Fran Matthews facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fran Matthews |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||
| First baseman | |||
| Born: November 2, 1916 Cambridge, Massachusetts |
|||
| Died: August 24, 1999 (aged 82) Los Angeles, California |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| 1934, for the Philadelphia Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| 1949, for the Boston Royal Giants | |||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
Francis Oliver Matthews (born November 2, 1916 – died August 24, 1999) was a talented baseball player. He played as a first baseman in the Negro leagues. Fran Matthews was born and grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His father was from Barbados.
Matthews went to the famous Rindge Technical School. By the time he finished school in 1935, he was known as one of the best baseball players in the Boston area. He even became the first Black captain of the Rindge Baseball team.
Playing Baseball in the Negro Leagues
From 1935 to 1946, Fran Matthews played for several teams in the Negro leagues. These leagues were for African American players. They played during a time when Black players were not allowed in Major League Baseball.
He mostly played for the Boston Royal Giants and the Newark Eagles. In 1943, he played one game with the Kansas City Monarchs at Fenway Park. Traveling a lot and getting low pay made playing in the Negro leagues very hard.
In 1942, Matthews decided to return to Boston. He started working at the Watertown Arsenal. But he still loved baseball and kept playing. He was one of three Black players on the Watertown Arsenal Boston Park League team for many years.
Military Service and Awards
In 1950, Fran Matthews joined the United States Army. He was sent to Germany in 1952. Later, he served in the Vietnam War.
During his time in Vietnam, he was hurt in his leg. For his injury, he received a special award called the Purple Heart. He also earned the Bronze Star Medal for his brave actions. Matthews finished his military service in 1972 as a first sergeant.
