Freddie Fitzsimmons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Freddie Fitzsimmons |
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Fitzsimmons on a 1933 Goudey baseball card
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| Pitcher / Manager | |||
| Born: July 28, 1901 Mishawaka, Indiana, U.S. |
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| Died: November 18, 1979 (aged 78) Yucca Valley, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 12, 1925, for the New York Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 16, 1943, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 217–146 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.51 | ||
| Strikeouts | 870 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As manager
As coach
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Frederick Landis Fitzsimmons (born July 28, 1901 – died November 18, 1979) was an American professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher who also worked as a manager and coach. Freddie played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1925 to 1943. He played for the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
People often called him Fat Freddie because he weighed about 205 pounds (93 kg) and was 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall. He was famous for his special pitch called the knuckle curve. Freddie Fitzsimmons won 217 games in his career. This was the third-highest number of wins for a right-handed pitcher in the National League between 1920 and 1955. Only Burleigh Grimes and Paul Derringer won more games.
In 1940, he set a National League record for the best winning percentage in a single season. He won 16 games and lost only 2, which is an .889 winning percentage. This record stood until 1959. Even though he was a big guy, Freddie was very good at fielding. He held a major league record for making the most double plays (79) from 1938 to 1964. He also tied a record by leading the league in putouts four times.
Playing in the Major Leagues
Starting His Baseball Journey
Freddie Fitzsimmons was born in Mishawaka, Indiana. He began his MLB career with the New York Giants in August 1925. In his first year, he had a good start, winning 6 games and losing 3. After that, he continued to improve, winning 14 games in 1926 and 17 games in 1927.
Becoming a Star Pitcher
In 1928, Freddie had his best season, winning 20 games. This was also the year his teammate Carl Hubbell joined the Giants. Until Freddie left in 1937, he and Hubbell formed a very strong pitching team. Freddie was a right-handed pitcher and Hubbell was left-handed.
In 1930, Freddie led the National League with the best winning percentage. He won 19 games and lost 7, which is a .731 percentage. He followed this with another strong season in 1931, winning 18 games and losing 11.
World Series Success
In 1933, Bill Terry became the Giants' manager. Freddie won 16 games that year and had a low earned run average of 2.90. The Giants won the National League championship. In the 1933 World Series against the Washington Senators, Freddie lost Game 3. However, the Giants won the series, which was their first championship since 1922.
Later Years with the Giants
Freddie had another great season in 1934, winning 18 games. He also led the National League in putouts for the fourth time. This tied a major league record set by Grover Cleveland Alexander. However, his performance started to slow down after that.
In 1935, he won 4 games and lost 8. In 1936, he won 10 games and lost 7. The Giants won the National League championship again in 1936. Freddie led the league in shutouts in 1935, meaning he didn't let the other team score any runs in all 4 of his wins.
Moving to the Dodgers
Freddie had a tough start in 1937, winning 6 games and losing 10. In June, he was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Leo Durocher, the Dodgers' shortstop, was happy to have him. He said, "I wish we had nine guys like Fitz. We'd never lose."
Even though his record was 18 wins and 17 losses in 1938 and 1939, he continued to set records. In 1938, he tied a record for 74 career double plays. He broke that record the next year. Warren Spahn later broke Freddie's record in 1964.
Record-Breaking Season
Freddie had an amazing comeback season in 1940. He won 16 games and lost only 2. This gave him an incredible .889 winning percentage. This broke the National League record for best single-season winning percentage. That record stood until Roy Face had an even better season in 1959.
Final Years and Injury
In 1941, Freddie made only 12 starts, winning 6 games and losing 1. The Dodgers won their first championship since 1920 that year. He almost won his first World Series game against the Yankees in Game 3 of the 1941 World Series. He pitched very well, allowing only four hits through seven innings.
However, he had to leave the game after a hard-hit ball struck him in the kneecap. His replacement pitcher gave up two runs, and the Dodgers lost the game 2-1. This injury affected his playing career.
Overall Pitching Stats
Freddie Fitzsimmons finished his career with 217 wins and 146 losses. His winning percentage was .598. He had an ERA of 3.51 and recorded 870 strikeouts. He pitched in 513 games and completed 3,223 and two-thirds innings.
Freddie was also a good hitter for a pitcher. He had a .200 batting average with 112 runs scored and 103 runs batted in. He even hit 14 home runs during his career.
Life as a Manager and Coach
Transition to Coaching
After his knee injury, Freddie Fitzsimmons made only one start in 1942. He then became a coach for the Dodgers, working with player-manager Leo Durocher. In 1943, he made nine more appearances for the Dodgers before being released in July.
Managing the Phillies
The day after he was released, the Philadelphia Phillies hired him as their manager. This ended his playing career. He managed the Phillies until the middle of the 1945 season. During that time, his team won 105 games and lost 181.
Coaching Career
After managing, Fitzsimmons became a coach for several teams. He coached for the Boston Braves in 1948. He then coached for his old team, the New York Giants, from 1949 to 1955. He also coached for the Chicago Cubs in 1957–1959 and again in 1966. In 1960, he coached for the Kansas City Athletics.
As a coach for Leo Durocher's Giants, Freddie finally won another championship. This happened when the Giants won the 1954 World Series.
Legacy of Fielding Records
Freddie Fitzsimmons' record for leading the National League in putouts was eventually broken by Greg Maddux.
Later Life
Freddie Fitzsimmons passed away from a heart attack at age 78 on November 18, 1979. He died in Yucca Valley, California. He is buried at Montecito Memorial Park in Colton, California.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
