Fred Osborn

William Pearl Osborn
(Ossie)

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9", Weight 178 lb.

• Debut June 8, 1907
• Final Game July 24, 1909
• Born November 28, 1883 in Nevada, OH USA
• Died September 2, 1954 in Upper Sandusky, OH USA

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Biographical Information

"Wolverton said he has two cracks in Wilfred Osborn, the Rochester recruit, and C. H. Coleman, the Tacoma third baseman. Wolverton said he heard that Osborn is a hard and consistent batter, who should be able to hold down a position in any big league outfield." - from Sporting Life of January 27, 1912, although Osborn ended up playing another year for Rochester in 1912

Before there was Ozzie Ozbourne, there was Ossie Osborn, also known as Fred Osborn though his given first name was William (there was also an Ozzie Osborn who played in the majors in 1975). Fred / Ossie played three years in the majors, with 1908 his only full year. In that year, he hit 12 triples, good for ninth in the league. He played centerfield, while the other two outfielders were Sherry Magee and John Titus.

Osborn played for Rochester from 1909-12 and Louisville from 1913-15. For the 1913 Louisville Colonels, a team full of former and future major leaguers, Osborn led the team in games played, batting average and triples.