Frenchy Bordagaray
From BR Bullpen
Stanley George Bordagaray
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 7½", Weight 175 lb.
- School California State University, Fresno
- Debut April 17, 1934
- Final Game September 30, 1945
- Born January 3, 1910 in Coalinga, CA USA
- Died April 13, 2001 in Ventura, CA USA
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[edit] Biographical Information
Frenchy Bordagary had an eleven-year career in the major leagues, six of which were with the Brooklyn Dodgers: his main teammates were Augie Galan, Dixie Walker and Van Mungo. He appeared in the 1939 and 1941 World Series.
In spite of his name, Stanley George "Frenchy" Bordagaray was born in California and went to college at the school now known as California State University, Fresno, where he was a four-sport letterman. He played pro ball with the Sacramento Solons in the Pacific Coast League.
He may have gotten his nickname because he showed up one year for spring training with a moustache, something that had long gone out of favor in the major leagues. A French-derived last name no doubt also helped to cement the nickname (although it must be said that his name is Basque, not French).
An outfielder, he also played a lot of third base during his career. He hit over .300 in 1936 and again in 1943. In 1935, he was third in the league in stolen bases with 18. In the middle of his career, he did a lot of pinch-hitting before again getting over 250 at-bats per year in the last three seasons of his career, which included the World War II years of 1943, 1944, and 1945.
In 1946, he managed the Trois Rivieres Royals to the league championship of the Canadian-American League. In 1947, he managed the Greenville Spinners for the first part of the season. After baseball, he was a restauranteur and club owner in St. Louis, MO and Kansas City, MO and a developer of 15 cemeteries throughout the Midwest. Thereafter, he moved back to California, and worked for Ventura, CA, with its parks department and its sports and recreation department. He was named to the Fresno County Sports Hall of Fame and to the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame.
His name is one of those featured in the jazz standard song "Van Lingle Mungo".
"The penalty is a bit more than I expectorated." - Bordagaray, after he had received a large fine and long suspension for spitting at an ump.
[edit] Miscellaneous
Bordagaray was the first of four players to win a World Series and then move to the losing team before the start of the following season. The other players were Don Gullett, Gary Thomasson and Pat Burrell.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- Won a World Series with the New York Yankees in 1941
[edit] Further Reading
- Tony Salin: Baseball's Forgotten Heroes, Masters Press, Chicago, 1999, pp. 179-188.
