Frank Warfield
| Frank Warfield | |
|---|---|
 Warfield at the 1924 Colored World Series. | |
| Second baseman | |
| Born: April 26, 1897 Indianapolis, Indiana | |
| Died: July 24, 1932 (aged 35) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| debut | |
| 1914, for the Indianapolis ABCs | |
| Last appearance | |
| 1932, for the Washington Pilots | |
| Negro league statistics | |
| Plate appearances | 3565 |
| Batting average | .254 |
| Home runs | 13 |
| Managerial record at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| |
Francis Xavier Warfield (April 26, 1897 – July 24, 1932) was an infielder and manager in the Negro leagues.
Career
Standing at just 5'7", Warfield was known primarily for his fielding and baserunning excellence, but he also had several good years at the plate. In 1922, he hit .342 for the Detroit Stars. He played on the Hilldale teams that won the Eastern Colored League pennants from 1923 to 1925.
Warfield became player-manager of the Baltimore Black Sox in 1929 and led them to the Negro American League championship. He and teammates Oliver Marcelle, Dick Lundy, and Jud Wilson became known as the "Million Dollar Infield" because their collective talents may have been worth $1,000,000 to the major leagues had they been white. Baseball writer Bill James ranked Warfield as the eighth-greatest second baseman in negro league history, calling him a "complete defensive wizard".[3]
Warfield was known to have a violent nature that led to arguments, and he once bit off part of Oliver Marcelle's nose in a fight over a dice game.[4]
Warfield died of a heart attack in 1932.
References
- ^ "Hilldale Wins Final" Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Friday, August 8, 1919, Page 14, Column 4
- ^ "With Taber on Mound Chester Beats Hilldale" Chester Times, Chester, PA, Tuesday, July 29, 1924, Page 6, Column 1
- ^ James, Bill (2001). The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. The Free Press. p. 183.
- ^ The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia. Sterling Publishing. 2007. p. 1699. ISBN 1-4027-4771-3.
External links
- Negro league baseball statistics and player information from Seamheads.com, or Baseball Reference (Negro leagues)
- Negro League Baseball Museum
- Negro League Baseball Players Association biography