Frank Baldwin

Frank De Witt Baldwin

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 195 lb.

• Debut April 22, 1953
• Final Game September 5, 1953
• Born December 25, 1928 in High Bridge, NJ USA
• Died November 18, 2004 in Beaver, OH USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Catcher Frank Baldwin spent virtually all of his 12 years in professional baseball in the minor leagues. He made it to the majors in 1953, appearing in 16 games for the Cincinnati Reds, mostly in pinch hitting roles, picking up a couple of base hits in 20 at bats. Baldwin's first major league hit was a single on May 2nd against Paul LaPalme of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Coincidentally, Baldwin and LaPalme were minor league teammates back in 1949 with the Hartford Chiefs of the Eastern League.

Baldwin, just 19 years old, started his pro career in 1947 with the Bluefield Blue-Grays of the Appalachian League, where he hit for the highest batting average of his long career, with 138 hits in 416 at bats for a .332 average. The next few years found him with several different teams. The Brooklyn Dodgers obtained Baldwin from the Oklahoma City Indians of the Texas League in the 1951 Minor League draft on [December 3]]rd. He spent a season with the St. Paul Saints, where he hit .255. The Cincinnati Reds picked him up on December 2nd in the 1952 Rule V Draft. After his year in the bigs with the Reds, he spent the rest of his career in the high minors, hitting .302 for the AA Nashville Vols in 1956. He stayed in baseball through 1959, finishing his playing career with the New Orleans Pelicans where he played 131 games, had 428 at bats and batted .269; not too shabby after 12 years behind the plate.

Baldwin passed away at his home in Beaver, OH, on November 18, 2004. He was a retired insurance agent for Western and Southern Life Insurance Company.

Sources

Baseball Players of the 1950s
SABR MILB Database:page