Batting average .269 Role Baseball player Name Frankie Zak | Run batted in 14 Hits 56 | |
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Died February 6, 1972, Passaic, New Jersey, United States | ||
Frank Thomas Zak (February 22, 1922 – February 6, 1972) was a professional baseball player. He played all or part of three seasons in Major League Baseball from 1944 to 1946. Zak played for the Pittsburgh Pirates his entire MLB career, his main position being shortstop. For his career, Zak hit for a .269 batting average.
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Minor Leagues
Zak was a gifted athlete, but had little interest in playing baseball for a living. In the spring of 1941, he visited a high-school friend, Ed Sudol, who had been signed by the Tarboro Orioles of the Coastal Plain League. Sudol never made it to the majors as a player, but did as an umpire. The Orioles were in need of a shortstop and gave Zak a tryout. He had not played the position before, but showed enough to earn a contract for the summer. Zak earned an invitation to the Pirates camp in 1944, and made the club. In an interesting coincidence, his manager was named Frankie (Frisch) as was the player with whom he competed for the starting shortstop job (Gustine).
All-Star selection
Zak never had a lot of playing time, his highest number of at bats was 160. Even so, he still managed to become an All-Star in 1944. When Eddie Miller of the Cincinnati Reds was injured, Zak was named as his replacement, possibly because the game was being held at Forbes Field, home of the Pirates, and selecting Zak allowed MLB not to have to purchase an extra train ticket.
Death
Zak died suddenly from a heart attack on February 6, 1972, just 16 days before his 50th birthday.