| Frank Bowerman | |
|---|---|
 Frank Bowerman baseball card | |
| Catcher /Manager | |
| Born:(1868-12-05)December 5, 1868 Romeo, Michigan, U.S. | |
| Died: November 30, 1948(1948-11-30) (aged 79) Romeo, Michigan, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 24, 1895, for the Baltimore Orioles | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 13, 1909, for the Boston Doves | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .250 |
| Home runs | 13 |
| Runs batted in | 393 |
| Managerial record | 22–54 |
| Winning % | .289 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
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Frank Eugene Bowerman (December 5, 1868 – November 30, 1948) was an Americancatcher andmanager inMajor League Baseball with theBaltimore Orioles, thePittsburgh Pirates, theNew York Giants, and theBoston Doves, as well as a player-manager for the Doves in his last season in professional baseball. While always playing in the shadows ofWilbert Robinson andRoger Bresnahan, he was a solid player who could play any position in the diamond, and he even pitched an inning for the Giants in1904. He was also the first to catch Hall-of-FamerChristy Mathewson.
Bowerman was known for having a short fuse, as he repeatedly got into fights with players, umpires, and fans. In one such case in1903, he punched a heckler in the face and was arrested.[citation needed] He also started a fight with managerFred Clarke while with the Pirates and gave him a black eye.
The Doves hired him as manager during the1909 season, but his fiery temper did not go well with his team, and he was relegated to player-only status after only 76 games.
In 1037 games over 15 seasons, Bowerman posted a .250batting average (853-for-3410) with 345runs, 13home runs, 393RBI and 81stolen bases. He finished his career with a .965fielding percentage.
Bowerman died in his birthplace ofRomeo, Michigan on November 30, 1948, at the age of 79.