Bernie Friberg

Bernard Albert Friberg
born Gustaf Bernhard Friberg

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 178 lb.
• High School Worcester Academy High School
• Debut August 20, 1919
• Final Game June 27, 1933
• Born August 18, 1899 in Manchester, NH USA
• Died December 8, 1958 in Lynn, MA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Bernie Friberg was a valuable man to have on a ball club. He played every position in the infield and outfield and in four of his fourteen seasons in the big leagues he hit over .300. He attracted the Chicago Cubs' attention while playing for Worcester Academy High School in Worcester, MA and was signed by the Cubs making his debut on August 20, 1919. He appeared in eight games that year and made it into 50 in 1920 before spending the full season with the Kansas City Blues of the American Association in 1921 where he played in 124 games and hit .289.

Bernie was back with the Cubs in 1922, playing wherever he was needed and hit .311 that year and .318 with 12 home runs in 1923. 1923 was his best season offensively, as he produced at a .318/.372/.473 rate for a 122 OPS+, his only season over 110.

Then on June 15, 1925, he was selected off waivers by the Philadelphia Phillies from the Cubs. He was an all-around man for the Phillies club through 1932. Bernie hit at a .301 clip in 1929 with seven homers and followed that up in 1930 by hitting .341/.425/.447 in 105 games for a 105 OPS+, his second-best for a full campaign. Friberg was released by the Phillies before the 1933 season and signed as a free agent with the Boston Red Sox on January 7, 1933.

Friberg finished out his 14-season (1919-1933) major league career with the Red Sox, hitting .317 in 17 games. This gave Bernie major league career numbers of a .281 hitting average with 38 home runs while appearing in 1,299 games.

Bernie was back in the minors during 1934, appeared in 69 games at third base, hitting .272 for the Mission Reds of the Pacific Coast League and was with the Albany Senators of the International League appearing in 78 games, also in 1934 before finishing out his minor league run with a career .279 hitting average with seven homers in 271 games.

Bernie spent 16 seasons in pro baseball, calling it a career at the end of 1934 at the age of 34. Bernie passed away at the age of 59 on December 8, 1958 in Lynn, MA.

Related Sites

• Bernie Friberg at the SABR Bio project