Frederick Boardman

Frederick Stanley Boardman

• Bats Unknown, Throws Unknown

• Debut August 29, 1874
• Final Game August 29, 1874
• Born February 18, 1851 in St. Joseph, MO USA
• Died April 12, 1941 in Indianapolis, IN USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Frederick Boardman played one game as an outfielder for the Baltimore Canaries of the National Association on August 29, 1874, going 1 for 4. The game was played in Chicago, and it was assumed that Boardman was a local player who had been rounded up by the Baltimore team for that one game. A person with the same name also umpired seven games during the 1875 season, four of them in Keokuk, IA in May and the last three in Chicago. For over 130 years, that was the entirety of what was known about him, and researchers were not optimistic about ever finding out more.

Census records show Boardman living in Chicago in both 1870 and 1910. The latter lists him as 59 years old and born in Missouri. His last appearance in the Chicago city directories dates to 1917. The one useful clue for researcher Peter Morris was a note in the 1910 Census record stating Boardman was living with his stepson named John Bailly. Morris was able to find Bailly's World War I draft registration card which showed him as living in Indianapolis. Further research in Indianapolis located both Bailly and Boardman's graves at Crown Hill Cemetery. With this information, and Boardman's burial date from cemetery records, another researcher was able to find Boardman's obituary in the Indianapolis Star which listed complete birth and death details, and even confirmed that he was a former professional ballplayer in Chicago in the days when fielders did not wear gloves.

Further Reading

• "Fred Boardman", in Bill Carle, ed.: Biographical Research Committee Report, SABR, January/February 2011, p. 1.

Related Sites

• Frederick Boardman at the SABR Bio Project