Frisch, Frankie (1898-1973), was one of the greatest all-around players in baseball history. Frisch was a brilliant hitter, with a career batting average of .316 over his 19-year major league career. He was also an outstanding base runner, leading the National League in stolen bases three times. He was a skilled fielder, playing both second base and shortstop. In 1927, Frisch set a major league single season record for second basemen with 641 assists and 1,059 total chances (assists and putouts).
Frank Francis Frisch was born in New York City on Sept. 9, 1898. He graduated from Fordham University in 1919 after starring in baseball, basketball, football, and track and field there. He was often called “the Fordham Flash.” Frisch joined the New York Giants immediately after college. He helped the Giants win four consecutive National League pennants from 1921 to 1924 and never batted below .314 from 1921 to 1926.
Frisch was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1927 and became a star with the famous “Gas House Gang” Cardinal teams of the 1930’s. Frisch was player-manager of the Cardinals from 1933 to 1937, when he retired as a player. He also managed the Cardinals in 1938. The team won the 1934 World Series. Frisch later managed the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1940 to 1946 and the Chicago Cubs from 1949 to 1951. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947. Frisch died on March 12, 1973.
