Nicknamed "The Fordham Flash", Frankie Frisch was a superstar for the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals during the 1920s and 1930s. As a player, he won an MVP and 4 World Series titles, and finished his career with a .316 batting average, still a record for the highest career average among switch-hitters. Frisch was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947, his 5th year on the ballot.
I completed this sketch card in June 2012.
10 random facts about Frankie Frisch:
- He earned his nickname "The Fordham Flash" for being a speedster on the Fordham University baseball team.
- He jumped directly from college to the New York Giants.
- Known as a second baseman, he also played third base for the Giants early in his career, rotating between the 2 positions.
- He compiled 2,880 career hits, which was a record for switch-hitters until Pete Rose surpassed him in 1977.
- His season strikeout total topped 20 only twice in his 19-year career.
- After his playing career, he enjoyed an 18-year managerial career in which he guided the Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs.
- He managed the famous Cardinals team that became known as The Gashouse Gang.
- During the 1960s, he became a member of the Hall of Fame's Committee on Baseball Veterans, and is widely considered responsible for the enshrinement of a number of less-than-stellar players; critics indicate that these players, many who were teammates of Frisch, were only selected because of his influence.
- He died in 1973 from injuries sustained in a car accident.
- A dog lover, he had two hounds named Flash and Patches.
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