Frenchy Bordagaray

Stanley George Bordagaray
Born: Jan. 3 1910 in Coalinga, Calif.
Died: April 13, 2000 in Ventura, Calif.
Debut: 1934 | Pos: OF/3B
H: 5-8 | W: 175 | B: R | T: R

>> Visit the Frenchy Bordagary biography on Baseball Almanac for complete statistics.

Frenchy Bordagaray, who played for 11 seasons in the major leagues, died on April 13, 2000, after a long illness. He was 90.

In his career, Bordagaray hit .283 with 13 home runs and 270 RBI in 2632 at-bats.

Following a standout career at Fresno State, where he lettered in 4 sports, Bordagaray began his baseball career with Sacramento of the Pacific Coast League in 1931. He played with Sacramento into the 1934 season when he debuted in the major leagues with the White Sox.

After two seasons with the Dodgers, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1937. As a member of the Cardinals, he is said to have played washboard in the Gashouse Gang's Mudcat Band.

He hit just .197 with the Reds in 1939 and ended back in the minor leagues in 1940 with Kansas City of the American Association. He hit .358 and led the AA in hits and got a chance to return to the majors in 1941 with the Yankees.

In 1942, he returned to Brooklyn and finished his career with the Dodgers in 1945. One of his most productive major league seasons came in 1944 when he hit .281 with 6 home runs and 51 RBI.

He also played in two World Series - with the Reds in 1939 and the Yankees in 1941. He was hitless in 2 at-bats in 1939 and 1 in 1941.

Following his career in baseball, he owned restaurants and clubs in St. Louis and Kansas City. He also developed 15 cemeteries in the Midwest.

He moved to Ventura, Calif., in 1961 and was the supervisor of the sports and recreation programs for youth.

Sources: AP Obituary, The Biographical Encyclopedia of Baseball, Who's Who in Baseball 1944