Frank Gleich

Frank Elmer Gleich [Inch] (March 7, 1894 - March 27, 1949) was a backup outfielder in Major League Baseball who played from by|1919 through by|1920 for the New York Yankees. Listed at 5' 11.5", 175 lb., Gleich batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Columbus, Ohio. In a two-season career, Gleich was a .133 hitter (6-for-45) with six runs and four RBI in 29 games. He did no hit an extrabase. He made 19 outfield appearances at left field (12), center (5) and right (2), committing four errors in 23 chances for a collective .826 fielding percentage.

Gleich later played in the Pacific Coast League. Following his baseball career, he worked as a police lieutenant for the Pennsylvania Railroad. He also served in the military during World War I. Gleich died in his homeland of Columbus, Ohio at age 55.

Fact

*On July 20, 1920, Babe Ruth drove his new car on a Yankee road trip. About 3 A.M., he was driving near Wawa, Pennsylvania, with wife Helen, team's coach Charley O'Leary, Gleich and teammate Fred Hofmann. When Ruth turned dangerously around a curve, the auto skidded out of control. As the machine went off the road, Helen and O'Leary were thrown clear as it flipped over. Incredibly, no one was hurt as Babe's group proceeded on to Philadelphia. "RUTH REPORTED KILLED IN CAR CRASH" was the headline they found in one local paper, but Ruth was supposedly well enough to purchase a new version of the identical car when he returned to New York.

References

* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Mel_Hoderlein_1923&page=chronology Baseball Library]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/gleicfr01.shtml Baseball Reference]
* [http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/babe-ruth20.htm Howstuffworks]
* [http://thedeadballera.com/Obits/Gleich.Frank.Obit.html The Deadball Era]