Frank Bolling
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1954-1966)
Frank Bolling was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1954 to 1966 for the Detroit Tigers, the Milwaukee Braves, and the Atlanta Braves, a span of 13 seasons. In 1,540 career games, he hit .254 with 1,415 hits, 106 home runs, and 556 RBI. Frank Bolling was a 2-time All-Star and a Gold Glove.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 175 lb
- Died
- 7/11/2020 in Mobile, AL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1954-04-13
- Last Game
- 1966-09-15
- Awards
- 2× All-Star · Gold Glove
Full name: Francis Elmore Bolling
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,540 | 5,562 | 692 | 1,415 | 221 | 40 | 106 | 556 | 40 | 462 | 558 | .254 | .313 | .366 | .679 | -3,627 |
Career AVG .254 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .313 vs. league average .321 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .366 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — 5.3% below league average.
Career OPS .679 vs. league average .707 across their career seasons — near league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | DET | AL | 117 | 368 | 46 | 87 | 15 | 2 | 6 | 38 | 3 | 36 | 51 | .236 | .261 (-9%) | .333 (-9%) | .390 (-14%) | .723 (-12%) | -698.2 |
| 1956 | DET | AL | 102 | 366 | 53 | 103 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 45 | 6 | 42 | 51 | .281 | .258 (+9%) | .331 (+7%) | .397 (+9%) | .728 (+8%) | 542.5 |
| 1957 | DET | AL | 146 | 576 | 72 | 149 | 27 | 6 | 15 | 40 | 4 | 57 | 64 | .259 | .257 (avg) | .323 (+1%) | .391 (+3%) | .715 (+2%) | 271.1 |
| 1958 | DET | AL | 154 | 610 | 91 | 164 | 25 | 4 | 14 | 75 | 6 | 54 | 54 | .269 | .257 (+4%) | .324 (+1%) | .394 (-1%) | .719 (avg) | -21.9 |
| 1959 | DET | AL | 127 | 459 | 56 | 122 | 18 | 3 | 13 | 55 | 2 | 45 | 37 | .266 | .256 (+4%) | .323 (+5%) | .392 (+3%) | .715 (+4%) | 401.1 |
| 1960 | DET | AL | 139 | 536 | 64 | 136 | 20 | 4 | 9 | 59 | 7 | 40 | 48 | .254 | .255 (-1%) | .323 (-5%) | .387 (-8%) | .711 (-7%) | -557.8 |
| 1961 | ML1 | NL | 148 | 585 | 86 | 153 | 16 | 4 | 15 | 56 | 7 | 57 | 62 | .262 | .258 (+1%) | .328 (avg) | .399 (-5%) | .727 (-3%) | -200.1 |
| 1962 | ML1 | NL | 122 | 406 | 45 | 110 | 17 | 4 | 9 | 43 | 2 | 35 | 45 | .271 | .257 (+5%) | .326 (+2%) | .393 (+1%) | .719 (+2%) | 124.6 |
| 1963 | ML1 | NL | 142 | 542 | 73 | 132 | 18 | 2 | 5 | 43 | 2 | 41 | 47 | .244 | .246 (-1%) | .308 (-3%) | .371 (-16%) | .680 (-10%) | -793.3 |
| 1964 | ML1 | NL | 120 | 352 | 35 | 70 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 34 | 0 | 21 | 44 | .199 | .250 (-21%) | .312 (-21%) | .377 (-26%) | .690 (-24%) | -1338.9 |
| 1965 | ML1 | NL | 148 | 535 | 55 | 141 | 26 | 3 | 7 | 50 | 0 | 24 | 41 | .264 | .245 (+7%) | .310 (-5%) | .371 (-2%) | .682 (-4%) | -390.7 |
| 1966 | ATL | NL | 75 | 227 | 16 | 48 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 10 | 14 | .211 | .248 (-15%) | .309 (-21%) | .376 (-32%) | .685 (-27%) | -964.8 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 1,540 | 5,562 | 692 | 1,415 | 221 | 40 | 106 | 556 | 40 | 462 | 558 | .254 | — | — | — | — | -3,627 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1540 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 755 | 2691 | 353 | 702 | 47 | 264 | .261 |
| Away | 785 | 2871 | 339 | 713 | 59 | 292 | .248 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966-09-15 | ATL | CHC | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966-09-14 | ATL | CHC | W | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1966-09-05 | ATL | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966-09-03 | ATL | HOU | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966-09-02 | ATL | HOU | W | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966-09-01 | ATL | STL | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1966-08-31 | ATL | STL | W | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966-08-30 | ATL | CHC | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966-08-29 | ATL | CHC | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966-08-24 | ATL | LAD | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 1518 | 1446 | 3423 | 4019 | 136 | 1003 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | DET | 2B | 113 | 100 | 248 | 232 | 13 | 54 |
| 1956 | DET | 2B | 102 | 99 | 223 | 260 | 11 | 72 |
| 1957 | DET | 2B | 146 | 144 | 394 | 401 | 16 | 112 |
| 1958 | DET | 2B | 154 | 154 | 342 | 445 | 12 | 109 |
| 1959 | DET | 2B | 126 | 126 | 281 | 340 | 8 | 81 |
| 1960 | DET | 2B | 138 | 137 | 375 | 377 | 17 | 93 |
| 1961 | ML1 | 2B | 148 | 145 | 326 | 489 | 10 | 112 |
| 1962 | ML1 | 2B | 119 | 112 | 252 | 298 | 6 | 70 |
| 1963 | ML1 | 2B | 141 | 137 | 326 | 379 | 14 | 107 |
| 1964 | ML1 | 2B | 117 | 94 | 212 | 255 | 7 | 68 |
| 1965 | ML1 | 2B | 147 | 141 | 310 | 393 | 17 | 90 |
| 1966 | ATL | 2B | 67 | 57 | 134 | 150 | 5 | 35 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 1518 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1958 | Gold Glove | 2B |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Hill College | Mobile | AL | 1951 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 16th | 10.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1956 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 27th | 3.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Frank Bolling (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Frank Bolling: the record in brief
The profile opens with Frank Bolling's first major league game on April 13, 1954; the last one listed came on September 15, 1966. The team column moves through the Detroit Tigers (1954 to 1960), the Milwaukee Braves (1961 to 1965), and the Atlanta Braves (1966). At 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, Bolling is listed as a second baseman. The bio says Bolling threw and hit right-handed. Bolling was born on November 16, 1931, in Mobile, AL, USA. Bolling died on July 11, 2020, in Mobile, AL, USA. Bolling's full given name, per the bio, is Francis Elmore Bolling.
Bolling collected 1,415 hits in 5,562 at bats across 1,540 games, good for a .254 batting average, plus 106 home runs, 556 runs batted in, and 40 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .313 clip and slugging .366, Bolling finished with a .679 OPS. The .254 career average is close to the .254 the league hit across the same seasons. 1957 was Bolling's biggest home run year, with 15. Bolling collected a career-high 164 hits in 1958.
Frequently Asked Questions about Frank Bolling
- What years did Frank Bolling play?
- Frank Bolling played in Major League Baseball from 1954 to 1966.
- Was Frank Bolling a pitcher?
- No. Frank Bolling was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Frank Bolling hit?
- Frank Bolling hit 106 career home runs with 1,415 hits.
- What teams did Frank Bolling play for?
- Frank Bolling played for 2 teams: the Detroit Tigers (1954, 1956–1960) and the Atlanta Braves (1961–1966).
- Did Frank Bolling win an MVP award?
- No. Frank Bolling did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Frank Bolling win?
- Frank Bolling won the Gold Glove (1958). He was selected to 2 All-Star Games.
- What were Frank Bolling's career stats?
- In 1,540 games, Frank Bolling had 1,415 hits, 106 home runs, 556 RBI, 692 runs, and 40 stolen bases, with a .254 batting average.
- What position did Frank Bolling play?
- Frank Bolling played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Frank Bolling and how much did he weigh?
- Frank Bolling was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 175 pounds.
- How many home runs did Frank Bolling hit each season?
- Frank Bolling's home runs by season: 6 in 1954, 7 in 1956, 15 in 1957, 14 in 1958, 13 in 1959, 9 in 1960, 15 in 1961, 9 in 1962, 5 in 1963, 5 in 1964, 7 in 1965, and 1 in 1966. His most in one season was 15, in 1957 and 1961.
- What was Frank Bolling's career batting average?
- Frank Bolling batted .254 over his career, with 1,415 hits in 5,562 at bats.
- How many RBI did Frank Bolling have?
- Frank Bolling drove in 556 runs in his career.
- Is Frank Bolling in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Frank Bolling has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Frank Bolling make?
- Frank Bolling was selected to 2 All-Star Games.