Frank Chance
⭐ Hall of Fame 1946
Born: 9/9/1876 in Fresno, CA, USA
Died: 9/15/1924 in Los Angeles, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1898-04-29 | Final Game: 1914-04-21
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 190 lbs
Full name: Frank Leroy Chance
Biography
Frank Chance, born in 1876, was a prominent position player whose career spanned from 1898 to 1914. He was known for his exceptional batting skills and strategic base running, culminating in a lifetime batting average of .296 over 1,288 games. Chance recorded 1,274 hits, including 20 home runs and 596 runs batted in (RBIs), while also showcasing his speed on the bases with 403 stolen bases. His prolific offensive contributions solidified his status as one of the leading players of his era, during a time when the game was transitioning into a more dynamic style of play.
Chance was a key figure in the Chicago Cubs' success during the early 1900s, and he played an instrumental role in leading the team to four National League pennants and two World Series championships in 1907 and 1908. His leadership on the field was characterized by his aggressive approach and keen baseball intellect, which earned him respect from teammates and opponents alike. In recognition of his impactful career, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946, cementing his legacy in the annals of baseball history as both a player and a tactician.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1288 | 4299 | 798 | 1274 | 200 | 79 | 20 | 596 | 403 | 556 | 320 | 0.296 | 0.394 | 0.394 | 0.788 | 20250.9 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1898 | CHC | NL | 53 | 147 | 32 | 41 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0.279 | 81.2 |
| 1899 | CHC | NL | 64 | 192 | 37 | 55 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 10 | 15 | 9 | 0.286 | 4.5 |
| 1900 | CHC | NL | 56 | 149 | 26 | 44 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 8 | 15 | 12 | 0.295 | 522.3 |
| 1901 | CHC | NL | 69 | 241 | 38 | 67 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 36 | 27 | 29 | 24 | 0.278 | 459.6 |
| 1902 | CHC | NL | 76 | 242 | 40 | 70 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 31 | 29 | 37 | 23 | 0.289 | 900.2 |
| 1903 | CHC | NL | 125 | 441 | 83 | 144 | 24 | 10 | 2 | 81 | 67 | 78 | 41 | 0.327 | 3196.0 |
| 1904 | CHC | NL | 124 | 451 | 89 | 140 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 49 | 42 | 36 | 21 | 0.310 | 2556.8 |
| 1905 | CHC | NL | 118 | 392 | 92 | 124 | 16 | 12 | 2 | 70 | 38 | 78 | 26 | 0.316 | 3440.4 |
| 1906 | CHC | NL | 136 | 474 | 103 | 151 | 24 | 10 | 3 | 71 | 57 | 70 | 31 | 0.319 | 3537.6 |
| 1907 | CHC | NL | 111 | 382 | 58 | 112 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 49 | 35 | 51 | 21 | 0.293 | 1864.3 |
| 1908 | CHC | NL | 129 | 452 | 65 | 123 | 27 | 4 | 2 | 55 | 27 | 37 | 37 | 0.272 | 1324.3 |
| 1909 | CHC | NL | 93 | 324 | 53 | 88 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 46 | 29 | 30 | 32 | 0.272 | 633.5 |
| 1910 | CHC | NL | 88 | 295 | 54 | 88 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 36 | 16 | 37 | 15 | 0.298 | 1281.7 |
| 1911 | CHC | NL | 31 | 88 | 23 | 21 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 9 | 25 | 13 | 0.239 | 448.4 |
| 1912 | CHC | NL | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0.200 | 0.0 |
| 1913 | NYY | AL | 12 | 24 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0.208 | 0.0 |
| 1914 | NYY | AL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 70 | 11 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 0.300 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | WS | CHN | 5 | 17 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0.353 |
| 1908 | WS | CHN | 5 | 19 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0.421 |
| 1907 | WS | CHN | 4 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0.154 |
| 1906 | WS | CHN | 6 | 21 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.238 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 997 | 786 | 9885 | 615 | 135 | 470 |
| C | 187 | 1 | 572 | 192 | 38 | 15 |
| OF | 73 | 0 | 88 | 12 | 12 | 1 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1898 | CHN | C | 33 | 0 | 62 | 14 | 4 | 3 |
| 1898 | CHN | 1B | 3 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1898 | CHN | OF | 17 | 0 | 23 | 5 | 7 | 1 |
| 1899 | CHN | C | 57 | 0 | 166 | 64 | 12 | 6 |
| 1899 | CHN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899 | CHN | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1900 | CHN | C | 51 | 0 | 155 | 65 | 16 | 2 |
| 1900 | CHN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1901 | CHN | C | 13 | 0 | 55 | 20 | 1 | 2 |
| 1901 | CHN | 1B | 6 | 0 | 27 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| 1901 | CHN | OF | 51 | 0 | 61 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| 1902 | CHN | C | 30 | 0 | 118 | 28 | 4 | 2 |
| 1902 | CHN | 1B | 38 | 0 | 391 | 20 | 13 | 21 |
| 1902 | CHN | OF | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903 | CHN | C | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1903 | CHN | 1B | 121 | 0 | 1204 | 68 | 36 | 49 |
| 1904 | CHN | C | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1904 | CHN | 1B | 123 | 122 | 1205 | 106 | 13 | 48 |
| 1905 | CHN | 1B | 115 | 115 | 1165 | 75 | 13 | 54 |
| 1906 | CHN | 1B | 136 | 136 | 1376 | 82 | 16 | 71 |
| 1907 | CHN | 1B | 109 | 109 | 1129 | 80 | 10 | 64 |
| 1908 | CHN | 1B | 126 | 125 | 1291 | 86 | 15 | 56 |
| 1909 | CHN | 1B | 92 | 92 | 901 | 40 | 6 | 43 |
| 1910 | CHN | 1B | 87 | 87 | 773 | 38 | 3 | 48 |
| 1911 | CHN | 1B | 29 | 0 | 289 | 11 | 3 | 12 |
| 1912 | CHN | 1B | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1913 | NYA | 1B | 7 | 0 | 86 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 1914 | NYA | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 188 |
| First Base | 998 |
| Left Field | 6 |
| Center Field | 2 |
| Right Field | 65 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1910 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | 1B |
| 1909 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | 1B |