RIP - Herman Franks - 1914-2009

[metrotheme]

http://baseballhappenings.blogspot.com/2009/04/herman-franks-95-mlb-catcher-and.html

Herman Franks, pictured left with Willie Mays in Santurce, Puerto Rico, died March 30, 2009 at the age of 95 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Franks played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Brooklyn Dodgers, Philadelphia Athletics and New York Giants over parts of 6 seasons from 1939-1949, compiling a .199 batting average in 403 career at-bats. He lost three-and-a-half years of his career due to his Naval service in World War 2.

[VIBaseball]

A nice story in the Deseret News:

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705294842,00.html

Utah does not come to mind as a baseball hotbed -- here are the players who've made it to the majors from the Beehive State. The one who had the best career was Bruce Hurst.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bio/UT_born.shtml

[CaliforniaCajun]

I think Franks was the last surviving 1940 Dodger if what I read in some past posts is accurate.

[Macker]

I think Franks was the last surviving 1940 Dodger if what I read in some past posts is accurate.

Yes, he was also the last surivor of the 1941 club. There are only three survivors from 1930s teams -- Lonny Frey (1933-36) and George Cisar & Tony Malinosky of the 1937 team. After them, it skips to Cliff Dapper, 1942. The list of survivors can be found here - http://baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=14901

[CaliforniaCajun]

George Cisar, if this is the same guy I'm thinking of (both were born in 1912 in Chicago) was also a television actor, appearing in Dragnet, Andy Griffith, and other shows.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=cisarge01

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0149204/

[VIBaseball]

Interesting coincidence about the year and place of birth, Cajun -- but Cisar the actor passed away in 1979. I don't remember him from TV, but when I looked up a picture, it fit the description I saw elsewhere: bald and moonfaced."