Frank Bolling

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Frank Bolling
Second Baseman
Born: November 16, 1931 (1931-11-16) (age 76)
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 13, 1954
for the Detroit Tigers
Final game
September 15, 1966
for the Atlanta Braves
Career statistics
HR     106
AVG     .254
Hits     1415
Teams
Career highlights and awards
  • All-Star in 1961 and 1962
  • Gold Glove in 1958

Frank Elmore Bolling (born November 16, 1931 in Mobile, Alabama) is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1954 through 1966 for the Detroit Tigers (1954, 1956-1960) and with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (1961-66). Bolling batted and threw right-handed. He is the younger brother of shortstop Milt Bolling.

In a 12-season career, Bolling was a .254 hitter with 106 home runs and 556 RBI in 1540 games played.

Bolling reached the Majors in 1954 with the Detroit Tigers, playing during six seasons with them before moving to the Milwaukee Braves in 1961. He was on the Braves roster when the team moved to Atlanta in 1966.

A fine defensive second baseman, Bolling also averaged 14 home runs from 1957-59, with a career-high 15 in 1957. His most productive season came in 1958, when he posted career numbers in hits (164), doubles (27), runs and RBI (75), and won the Gold Glove Award after lead the American League second basemen in fielding percentage. When his brother Milt was traded to Detroit during the same season, the Bollings became one of only four brother combinations in Major League history to play second base/shortstop on the same club. The others are Garvin and Granny Hamner, for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1945; the twins Eddie and Johnny O'Brien with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the mid-1950s, and Cal and Billy Ripken for the Baltimore Orioles during the 1980s.

Traded to the Braves for Bill Bruton after the 1960 season, Bolling led the National League second basemen in fielding in 1961, 1962 and 1964. He made the National League All-Star team in 1961 and 1962, and also was named on The Sporting News NL All-Star Team in 1961. Bolling never played an inning at any position other than second base, ending with a career fielding mark of .982.

[edit] Highlights

  • Four times collected four hits or two home runs in a single game.
  • Hit a grand slam off Sandy Koufax on September 22, 1965.

[edit] External links

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American League Second Baseman Gold Glove Award
1958: Bolling | 1959: Fox | 1960: Fox | 1961: Richardson | 1962: Richardson | 1963: Richardson | 1964: Richardson | 1965: Richardson | 1966: Knoop | 1967: Knoop | 1968: Knoop | 1969: Johnson | 1970: Johnson | 1971: Johnson | 1972: Griffin | 1973: Grich | 1974: Grich | 1975: Grich | 1976: Grich | 1977: White | 1978: White | 1979: White | 1980: White | 1981: White | 1982: White | 1983: Whitaker | 1984: Whitaker | 1985: Whitaker | 1986: White | 1987: White | 1988: Reynolds | 1989: Reynolds | 1990: Reynolds | 1991: Alomar | 1992: Alomar | 1993: Alomar | 1994: Alomar | 1995: Alomar | 1996: Alomar | 1997: Knoblauch | 1998: Alomar | 1999: Alomar | 2000: Alomar | 2001: Alomar | 2002: Boone | 2003: Boone | 2004: Boone | 2005: Hudson | 2006: Grudzielanek | 2007: Polanco
v • d • e
Detroit Tigers Starting Second Basemen

Kid Gleason (1901–02) • Heinie Smith (1903) • Bobby Lowe (1904) • Germany Schaefer (1905–06, 1909) • Red Downs (1908) • Jim Delahanty (1910) • Charley O'Leary (1911) • Baldy Louden (1912) • Ossie Vitt (1913) • Marty Kavanagh (1914) • Ralph Young (1915–21) • George Cutshaw (1922) • Fred Haney (1923) • Del Pratt (1924) • Frank O'Rourke (1925) • Charlie Gehringer (1926–41) • Jimmy Bloodworth (1942–43, 1946) • Eddie Mayo (1944–45, 1947–48) • Neil Berry (1949) • Jerry Priddy (1950–52) • Johnny Pesky (1953) • Frank Bolling (1954, 1956–60) • Fred Hatfield (1955) • Jake Wood (1961–63) • Jerry Lumpe (1964–66) • Dick McAuliffe (1967–73) • Gary Sutherland (1974–75) • Pedro García (1976) • Tito Fuentes (1977) • Lou Whitaker (1978–95) • Scott Fletcher (1995) • Mark Lewis (1996) • Damion Easley (1997–02) • Warren Morris (2003) • Omar Infante (2004) • Plácido Polanco (2005–present)