Frank Elton Snyder (May 27, 1895 – January 5, 1962), was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1912 to 1927 for the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals.[1] Nicknamed Pancho, Snyder was of Mexican descent on his mother's side.[2]
| Frank Snyder | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Catcher | |
| Born: May 27, 1895 San Antonio, Texas, U.S. | |
| Died: January 5, 1962 (aged 66) San Antonio, Texas, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 18, 1912, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 29, 1927, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .265 |
| Home runs | 47 |
| Runs batted in | 525 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| As player
As coach | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Major league career
editSnyder began his major league career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1912 at the age of 18.[1] He was traded to the New York Giants in the middle of the 1919 season.[3] Snyder was a member of John McGraw's New York Giants teams that won four consecutive National League pennants between 1921 and 1924 and played on two World Series winners in 1921 and 1922.[1]
Snyder also homered in the final game of the 1923 World Series, but the Yankees staged a comeback to defeat the Giants.
During that period, Snyder posted a batting average above .300 three times, with a .320 average in 1921, a .343 average in 1922 and a .302 average in 1924.[1] Snyder hit the first major league home run in the history of Braves Field in 1922.[4] It was the first home run hit in the seven seasons played at the cavernous ballpark. In 1926, he was selected off waivers by the St. Louis Cardinals.[1] He played for the Cardinals in 1927 before retiring at the end of the season at the age of 33.[1]
Career statistics
editIn a sixteen-year major league career, Snyder played in 1,392 games, accumulating 1,122 hits in 4,229 at bats for a .265 career batting average along with 44 triples, 47 home runs and 525 runs batted in.[1] A good defensive player, his .981 career fielding average was 8 points higher than the league average over the span of his playing career.[1] Snyder led National League catchers in fielding percentage three times: in 1914, 1923 and 1925.[5] He also led the league twice in putouts and caught stealing percentage and, once in assists and in baserunners caught stealing.[1] His 204 assists as a catcher in 1915 is the seventh highest single-season total in major league baseball history.[6] His 1,332 career assists rank him 17th all-time among major league catchers.[7]
Richard Kendall of the Society for American Baseball Research devised an unscientific study that ranked Snyder as the ninth-most dominating fielding catcher in major league history.[8] His reputation as a defensive standout is enhanced because of the era in which he played. In the Deadball Era, catchers played a huge defensive role, given the large number of bunts and stolen base attempts, as well as the difficulty of handling the spitball pitchers who dominated pitching staffs.[9]
Coaching career
editAfter his playing career, he served as a coach for the New York Giants, and was a minor league manager.[10]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i Frank Snyder at Baseball Reference
- ^ James, Bill (2001). The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. New York: Free Press. pp. 409. ISBN 0-684-80697-5.
- ^ Frank Snyder Trades and Transactions at Baseball Almanac
- ^ Frank, Stanley (July 1947). Diamonds Are Rough All Over. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help)[permanent dead link] - ^ Baseball Digest, July 2001, Vol. 60, No. 7[permanent dead link], ISSN 0005-609X
- ^ "Single-Season Leaders & Records for Assists as Catcher". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Assists as Catcher". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ Dominating Fielding Catchers at The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers
- ^ "For Catchers, The Name of the Game is Defense", by George Vass, Baseball Digest, May 2005, Vol. 64, No. 3], ISSN 0005-609X
- ^ Frank Snyder Minor league Manager record at Baseball Reference
External links
edit
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference
- Frank Snyder at Find a Grave