Frank March


St. Paul Globe
January 23, 1902
Frank March
Born: April 29, 1868
Died: December 2, 1901
Goto Baseball Reference for Frank March
p-rfMajors:
No
Minneapolis
Position: p-rf
First game: June 21, 1888
Last game: August 15, 1888
# of games: 5
Signed by Manager Goodling after winning a start in an exhibition game on June 22 against St. Paul. Played four games through July 10.

The St. Paul Globe reported on July 24, 1888 that March had been loaned out to the Lyndales. He played his final Western Association game on August 15, 1888 with the Lyndales when they substituted for the regular Minneapolis club.


Frank March was the star pitcher for the Lyndales, an amateur club in Minneapolis. He pitched for Minneapolis in an exhibition game against St. Paul on June 22, 1888 and allowed only two runs (both solo home runs) on just six hits in a 9-2 win. He was signed by Minneapolis a few days later, went 0-4 in four starts, and was "loaned to the Lyndales" on July 24, per the St. Paul Globe (July 24, 1888, pg. 5). He made his last appearance that season in the game on August 15 with the Lyndales, playing right field. Of all the players for the Lyndales that day, March had the most successful professional career.

March was born in Stafford, New York in April 1868; his father was postmaster in Redwood, MN in 1870, and by 1880 they were in Minneapolis. In the spring of 1889, he went to Kamloops with Charles Watson, ultimately bringing most of the Lyndales club with him. He did appear in one game for Minneapolis in 1889 (an 8-6 loss on August 22 at St. Joseph). In 1890 and 1891, he played with Tacoma in the Pacifc Northwest League, winning 21 games against 11 losses in 1890, but only 4 games against 10 losses in 1891. It was reported in the spring of 1892 that his arm gave out the previous season (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 14, 1892, pg. 2). He did not appear in a professional game again.

After his playing career ended, he started working as an umpire in 1892, first in the Pacific Northwest League, and then in the Montana State League. He gained a reputation as one of the best umpires around.

"Now there was something else new in that game besides the new faces in the infield, and that something was the best umpire that has ever been seen here, in the person of March, the only one who has ever observed the rules of umpiring as laid down in the national agreement. As soon as he went on the field he demonstrated his ability to run the game and he did run it every minute of the time, as the players of the two teams will testify. O'Rourke wasn't in the game three minutes when March threw him out for using what March termed indecent language. He abolished the joshing and guying between players, kept those on the bench who were not at bat or on the coach line, and permitted no coaching when the bases were empty. He caught old Nic at his favorite game of trying to rattle the infield and put him down, and he showwed them all that he wouldn't have any back talk. There wasn't a word out of a player after the first inning and the audience cheered March quite as haertily as it did the pretty plays. Yesterday he was an unqualified success and showed that he is not only thoroughly familiar with the rules, but understands the game from A to Z." (Anaconda Standard, September 10, 1896, pg. 3, citing an article from the St. Paul Dispatch.)

He settled in Butte, Montana, working in hotels there. He umpired in the Pacific Nortwest League, the Montana State League, the Western League, and the Pacific Coast League. He got married in 1899 and moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota, living with his wife's parents and working as a travelling shoe salesman. He was shot on November 30, 1901 and died on December 2, 1901, after a dispute with his former partner. The shooter, W. E. West, was acquitted after a trial on the gorunds that he shot March in self defense.


Batting stats for Minneapolis

DatePosABRBH2B3BHRSBPOAEBBHPBK
6-28-1888p400077
6-30-1888p402030
7-6-1888p3000030
7-10-1888p401080
8-15-1888rf301001
5 Games180400000218000


Pitching stats for Minneapolis

DatePosIPHRERKBBHPBWP
6-28-1888p85514702
6-30-1888p82114102304
7-6-1888p84401200
7-10-1888p8161441100
4 Games3246371581306