Image from Old Judge card set	Frank Wells Born: January 22, 1862 Died: March 26, 1945 Goto Baseball Reference for Frank Wells p Majors: No
	Des Moines Position: p First game: April 28, 1888 Last game: June 13, 1888 # of games: 6	With Des Moines at the start of the season. Sold to Sioux City on July 2, 1888 for $400. Player profile from the Des Moines Register (February 26, 1888). Player profile from the Milwaukee Daily Sentinel (March 18, 1889).
	Sioux City Position: p-cf First game: July 4, 1888 Last game: September 30, 1888 # of games: 28	Purchased from Des Moines on July 2, 1888 for $400 and remained with Sioux City for the rest of the season. Player profile from the Des Moines Register (February 26, 1888). Player profile from the Milwaukee Daily Sentinel (March 18, 1889).

Right-handed pitcher Frank "Dad" Wells started his baseball career in Kentucky playing for Frankfort in 1885 along with Luke Schildknecht and Will Shenkel. In 1886, he signed with Decatur, but almost immediately jumped to join Atlanta in the Southern League. He went 15-4 with Atlanta as the team won the league championship. He signed with Des Moines in late October 1886. "Among the players secured are Frank Wells... to whose excellent work is due much of the credit for [Atlanta] gaining the pennant of the Southern League" (Des Moines Register, October 22, 1886). He was described in the papers as five feet seven inches in height and 145 lbs. "He is remarkable for his nerve and staying qualities, which won for him seven fourteen and fifteen inning games last season. He is a prize, and much is looked for from him this season." (Des Moines Register, February 10, 1887).

Frank Wells was a star pitcher with Des Moines in 1887, posting a 25-13 record and a 2.12 ERA in 335 inning. He returned in 1888 and was 4-2 in six starts. Des Moines had four starters when the season began - Wells, Ed Cushman, Ted Kennedy and Fred Smith. With Bill Hutchinson ready to sign in late June, Wells was released to Sioux City, along with catcher Luke Schidknecht, when that club replaced the St. Louis Whites. He was 13-13 with Sioux City and was not retained at the end of the season.

Milwaukee signed Wells in February 1889 for the upcoming season. He pitched in the spring before leaving the club in late April due to an injury. He came back for one game in May before he was released. In late June he was signed by St. Paul (well-014---). He was not very effective with St. Paul and was released before the end of July. "Wells works hard, but doesn't seem to get back his old strategy and speed. He is full of malaria, and must get it out of him before he can do good work again" (St. Paul Globe, July 6, 1889).

Baseball-Reference identifies Wells as playing for Dunkirk in 1890 and Waterbury in 1891. This player was John Wells, a 21 year-old law clerk at Ogdensburg, according to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (March 13, 1890 and June 9, 1890).

Wells made one more attempt at a comeback with Atlanta in 1892. He was signed in early June with much fanfare, due to his role with the championship club of 1886 (Atlanta Constitution, June 9, 1892). However, in his first start, he walked three batters in the first inning (only one scored), hit a batter in the second inning, and was replaced in the third inning. He appeared in one other game for Atlanta, playing center field on June 18. It is unknown when or why he left the club, but that was the end of his baseball career. The Paducah Sun later explained that he "retired with a glass arm" (January 30, 1897).

It is not entirely clear what happened to Wells after his baseball career ended. The Milwaukee Daily Sentinel noted he was born 26 years ago (roughly 1863) and was a potter by trade (March 18, 1889). In the 1880s, there is a Frank Wells, potter, listed in the Louisville street guides. In the 1890s, Frank Wells, potter, again shows up in the street guides. In 1905, Frank J. Wells, potter, lived at 1430 Van Buren, along with Frank Jr., Cora, and Goldie. This was Frank Jesse Wells, who was born in Louisville, Kentucky on January 22, 1862, and he died on March 26, 1945 in Louisville. This was the most likely "Dad" Wells, for a few years a champion pitcher in the south and west.

The Des Moines Register reported on June 15, 1903 that Wells died "recently" at his home in Louisville, Kentucky. The Louisville Courier-Journal reported from Jackson, Ketucky on December 27, 1902 that "Mr. Frank Wells died suddenly last night and was buried by the local Masonic lodge this afternoon." No location was given for a grave. It seems unlikely that this was Frank Wells the pitcher.

Date	Pos	AB	R	BH	2B	3B	HR	SB	PO	A	E	BB	HPB	K
4-28-1888	p	3	0	1				2	0	6	1	1
5-5-1888	p	4	0	2	1			1	0	10	5
5-28-1888	p	6	1	2				0	1	5	1
6-1-1888	p	6	1	1				0	0	6	2
6-10-1888	p	4	0	0				0	1	11	2
6-13-1888	p	4	1	1					0	4	0
6 Games		27	3	7	1	0	0	3	2	42	11	1	0	0

Batting stats for Sioux City

Date	Pos	AB	R	BH	2B	3B	HR	SB	PO	A	E	BB	HPB	K
7-4-1888	p	4	0	1				0	0	6	1
7-5-1888	p	4	1	1				0	0	8	0
7-7-1888	p	2	0	0				0	0	7	0	1
7-9-1888	p	3	0	0				0	0	1	0			1
7-10-1888	cf	4	0	2				0	1	0	0
7-12-1888	p & cf	3	1	0				0	0	4	0
7-15-1888	p	5	2	2				0	4	5	0
7-18-1888	p	4	0	2				0	1	6	0
7-19-1888	cf	4	1	0				1	3	0	0
7-21-1888	p	4	1	2				0	1	3	0
7-23-1888	p	4	1	1				1	1	5	0
7-28-1888	p	5	0	0				0	0	7	1
8-1-1888	p	6	1	1				1	1	8	0
8-8-1888	p	3	0	0				0	0	6	0
8-13-1888	p	4	2	3	1				1	5	0
8-16-1888	p	4	0	1	1			0	0	3	1			1
8-19-1888	p	4	0	0				0	0	5	0
8-26-1888	p	4	0	0				0	0	8	0
8-29-1888	p	5	0	2				0	0	3	1
9-2-1888	p	5	1	1				0	0	5	0
9-5-1888	p	3	0	0				0	0	1	0
9-9-1888	p	3	0	0				0	2	6	0	1
9-12-1888	p	4	1	0				0	0	3	0
9-16-1888	p	4	0	1				0	0	11	0
9-20-1888	p	3	0	0				0	0	7	1
9-23-1888	p	4	1	1				0	0	4	1
9-28-1888	p	2	1	1	1			2	0	10	0
9-30-1888	p	3	1	0				0	0	6	0
28 Games		107	15	22	3	0	0	5	15	143	6	2	0	2

Date	Pos	IP	H	R	ER	K	BB	HPB	WP
4-28-1888	p	9	5	2	1	2	1	0	0
5-5-1888	p	9	4	2	1	3	5	0	0
5-28-1888	p	13	18	8	6	4	0	0	1
6-1-1888	p	9	10	7	4	4	1	0	0
6-10-1888	p	9	7	3	3	7	2	0	0
6-13-1888	p	9	16	13	12	4	0	0	0
6 Games		58	60	35	27	24	9	0	1

Pitching stats for Sioux City

Date	Pos	IP	H	R	ER	K	BB	HPB	WP
7-4-1888	p	9	13	7	6	1	0	0	0
7-5-1888	p	9	8	3	3	2	1	0	0
7-7-1888	p	9	3	0	0	0	2	0	0
7-9-1888	p	9	4	0	0	0	1	0	0
7-12-1888	p & cf	3	20	12	14	2	4	0	0
7-15-1888	p	9	12	7	6	1	3	0	2
7-18-1888	p	9	9	3	3	1	1	0	0
7-21-1888	p	9	10	3	2	1	2	0	0
7-23-1888	p	8	9	6	1	3	0	0	0
7-28-1888	p	10	8	5	3	4	0	0	1
8-1-1888	p	13	18	7	5	6	0	0	2
8-8-1888	p	8	8	4	3	4	1	0	0
8-13-1888	p	9	6	3	2	5	0	0	0
8-16-1888	p	9	9	4	2	0	2	0	0
8-19-1888	p	9	14	8	5	3	3	0	0
8-26-1888	p	9	9	2	2	5	0	0	0
8-29-1888	p	8	17	15	6	3	0	0	0
9-2-1888	p	8.2	7	4	2	2	1	0	0
9-5-1888	p	9	6	4	1	1	2	0	1
9-9-1888	p	9	11	7	4	5	4	0	2
9-12-1888	p	9	8	6	2	2	0	0	1
9-16-1888	p	10	15	8	4	7	0	0	0
9-20-1888	p	8	4	3	1	6	1	0	0
9-23-1888	p	8	6	7	2	2	4	0	0
9-28-1888	p	9	5	2	0	6	2	0	0
9-30-1888	p	8	6	3	0	3	1	0	1
26 Games		227.2	245	133	79	75	35	0	10