Frankie Gustine
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1939-1950)
Frankie Gustine was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1950 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Chicago Cubs, and the St. Louis Browns, a span of 12 seasons. In 1,261 career games, he hit .265 with 1,214 hits, 38 home runs, and 480 RBI. Frankie Gustine was a 3-time All-Star.
- 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
- 6'0" / 175 lb
- Died
- 4/1/1991 in Davenport, IA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1939-09-13
- Last Game
- 1950-05-17
- Awards
- 3× All-Star
Full name: Frank William Gustine
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,261 | 4,582 | 553 | 1,214 | 222 | 47 | 38 | 480 | 60 | 369 | 427 | .265 | .322 | .359 | .681 | -1,965 |
Career AVG .265 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .322 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .359 vs. league average .371 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .681 vs. league average .705 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | PIT | NL | 22 | 70 | 5 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 4 | .186 | .274 (-32%) | .342 (-19%) | .393 (-42%) | .735 (-31%) | -341.4 |
| 1940 | PIT | NL | 133 | 524 | 59 | 147 | 32 | 7 | 1 | 55 | 7 | 35 | 39 | .281 | .267 (+5%) | .335 (-2%) | .387 (-4%) | .722 (-3%) | -308.1 |
| 1941 | PIT | NL | 121 | 463 | 46 | 125 | 24 | 7 | 1 | 46 | 5 | 28 | 38 | .270 | .262 (+3%) | .332 (-6%) | .373 (-4%) | .705 (-5%) | -442.9 |
| 1942 | PIT | NL | 115 | 388 | 34 | 89 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 35 | 5 | 29 | 27 | .229 | .253 (-9%) | .323 (-11%) | .349 (-16%) | .672 (-14%) | -825.8 |
| 1943 | PIT | NL | 112 | 414 | 40 | 120 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 43 | 12 | 32 | 36 | .290 | .255 (+13%) | .324 (+5%) | .346 (+3%) | .671 (+4%) | 247.5 |
| 1944 | PIT | NL | 127 | 405 | 42 | 93 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 42 | 8 | 33 | 41 | .230 | .261 (-12%) | .325 (-12%) | .357 (-15%) | .683 (-13%) | -854.4 |
| 1945 | PIT | NL | 128 | 478 | 67 | 134 | 27 | 5 | 2 | 66 | 8 | 37 | 33 | .280 | .260 (+7%) | .328 (+2%) | .354 (+4%) | .683 (+3%) | 216.4 |
| 1946 | PIT | NL | 131 | 495 | 60 | 128 | 23 | 6 | 8 | 52 | 2 | 40 | 52 | .259 | .256 (+1%) | .328 (-3%) | .358 (+5%) | .687 (+1%) | 6.1 |
| 1947 | PIT | NL | 156 | 616 | 102 | 183 | 30 | 6 | 9 | 67 | 5 | 63 | 65 | .297 | .262 (+13%) | .336 (+8%) | .376 (+9%) | .712 (+8%) | 1086.3 |
| 1948 | PIT | NL | 131 | 449 | 68 | 120 | 19 | 2 | 9 | 42 | 5 | 42 | 62 | .267 | .263 (+1%) | .340 (-2%) | .379 (avg) | .719 (-1%) | -98.1 |
| 1949 | CHN | NL | 76 | 261 | 29 | 59 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 27 | 3 | 18 | 22 | .226 | .262 (-14%) | .343 (-19%) | .384 (-8%) | .727 (-13%) | -650.3 |
| 1950 | SLA | AL | 9 | 19 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 | .158 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 1,261 | 4,582 | 553 | 1,214 | 222 | 47 | 38 | 480 | 60 | 369 | 427 | .265 | — | — | — | — | -1,965 | ||
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 (1261 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 651 | 2334 | 289 | 620 | 18 | 266 | .266 |
| Away | 610 | 2248 | 264 | 596 | 20 | 215 | .265 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950-05-17 | SLA | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1950-05-11 | SLA | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1950-05-07 | SLA | BOS | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950-04-25 | SLA | DET | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950-04-23 | SLA | CLE | L | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1950-04-23 | SLA | CLE | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1950-04-22 | SLA | CLE | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1950-04-19 | SLA | CHW | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950-04-18 | SLA | CHW | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 1949-07-30 | CHC | PHI | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 2B | 551 | 0 | 1293 | 1617 | 136 | 303 |
| 3B | 382 | 0 | 426 | 813 | 85 | 79 |
| C | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 303 | 0 | 517 | 893 | 95 | 153 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | PIT | 3B | 22 | 0 | 17 | 52 | 8 | 3 |
| 1940 | PIT | 2B | 130 | 0 | 288 | 402 | 43 | 92 |
| 1941 | PIT | 2B | 104 | 0 | 269 | 317 | 28 | 45 |
| 1941 | PIT | 3B | 15 | 0 | 24 | 36 | 8 | 2 |
| 1942 | PIT | 2B | 108 | 0 | 227 | 312 | 26 | 53 |
| 1942 | PIT | 3B | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1942 | PIT | C | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942 | PIT | SS | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943 | PIT | 1B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 1943 | PIT | 2B | 40 | 0 | 75 | 115 | 6 | 23 |
| 1943 | PIT | SS | 68 | 0 | 135 | 230 | 24 | 41 |
| 1944 | PIT | 2B | 11 | 0 | 23 | 21 | 2 | 3 |
| 1944 | PIT | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944 | PIT | SS | 116 | 0 | 183 | 330 | 34 | 52 |
| 1945 | PIT | 2B | 29 | 0 | 69 | 75 | 6 | 11 |
| 1945 | PIT | C | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945 | PIT | SS | 104 | 0 | 177 | 291 | 35 | 52 |
| 1946 | PIT | 2B | 113 | 0 | 290 | 328 | 21 | 61 |
| 1946 | PIT | 3B | 7 | 0 | 9 | 19 | 1 | 1 |
| 1946 | PIT | SS | 13 | 0 | 20 | 40 | 2 | 8 |
| 1947 | PIT | 3B | 156 | 0 | 193 | 330 | 31 | 35 |
| 1948 | PIT | 3B | 118 | 0 | 119 | 256 | 21 | 21 |
| 1949 | CHN | 2B | 16 | 0 | 52 | 47 | 4 | 15 |
| 1949 | CHN | 3B | 55 | 0 | 52 | 110 | 12 | 13 |
| 1950 | SLA | 3B | 6 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 3 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 2 |
| First Base | 1 |
| Second Base | 549 |
| Third Base | 384 |
| Shortstop | 305 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 28th | 4.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1940 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 34th | 1.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Frankie Gustine (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Frankie Gustine: the record in brief
September 13, 1939 and May 17, 1950 bracket Frankie Gustine's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The season rows list, in order, the Pittsburgh Pirates (1939 to 1948), the Chicago Cubs (1949), and the St. Louis Browns (1950). At 6 feet, 0 inches and 175 pounds, Gustine is listed as a second baseman. The bio says Gustine threw and hit right-handed. The recorded birth is February 20, 1920, in Hoopeston, IL, USA. Gustine's death is recorded on April 1, 1991, in Davenport, IA, USA. Gustine's full given name, per the bio, is Frank William Gustine.
Gustine collected 1,214 hits in 4,582 at bats across 1,261 games, good for a .265 batting average, adding 38 home runs, 480 RBI, and 60 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .322 and .359 give Gustine a career OPS of .681. Gustine hit .265 while the league hit .262 over the same span, a figure close to average. No season topped the 183 hits of 1947.
Frequently Asked Questions about Frankie Gustine
- What years did Frankie Gustine play?
- Frankie Gustine played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1950.
- Was Frankie Gustine a pitcher?
- No. Frankie Gustine was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Frankie Gustine hit?
- Frankie Gustine hit 38 career home runs with 1214 hits.
- What was Frankie Gustine's career batting average?
- Frankie Gustine batted .265 over his career, with 1,214 hits in 4,582 at bats.
- How many RBI did Frankie Gustine have?
- Frankie Gustine drove in 480 runs in his career.
- Is Frankie Gustine in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Frankie Gustine has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.