Frank Elmer Huelsman (June 5, 1874 – June 9, 1959) was an American professional baseball left fielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Browns (NL), Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns (AL), and Washington Senators.
| Frank Huelsman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Left fielder | |
| Born: June 5, 1874 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| Died: June 9, 1959 (aged 85) Affton, Missouri, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| October 3, 1897, for the St. Louis Browns | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 5, 1905, for the Washington Senators | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .258 |
| Home runs | 5 |
| Runs batted in | 97 |
| Teams | |
A true baseball nomad, Huelsman started his major league career late in 1897 with St. Louis Browns of the National League, hitting for a .286 average (2-for-7) in two games. Out of the majors for six full seasons, he later achieved the rare distinction of being the first player in major league history to play for four different teams in a season.[1]
Huelsman reached the American League in 1904, appearing in three games with the Chicago White Sox before moving to the Detroit Tigers, the White Sox again, the new St. Louis Browns, and the Washington Senators. He hit .245 (97-for-396) in 112 games that season, including two home runs and 35 RBI.
In January 1905, the Boston Americans obtained outfielder George Stone from the Senators. Then, the Browns reclaimed Huelsman from Washington, where he had been on loan, and sent him along with outfielder Jesse Burkett to Boston in exchange for Stone. Boston then sent Huelsman back to Washington in payment for Stone. For Huelsman, it was his eighth transaction in less than a year.[2] Nevertheless, he enjoyed a good season with the Senators, hitting .271 with three home runs and 62 RBI in 121 games, including 48 runs, 28 doubles, eight triples, and 11 stolen bases – all career-numbers, but he was sent down in 1906, and was never called back up.
In a three-season career, Huelsman was a .258 hitter with five home runs and 97 RBI in 235 games.
Following his Major League Baseball career, Huelsman became a minor league star, compiling a .342 career average over nearly 20 years, including five batting titles and six RBI titles. While playing for the Salt Lake City Skyscrapers in the Class D Union Association, Huelsman won two Triple Crowns between 1911 and 1913, narrowly missing a third Triple Crown in 1912 by .002 points in batting average.[3]
Huelsman died in Affton, Missouri, just four days after his 85th birthday.
References
edit- ^ "Frank of All Trades". thisgreatgame.com. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
- ^ Nemec, David (2012). The Rank and File of 19th Century Major League Baseball: Biographies of 1,084 Players, Owners, Managers and Umpires. United States: McFarland Publishing. p. 314. ISBN 978-0786468904.
- ^ Weeks, Jonathan (2012). Cellar Dwellers: The Worst Teams in Baseball History. United States: Scarecrow Press. p. 216. ISBN 9780810885325.