Frank Gleich
Encyclopedia
Frank Elmer Gleich [Inch] (March 7, 1894 - March 27, 1949) was a backup outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...

 in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 who played from through for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...

. Listed at 5' 11.5", 175 lb., Gleich batted left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...

 and threw right-handed. He was born in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

.

In a two-season career, Gleich was a .133 hitter (6-for-45) with six runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...

 and four RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...

 in 29 games. He did no hit an extrabase. He made 19 outfield appearances at left field (12), center (5) and right (2), committing four errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...

 in 23 chances
Total chances
In baseball statistics, total chances , also called chances offered, represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is calculated as follows: Total Chances = assists + putouts + errors. Chances accepted refers to the total of putouts and assists only. Fielding...

 for a collective .826 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...

.

Gleich later played in the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...

. Following his baseball career, he worked as a police lieutenant for the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

. He also served in the military during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. Gleich died in his homeland of Columbus, Ohio at age 55.

Fact

  • On July 20, 1920, Babe Ruth
    Babe Ruth
    George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...

     drove his new car on a Yankee road trip. About 3 A.M., he was driving near Wawa, Pennsylvania
    Wawa, Pennsylvania
    Wawa is an unincorporated community located in Middletown Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Named for the Ojibwe word for "goose" ,Wawa was originally known as Grubb's Bridge...

    , with wife Helen, team's coach Charley O'Leary
    Charley O'Leary
    Charles Timothy O'Leary was a Major League Baseball shortstop who played eleven seasons with the Detroit Tigers , St. Louis Cardinals , and St. Louis Browns ....

    , Gleich and teammate Fred Hofmann
    Fred Hofmann
    Fred Hofmann , nicknamed "Bootnose," was a catcher , coach and scout in Major League Baseball, as well a player and manager in the Minor Leagues. Listed at , , Hofmann batted and threw right-handed. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri.Hofmann began his baseball career as a grade school catcher in...

    . When Ruth turned dangerously around a curve, the auto skidded out of control. As the machine went off the road, Helen and O'Leary were thrown clear as it flipped over. Incredibly, no one was hurt as Babe's group proceeded on to Philadelphia. RUTH REPORTED KILLED IN CAR CRASH was the headline they found in one local paper, but Ruth was supposedly well enough to purchase a new version of the identical car when he returned to New York.
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