Herman Franks
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1939-1949)
Herman Franks was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1949 for 4 teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals, a span of 11 seasons. In 188 career games, he hit .199 with 80 hits, 3 home runs, and 43 RBI.
- 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 187 lb
- Died
- 3/30/2009 in Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1939-04-27
- Last Game
- 1949-08-28
Full name: Herman Louis Franks
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 188 | 403 | 35 | 80 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 43 | 2 | 57 | 37 | .199 | .302 | .275 | .578 | -1,026 |
Career AVG .199 vs. league average .265 across their career seasons — 25.2% below league average.
Career OBP .302 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — 10.6% below league average.
Career SLG .275 vs. league average .382 across their career seasons — 27.9% below league average.
Career OPS .578 vs. league average .720 across their career seasons — 19.8% below 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | SLN | NL | 17 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | .059 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1940 | BRO | NL | 65 | 131 | 11 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 20 | 6 | .183 | .267 (-31%) | .335 (-12%) | .387 (-39%) | .722 (-26%) | -505.4 |
| 1941 | BRO | NL | 57 | 139 | 10 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 14 | 13 | .201 | .262 (-23%) | .332 (-17%) | .373 (-27%) | .705 (-22%) | -485.7 |
| 1947 | PHA | AL | 8 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1948 | PHA | AL | 40 | 98 | 10 | 22 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 16 | 11 | .224 | .263 (-15%) | .340 (+1%) | .379 (-9%) | .719 (-4%) | -34.9 |
| 1949 | NY1 | NL | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .667 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 188 | 403 | 35 | 80 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 43 | 2 | 57 | 37 | .199 | — | — | — | — | -1,026 | ||
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 (188 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 95 | 187 | 19 | 28 | 1 | 17 | .150 |
| Away | 93 | 216 | 16 | 52 | 2 | 26 | .241 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949-08-28 | NY1 | CIN | W | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-25 | PHA | DET | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1948-08-18 | PHA | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-11 | PHA | MIN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-10 | PHA | MIN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1948-08-08 | PHA | SLA | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1948-08-07 | PHA | SLA | W | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-06 | PHA | SLA | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-05 | PHA | CHW | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1948-07-25 | PHA | DET | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 143 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Herman Franks: the record in brief
Herman Franks played a first major league game on April 27, 1939 and a last one on August 28, 1949. Franks played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1939), the Brooklyn Dodgers (1940 to 1941), the Philadelphia Athletics (1947 to 1948), and the New York Giants (1949). Franks played primarily as a catcher and batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Born on January 4, 1914, in Price, UT, USA, Franks was listed at 5'10" and 187 pounds. The bio records the death on March 30, 2009, in Salt Lake City, UT, USA. Herman Franks was the playing name; the full given name is Herman Louis.
Franks collected 80 hits in 403 at bats across 188 games, good for a .199 batting average; the totals also include 3 homers and 43 RBI. On-base and slugging figures of .302 and .275 give Franks a career OPS of .578. Over the seasons Franks played, league hitters batted .265; the .199 career figure is 25.2% below that. Franks collected a career-high 28 hits in 1941. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .224 in 1948, did not top the league's .263.
Frequently Asked Questions about Herman Franks
- What years did Herman Franks play?
- Herman Franks played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1949.
- Was Herman Franks a pitcher?
- No. Herman Franks was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Herman Franks hit?
- Herman Franks hit 3 career home runs with 80 hits.
- What teams did Herman Franks play for?
- Herman Franks played for 4 teams: the St. Louis Cardinals (1939), the Brooklyn Dodgers (1940–1941), the Philadelphia Athletics (1947–1948), and the New York Giants (1949).
- What were Herman Franks's career stats?
- In 188 games, Herman Franks had 80 hits, 3 home runs, 43 RBI, 35 runs, and 2 stolen bases, with a .199 batting average.
- What position did Herman Franks play?
- Herman Franks played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Herman Franks and how much did he weigh?
- Herman Franks was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 187 pounds.
- How many home runs did Herman Franks hit each season?
- Herman Franks's home runs by season: 0 in 1939, 1 in 1940, 1 in 1941, 0 in 1947, 1 in 1948, and 0 in 1949. His most in one season was 1, in 1940, 1941, and 1948.
- What was Herman Franks's career batting average?
- Herman Franks batted .199 over his career, with 80 hits in 403 at bats.
- How many RBI did Herman Franks have?
- Herman Franks drove in 43 runs in his career.
- Is Herman Franks in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Herman Franks has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.