Frank Ernaga

Frank John Ernaga

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 195 lb.
• School Lassen Community College, University of California, Los Angeles
• High School Lassen High School
• Debut May 24, 1957
• Final Game September 21, 1958
• Born August 22, 1930 in Susanville, CA USA
• Died April 30, 2018 in Susanville, CA USA

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Biographical Information

Frank Ernaga looked good in his debut year with the Chicago Cubs in 1957, hitting .315, posting a .455 on-base percentage, and slugging .686 in 35 at-bats. Even Ernie Banks only slugged .579 that year. Obviously, the small sample size does not give us much to judge by.

He was also with the 1957 Fort Worth Cats for 89 games, hitting .238. He came back the next year with the Cats and hit .249 and led the team in doubles. He also played briefly for the Cubs in 1958, going 1 for 8.

He hit a home run in his first major league at-bat. In his second at-bat he hit a triple. The pitcher was Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves. He played one other game against Spahn, hitting a double and a single; so his slugging percentage against Spahn finished at 1.667, in six at-bats. Against all other pitchers, he slugged .405, making .581 overall.

He left baseball swiftly, and returned to his hometown to work as a building contractor. For many years, he was chief inspector of school construction for Lassen County.

In 2007, the Chicago Tribune interviewed him: "I always thought that I should have gotten a better chance than I did," he said, as thousands of baseball players have said of themselves. And maybe he should.