Frank Fernandez

Frank Fernandez

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 192 lb.
• High School Curtis High School
• Debut September 12, 1967
• Final Game May 25, 1972
• Born April 16, 1943 in Staten Island, NY USA

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Biographical Information

Frank Fernandez had the distinction of playing on some of the worst New York Yankees teams of the modern era. The catcher-outfielder could hit for power but not for average and he struck out often. He also played for the Oakland A's, Washington Senators, and Chicago Cubs. His lifetime batting average was .199. He is one of a very small number of players who collected more walks than hits over their career; Fernandez leads this group in both walks (164) and hits (145). He also hit more Home Runs (39) than any other player with a lifetime batting average under .200.

To be fair to Frank, his OPS+ was 114, showing he was a good overall hitter. While his batting average was low, he played at a time when batting averages in general were at historic lows. For instance, the 1969 Yankees hit only .214 as a team. Frank made up for very low batting averages with high on-base percentages. His career OBP was .350, quite valuable in a time when there were few hits. And his power was considerable.

Frank also played 12 seasons in the minors, where he compiled a high OBP and had decent power.

In 2002, Fernandez was profiled by Al Pepper in the book Mendoza's Heroes.