Frank Herrmann

Frank Herrmann
(Ballpark Frank)

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 220 lb.
• School Harvard University
• High School Montclair Kimberley Academy
• Debut June 4, 2010
• Final Game October 1, 2016
• Born May 30, 1984 in Rutherford, NJ USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Frank Herrmann struggled with elbow tendinitis in college and went undrafted. He was signed by Cleveland Indians scout Phil Rossi in 2005 for $35,000 and made his pro debut the next summer.

Herrmann made his major league debut in 2010, pitching 40 times for the Indians as a reliever, with a record of 0-1, 4.03 and 1 save. He had brilliant with the AAA Columbus Clippers before getting the call, putting up an ERA of 0.31 in 28 2/3 innings. In 2011, he went 4-0 but with a 5.11 ERA for the Tribe, pitching another 40 games in relief. He pitched another 9 times for Columbus, but his ERA was 5.91. As a result of his struggles the previous season, he started 2012 back with Columbus, and did not make it back to Cleveland until August. He went 2-2, 4.78 in 42 games for the Clippers, and then had no record but a solid 2.33 ERA in 15 games for Cleveland.

Herrmann headed into spring training in 2013 with the objective of making the Indians' starting rotation, a change of usage for a pitcher who had last started a game in 2009 in the minors. He did have significant prior experience in the role before that, however, having been a full-time starter from 2006 to 2008, including putting up back-to-back seasons of 11 wins for the Kinston Indians in 2007 and the AA Akron Aeros in 2008. However, his plans were quickly thwarted as he fell victim to a sprained ligament in his right elbow, the sort of injury that could cause him to miss the entire season if surgery was deemed to be necessary.

Further Reading

• Justice B. Hill: "Down On The Farm: Frank Herrmann Harvard-Bred Pitching Prospect Ditches Books For Baseball", in MLB.com, May 20, 2008. [1]
• Tim Leonard: "From Harvard To N. Carolina - Herrmann Continues His Journey", in The Record (Bergen County, NJ), July 29, 2007. [2]
• Pablo S. Torre and Alex McPhillips: "Two For The Show: Zak Farkes And Frank Herrmann Sign Professional Contracts As Free Agents", in The Harvard Crimson, September 14, 2005. [3]

Related Sites

• Frank Herrmann on mlb.com
• Articles written by Herrmann for the Harvard Crimson
• 1/22/2009 interview
• BBCube page