Frank Selee
Encyclopedia
Frank Gibson Selee was an American
Major League Baseball
manager
in the National League
(NL). In his 16 year Major League career, he managed the Boston Beaneaters (Atlanta Braves)
for 12 seasons, and the Chicago Orphans (Cubs)
for four.
He was noted for his ability to assess and utilize talent, which gave his teams a great opportunity to be successful. His success is measurable in that he won five NL titles with the Beaneaters, including three year in a row from 1891 to 1893. After he left Boston, he went on to manage in Chicago where built the basis for the Cubs' later success by signing and utilizing the talents of Frank Chance
, Joe Tinker
, and Johnny Evers
. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
in 1999 for his managerial achievements.
. He has been described as a "balding little man with a modest demeanor and a formidable mustache that gave his face a melancholy cast", and shy and reticent in public. He left a factory job in Waltham, Massachusetts
in 1884 to form a minor league
team. His was success in the minors, which led his eventual move to the Major Leagues in 1890.
Noted for having a keen ability to assess talent, Selee managed the Boston Beaneaters
(1890–1901) and the Chicago Cubs
(1902–1905). His Beaneaters captured five NL pennants during his tenure (1891–93, 1897–98). His 1892 team, aided by the first 150-game schedule in history, became the first team to win 100 games in a season.
With the Cubs, he created the famous Tinker
to Evers
to Chance
infield combination, by converting Frank Chance from catcher
to first base
, Joe Tinker from third base
to shortstop
, and Johnny Evers from shortstop to second base
. In all, twelve of his players went on be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
.
In June, 1905, he became too ill to manage and surrendered his team to Chance, who went on lead the Cubs to four National League titles and two World Series
victories. The last Cubs' title under Chance in 1910, eight of top thirteen players from the 1905 team were still major contributors. In total, he had 1,284 victories in 2,180 games as manager during his 16 year career, with a winning percentage of .598.
(tuberculosis) at the age of 49 in Denver, Colorado
, and was interred at Wyoming Cemetery in Melrose, Massachusetts
. In 1999, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee
for his achievements as a manager. He is one of only two people from New Hampshire
to inducted into the Hall of Fame. The other was Carlton Fisk
, who was enshrined in 2000.
, which involved Marty
and the Brown children traveling back to 1891 to help one of Marty's ancestors, a player for the Beaneaters, to improve his game.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
(NL). In his 16 year Major League career, he managed the Boston Beaneaters (Atlanta Braves)
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
for 12 seasons, and the Chicago Orphans (Cubs)
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
for four.
He was noted for his ability to assess and utilize talent, which gave his teams a great opportunity to be successful. His success is measurable in that he won five NL titles with the Beaneaters, including three year in a row from 1891 to 1893. After he left Boston, he went on to manage in Chicago where built the basis for the Cubs' later success by signing and utilizing the talents of Frank Chance
Frank Chance
Frank Leroy Chance was a Major League Baseball player at the turn of the 20th century. Performing the roles of first baseman and manager, Chance led the Chicago Cubs to four National League championships in the span of five years and earned the nickname "The Peerless Leader".Chance was elected to...
, Joe Tinker
Joe Tinker
Joseph Bert Tinker was a Major League Baseball player and manager. He is best known for his years with the Chicago Cubs dynasty which won four pennants between 1906 and 1910; and for his feud with double play partner Johnny Evers. Tinker was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in...
, and Johnny Evers
Johnny Evers
John Joseph Evers was a Major League Baseball player and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1946...
. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
in 1999 for his managerial achievements.
Career
Selee was born in Amherst, New HampshireAmherst, New Hampshire
Amherst is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,201 at the 2010 census. Amherst is home to Ponemah Bog Wildlife Sanctuary, Hodgman State Forest, the Joe English Reservation and Baboosic Lake....
. He has been described as a "balding little man with a modest demeanor and a formidable mustache that gave his face a melancholy cast", and shy and reticent in public. He left a factory job in Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...
in 1884 to form a minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
team. His was success in the minors, which led his eventual move to the Major Leagues in 1890.
Noted for having a keen ability to assess talent, Selee managed the Boston Beaneaters
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(1890–1901) and the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
(1902–1905). His Beaneaters captured five NL pennants during his tenure (1891–93, 1897–98). His 1892 team, aided by the first 150-game schedule in history, became the first team to win 100 games in a season.
With the Cubs, he created the famous Tinker
Joe Tinker
Joseph Bert Tinker was a Major League Baseball player and manager. He is best known for his years with the Chicago Cubs dynasty which won four pennants between 1906 and 1910; and for his feud with double play partner Johnny Evers. Tinker was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in...
to Evers
Johnny Evers
John Joseph Evers was a Major League Baseball player and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1946...
to Chance
Frank Chance
Frank Leroy Chance was a Major League Baseball player at the turn of the 20th century. Performing the roles of first baseman and manager, Chance led the Chicago Cubs to four National League championships in the span of five years and earned the nickname "The Peerless Leader".Chance was elected to...
infield combination, by converting Frank Chance from catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
to first base
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
, Joe Tinker from third base
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
to shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, and Johnny Evers from shortstop to second base
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
. In all, twelve of his players went on be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
.
In June, 1905, he became too ill to manage and surrendered his team to Chance, who went on lead the Cubs to four National League titles and two World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
victories. The last Cubs' title under Chance in 1910, eight of top thirteen players from the 1905 team were still major contributors. In total, he had 1,284 victories in 2,180 games as manager during his 16 year career, with a winning percentage of .598.
Post-career
Selee died of consumptionTuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
(tuberculosis) at the age of 49 in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, and was interred at Wyoming Cemetery in Melrose, Massachusetts
Melrose, Massachusetts
-Government:Robert J. Dolan is the mayor. Melrose is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by Paul Brodeur . Katherine Clark is the state senator for wards 1 through 5 and Thomas McGee is the state senator for wards 6 and 7. Melrose is part of the seventh Congressional...
. In 1999, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee
Veterans Committee
The Veterans Committee is the popular name of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Committee to Consider Managers, Umpires, Executives and Long-Retired Players, a committee of the U.S...
for his achievements as a manager. He is one of only two people from New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
to inducted into the Hall of Fame. The other was Carlton Fisk
Carlton Fisk
Carlton Ernest Fisk , nicknamed "Pudge" or "The Commander", is a former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 24-year baseball career, he played for both the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox .Fisk was known by the nickname "Pudge" due to his 6'2", 220 lb frame...
, who was enshrined in 2000.
Cultural references
An animated representation of Selee appeared, as a speaking role, by name, in the 1991 episode "Batter Up" in Back to the Future: The Animated SeriesBack to the Future: The Animated Series
Back to the Future: The Animated Series is an animated series for television based on the Back to the Future trilogy of feature films. The series lasted two seasons, each featuring 13 episodes, and ran on CBS from September 7, 1991 to November 28, 1992. It reran until August 14, 1993...
, which involved Marty
Marty McFly
Martin Seamus "Marty" McFly, Sr. is the protagonist in the Back to the Future film trilogy, and is portrayed by actor Michael J. Fox. Marty was also the protagonist in the animated series where he was voiced by David Kaufman...
and the Brown children traveling back to 1891 to help one of Marty's ancestors, a player for the Beaneaters, to improve his game.
External links
- Baseball-Reference.com - managerial statistics and analysis
- Baseball Hall of Fame biography