was a professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher over parts of fifteen seasons (1918–1932) with the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Braves. For his career, he compil ...
, was traded by the
Boston Braves
The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massachusetts. This article details the history of the Boston Braves, from 1871 to 1952, after which they moved to Milwaukee, and then to Atlanta.
During it ...
for Burleigh Grimes. In 1934, Frankhouse had his best year pitching, and was chosen for the All Star Team, the second All Star Game ever held. 1934 was Frankhouse's best year with a 17–9 record despite missing a month of the season due to injury. In 1935, while with the Braves, Frankhouse pitched in Babe Ruth's final game. On February 6, 1936, Frankhouse was traded by the Boston Braves to the Brooklyn Dodgers for Johnny Babich and Gene Moore. On May 17, 1939, during a game against the Cincinnati Reds, Ernie Lombardi complained that Frankhouse, struck him out using the illegal spitball. Frankhouse promptly hit the next batter, Harry Craft, in the head, knocking him unconscious. Frankhouse then bowed to the booing fans at the end of the inning. Even though players did not wear helmets in those days, Craft was soon back in action.
Brooklyn Dodgers
Frankhouse played for the Brooklyn Dodgers beginning in 1936 after being traded from the
Boston Braves
The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massachusetts. This article details the history of the Boston Braves, from 1871 to 1952, after which they moved to Milwaukee, and then to Atlanta.
During it ...
. He was reunited with
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel (; July 30, 1890 – September 29, 1975) was an American Major League Baseball right fielder and manager, best known as the manager of the championship New York Yankees of the 1950s and later, the expansion New York ...
who he from his days with the Braves. One notable moment from Frankhouse's career occurred when he pitched a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds at
Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball stadium in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York. It is mainly known for having been the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team of the National League (1913–1957). It was also home to five p ...
. Frankhouse pitched a no-hit ballgame for Brooklyn against Cincinnati for 7 innings August 27, 1937 when rain halted the game permanently. After Frankhouse had retired two in the eighth, a heavy downpour ended the contest. Brooklyn had collected five runs. Frankhouse issued six bases on balls and Jimmy Bucher made an error behind him but no Cincinnati runner reached third. Holding the Reds without a hit was totally out of character for Frankhouse. (This accomplishment was recognized until 1991, when
MLB Commissioner
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive officer of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the associated Minor League Baseball (MiLB) – a constellation of leagues and clubs known as "organized baseball". Under the direction of the Commissi ...
Fay Vincent
Francis Thomas Vincent Jr. (born May 29, 1938), known as Fay Vincent, is a former entertainment lawyer, securities regulator, and sports executive who served as the eighth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from September 13, 1989 to Septembe ...
changed the official definition of a no hitter, declaring it a game of nine innings or more that ends with no hits). With Brooklyn in 1937, the curveballer outdueled Carl Hubbell to snap the latter's record 24-game winning streak. Frankhouse was traded by the Brooklyn Dodgers to the Boston Bees for
Joe Stripp
Joseph Valentine Stripp (February 3, 1903 – June 10, 1989) was an American professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, and Boston Bees between 1928 ...
on December 13, 1938.
Boston Bees
Boston magnate, Bob Quinn, along with Casey Stengel, negotiated with the Brooklyn Dodgers to re-acquire Frankhouse, now 35. In spite of the veteran pitcher's age, Quinn and Stengel were convinced that "he needs the wafts of urinvigorating northeast breezes to do his best …" On December 13, 1938, in a trade for
Joe Stripp
Joseph Valentine Stripp (February 3, 1903 – June 10, 1989) was an American professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, and Boston Bees between 1928 ...
, Frankhouse returned to Boston, now known as the
Boston Bees
The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massachusetts. This article details the history of the Boston Braves, from 1871 to 1952, after which they moved to Milwaukee, and then to Atlanta.
During it ...
, for his final year in professional baseball. In his last year as a Major League Baseball pitcher, on May 17, 1939, Frankhouse beans
Harry Craft
Harry Francis Craft (April 19, 1915 – August 3, 1995) was an American Major League Baseball player and manager. Born in Ellisville, Mississippi, he was a center fielder for the Cincinnati Reds from 1937 to 1942. Craft attended Mississippi Colleg ...
of the Reds. In another incident during the series against the Reds, National League president Fred Frick warned Frankhouse that he would be suspended for ten games should he be found attempting to use an illegal "spitter" again. Frankhouse was released by the
Boston Bees
The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massachusetts. This article details the history of the Boston Braves, from 1871 to 1952, after which they moved to Milwaukee, and then to Atlanta.
During it ...
on January 23, 1940.
Returning to the Minor League
During his career, Frankhouse appeared in 402 major league games, 216 of them as a starting pitcher. He compiled 106 wins and 97 losses and had 81 complete games.
Frankhouse played his last Major League game on September 25, 1939 as a pitcher for the Boston Bees. He was officially released by Boston on January 23, 1940 so that he could take a coaching-pitching position. Frankhouse returned to 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 ...
International League
The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...
Newark Bears
The Newark Bears were an American minor league professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They were a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and, later, the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball. T ...
(1940–41), and the
American Association American Association may refer to:
Baseball
* American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891
* American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997
* American Association of Profe ...
Kansas City Blues (1942). After Frankhouse's first season as coach-pitcher with Newark, the Bears announced they would re-sign Frankhouse to a second season. Although the minor league organization believed Frankhouse, now 37, would be a capable relief pitcher, he took a position as coach and general assistant to manager Johnny Neun. In January 1942, the Newark Bears organization announced that Frankhouse had been transferred to the Kansas City Blues to assist former Newark Bears manager, now Blues pilot Johnny Neun.
Life after baseball
Frankhouse enlisted in the
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
after leaving baseball. After serving four years, Frankhouse was discharged with the rank of captain in the
Transportation Corps
The Transportation Corps is a combat service support branch of the U.S. Army. It is responsible for the movement of personnel and material by truck, rail, air, and sea. It is one of three U.S. Army logistics branches, the others being the Qua ...
. Casey Stengel wanted Frankhouse to work for him as a pitching scout, but Frankhouse chose to return to Juniata County with his wife Mabel. After returning to Port Royal, Pennsylvania. Frankhouse started a
Little League Baseball
Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization He was one of the first Christmas tree growers in the County and worked a short time for the Commonwealth.
On June 9, 1976, his home town honored him with ''Fred Frankhouse Appreciation Day'', and the baseball field in Port Royal was named the "Frankhouse Field" in his honor. That same year he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Athletic Hall of Fame. Shortly after his death, Frankhouse's family created a baseball scholarship at Juniata High School to keep his memory alive and to support youngsters who play the game.
MLB pitching statistics
Pitching statistics are from the online Baseball-Almanac.com. The pitching statistics at Baseball-Reference.com are in agreement except for the "game started" total, which is 213.
As a hitter, Frankhouse posted a .208
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
bases on balls
A base on balls (BB), also known as a walk, occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls '' balls'', and is in turn awarded first base without the possibility of being called out. The base on balls is defined in Se ...
. Defensively, he recorded a .961
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. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...