Frank Sellman

Charles Francis Sellman or Selman (1852 – May 6, 1907) was an American professional baseball player. He played catcher and other positions for five different teams during the five seasons of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, 1871 to 1875. He also played under the name of "Frank C. Williams."

In 1869, the 16- and 17-year-old Sellman participated in the first professional pennant race for the Maryland club of Baltimore. He was the regular shortstop, played in 19 of 27 games on record, and scored 42 runs, a little below the team average rate.^[1] He was a Baltimore native like most of his teammates. He returned to that club for one game in 1873, its only season in the professional Association.

The Kekionga club of Fort Wayne, Indiana hired several Baltimore natives in order to compete in the first professional league, the 1871 NA. Sellman was one. It would be his only league season as a regular player. As a frequent or infrequent substitute during the leagues remaining four seasons, he played for two teams based in Baltimore and two based in Washington, D.C.

It seems plausible that his ability to play the catcher position was crucial to his career, but he proved to be a capable batter in 1874, his last season with significant playing time. In twelve of 47 games, six as catcher, he scored 9 runs on 16 hits. Only one regular player scored or hit safely at higher rates. (On the other hand, Sellman's occasional action may have been against weaker than average opposition.)

Sellman played one game early in the 1875 season, at age 22 or 23, and never appeared in the National League that succeeded the NA next year.

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)