Frank Baumholtz – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Frank Baumholtz really stands out in baseball history as one of those rare athletes who managed to play both baseball and basketball at the professional level back in the 1940s and 1950s. Born in Midvale, Ohio in 1918, Baumholtz didn’t get to the major leagues until he was 28. World War II delayed his debut—he spent those years commanding naval vessels at Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

Baumholtz hit a solid .290 over a 10-year MLB career with the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia Phillies, finally retiring in 1957. He played 1,019 games as an outfielder from 1947 to 1957. What’s wild is he also played professional basketball during baseball’s off-seasons, earning all-league honors in both the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America.

His story is more than just stats and highlights. It’s about small-town roots, surviving wartime, and grinding through an era when athletes often juggled multiple sports just to make ends meet.

From shooting hoops with makeshift baskets as a kid to his last game in 1957, Baumholtz showed the kind of grit and dedication you need to make it in pro sports.

Early Life and Education

Frank Conrad Baumholtz II was born October 7, 1918, in Midvale, Ohio. His parents had come over from Central Europe.

He grew up poor in a small industrial town and discovered early on that sports could be his ticket to a better life.

Family Background and Childhood in Midvale

Frank was one of five kids. His dad, Frank Sr., worked as a pipe inspector at the Robinson Clay Products sewer pipe plant in Midvale, which sits about 90 miles south of Cleveland.

They lived in company housing that didn’t even have electricity. Oil lamps lit their home, hanging from rings on the walls. When the lamps weren’t there, young Frank would use the empty rings as basketball hoops, shooting a small rubber ball through them.

Life wasn’t easy:

• No electricity
• Company housing
• Little money to go around
• Industrial, gritty town

Frank eventually found an old sweet-potato basket at a grocery store, knocked out the bottom, and nailed it to a post outside his house. That homemade hoop became the center of hours and hours of practice—probably more than most kids could imagine.

High School Years and Athletic Achievements

At Midvale High School, Baumholtz became a star in just about every sport he tried. He earned 12 varsity letters, which is honestly impressive.

He played:

• Basketball (his main love)
• Baseball (as a pitcher, first baseman, and outfielder)
• Track and field (mile, half-mile, shot put, pole vault)

His basketball team made a real run in the Ohio state tournament, going all the way to Columbus. Frank’s play in those big games put him on the radar of college coaches.

“I wanted to get away, as I got older, from the poverty of the area that we lived in,” Baumholtz said later. “We didn’t have any money, and I was determined that somehow I was going to go to college.”

Ohio University Experience

Baumholtz decided to stay near home and went to Ohio University. Freshmen weren’t allowed to play varsity, so he spent 1937-38 on the freshman team with coach Dutch Trautwein.

College basketball highlights:

• 1938-39: 12-8 record (sophomore)
• 1939-40: 19-6 (junior)
• 1940-41: 16-3 regular season (senior)

His senior year was huge. At 5-foot-10, the lefty guard led Ohio University to the National Invitation Tournament at Madison Square Garden. They lost the championship game 56-42 to Long Island University, but Baumholtz dropped 19 points and took home Most Valuable Player honors.

During his junior year, he met Bettie Marie Bell from Cleveland. He chased her for two years before she finally agreed to a hayride date. Their coach, Dutch Trautwein, chaperoned and was surprised it was their first date—they already seemed so close.

Multi-Sport Athletic Career

Frank Baumholtz made his mark as one of the few who could truly excel in both basketball and baseball at the pro level. His basketball days at Ohio University got him national attention, but World War II slowed his athletic career.

Collegiate Basketball and Baseball Success

Baumholtz first made headlines at Ohio University as a standout basketball player. That 5-foot-10 lefty guard led the Bobcats to a 16-3 regular season in his senior year.

He took the team to the National Invitation Tournament at Madison Square Garden, which was the big postseason event back then.

Baumholtz’s play in the tournament wowed New York sportswriters. He scored 12 points in a 45-43 semifinal win over City College of New York. In the title game, he put up 19 points, even though Ohio lost to Long Island University.

He still got Most Valuable Player honors, which says a lot about how good he was.

Tim Cohane from the New York World-Telegram raved about Baumholtz’s variety of shots, saying he had “a greater variety of pleasing shots than a techni-color movie.”

World War II Service and Its Impact

Baumholtz enlisted in the Navy on October 8, 1941, thinking he’d serve a year. World War II changed that, and he didn’t get back to organized baseball until 1946.

He served as an Armed Guard officer, keeping merchant ships safe from enemy attacks. He commanded Navy gunnery teams on dangerous Atlantic convoys from late 1942 to spring 1944.

By summer 1944, Lieutenant Baumholtz was in charge of LCI(L)-633, a landing craft infantry vessel. He supported the final two major Pacific battles at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. His ship took a mortar hit at Iwo Jima but somehow avoided any major injuries.

The war stuck with him. Baumholtz had nightmares for years, and his wife said he would “fight the war in his sleep.”

Transition to Professional Sports

As soon as he got out of the Navy, Baumholtz jumped right back into sports. The Youngstown Bears of the National Basketball League called him just days after his discharge.

He averaged 10.5 points in 26 games and made the second-team all-NBL. But his baseball commitments with the Cincinnati Reds cut his basketball season short.

After a short stint with the Reds’ minor league team in Columbia, Baumholtz joined the Cleveland Rebels of the Basketball Association of America. He scored 25 points in the opener against Toronto and averaged 14.0 points per game.

His basketball season brought in $4,000 and another second-team all-league honor. By 1947, though, he decided he couldn’t keep splitting time between two pro sports and focused on baseball.

Professional Baseball Career

Frank Baumholtz became a steady outfielder in Major League Baseball, playing from 1947 to 1957. He debuted with the Cincinnati Reds at 28 and later became a big part of the Chicago Cubs during his best years.

Major League Baseball Debut with the Cincinnati Reds

Baumholtz made his MLB debut on April 15, 1947, with the Cincinnati Reds. He was already 28, mostly because of his military service in World War II.

The left-handed outfielder made an immediate splash. In his rookie year, he played 151 games and hit .283 with 32 doubles. Clearly, the years away from baseball hadn’t slowed him down.

He played both centerfield and rightfield. His basketball background gave him an edge—he read fly balls and positioned himself well in the outfield.

The Reds had high hopes for him. Manager Johnny Neun liked Baumholtz’s conditioning, pointing out that playing pro basketball in the winter kept him in top shape for baseball.

Chicago Cubs Years and Peak Performance

The Chicago Cubs picked up Baumholtz in 1949. He quickly became a consistent performer and a fan favorite at Wrigley Field.

Baumholtz’s on-base skills and contact hitting made him a key part of the Cubs’ lineup. He hardly ever struck out and showed great patience at the plate. His batting average often hovered around or above .300 during his prime.

He also played strong defense. His fielding percentage ranked among the better National League outfielders in the early 1950s. He had steady hands and decent range for both corner spots.

Baumholtz played alongside some big names and helped the Cubs stay competitive. Teammates and opponents respected his steady play and professional attitude.

Philadelphia Phillies Tenure and Retirement in 1957

Baumholtz wrapped up his career with the Philadelphia Phillies. He brought experience and depth to the team, mostly serving as a part-time player and veteran leader.

His career batting average, .290, shows just how reliable he was at making contact and getting on base.

In 1957, at age 39, Baumholtz retired from Major League Baseball. He left behind a career with solid stats and a reputation for professionalism.

He managed to go from college basketball star to pro baseball player, showing off a rare mix of adaptability and athletic talent.

Minor League and Pacific Coast League Highlights

Frank Baumholtz had a legendary minor league season in 1950 with the Los Angeles Angels, hitting .379 in the Pacific Coast League. His stint in Class AAA really showcased his hitting skills before he returned to the majors.

Standout Season with Los Angeles Angels

Baumholtz’s 1950 season with the Los Angeles Angels was one for the books. After the Cubs sent him down, he responded by batting .379, grabbing the attention of baseball fans everywhere.

The lefty outfielder racked up 254 hits in 172 games. That’s consistency you just don’t see every day.

He earned a quick return to the majors. The Cubs brought him back to Chicago in 1951, and he stuck around through 1955.

The Angels didn’t have a great year, finishing seventh in the PCL with an 86-114 record. Still, Baumholtz provided offensive firepower alongside Les Layton and Stan Spence.

Experience in Class AAA and Pacific Coast League

Baumholtz put up impressive statistics during his minor league career from 1941 to 1950. He hit .345 over 384 games for teams like the Ogden Reds, Riverside Reds, Columbia Reds, and Los Angeles Angels.

He kicked off his minor league journey in 1941 by signing with the Cincinnati Reds organization. He started out with Riverside in the Class C California League, but when that franchise folded, he moved to Ogden in the Pioneer League.

The Pacific Coast League stood as the top tier of minor league baseball back then. Baumholtz proved he belonged at that level, and his time there really built up his reputation as a skilled hitter.

He finished his minor league career with 19 home runs and 170 RBIs. Those numbers showed he was more of a consistent contact hitter than a power guy.

Professional Basketball Career

Baumholtz also played professional basketball in the winter while chasing his baseball dreams. He played in two leagues and people recognized him as one of the standout players in those early days of pro basketball.

Youngstown Bears and the National Basketball League

After getting discharged from the Navy in late 1945, Baumholtz jumped right back into basketball. The Youngstown Bears from the National Basketball League reached out to him only days after he came home from service.

The NBL, mostly based in the Midwest, was a forerunner to what became the NBA. Baumholtz joined up with the Bears and made an immediate impact during the 1945-46 season.

He averaged 10.5 points per game across 26 games with Youngstown. That season, he earned a spot on the second-team all-NBL, his first big professional basketball honor.

He left the Bears before the season wrapped up so he could report to spring training with the Cincinnati Reds. This kind of juggling became a defining pattern for his two-sport career.

Cleveland Rebels and the Basketball Association of America

The Cleveland Rebels were one of the original teams in the Basketball Association of America in 1946. The BAA would eventually become the NBA.

Baumholtz fit right in on the Rebels roster, which included six players from Ohio. He started the season with a bang, dropping a game-high 25 points in Cleveland’s opening win over the Toronto Huskies.

He played in 45 games for the Rebels during the 1946-47 season. His contract paid him $4,000 for that winter.

Baumholtz averaged 14.0 points per game, which ranked him eighth in the entire BAA. That kind of scoring put him among the league’s top offensive players in its very first season.

All-BAA Second Team Selection

Baumholtz’s play with Cleveland got him noticed as one of the league’s best. He landed a second-team all-BAA selection for his 1946-47 season.

That was the first year of the BAA, which gathered some of the best pro basketball talent outside the NBL at the time.

It marked the second straight year he earned all-league honors in pro basketball. He’d just gotten second-team all-NBL with Youngstown the year before.

For Baumholtz, 1947 felt like a turning point for his baseball hopes. He decided to focus on baseball instead of trying to juggle both sports when their seasons overlapped.

Legacy as a Two-Sport Athlete

Frank Baumholtz stands out as one of the first athletes to really pull off professional careers in both baseball and basketball. His achievements in both sports set an example for future multi-sport athletes and showed off a kind of athletic versatility that was rare back then.

Notable Multi-Sport Peers

Baumholtz broke ground before a lot of famous two-sport athletes came along. He played pro basketball and baseball before guys like Gene Conley, Chuck Connors, and Dave DeBusschere became known for doing both.

During his basketball run with the Cleveland Rebels in 1946-47, Baumholtz averaged 14.0 points per game. That ranked him eighth in the BAA that season.

His timing really mattered. The BAA was just starting out, and pro basketball itself was still getting its footing. Baumholtz helped show that you could actually play both sports professionally.

Later on, athletes like Dick Groat and Ron Reed would go down similar paths. Still, Baumholtz’s success during those early years made him something of a pioneer in multi-sport athletics.

Contribution to Baseball and Basketball

Baumholtz’s basketball achievements were impressive. He led Ohio University to the National Invitation Tournament championship game in 1941 and earned MVP honors, even though his team finished second.

His pro basketball career featured two all-league selections, with second-team all-NBL honors for Youngstown Bears and second-team all-BAA with Cleveland Rebels.

In baseball, Baumholtz kept up a .290 career batting average over 10 seasons. He played in 1,019 games and became one of the most effective pinch hitters in baseball history.

His pinch-hitting stats were something else. Among players with at least 150 pinch-hit at-bats, Baumholtz was the only lefty to keep a .300 average in that role.

Historical Significance in American Sports

Baumholtz’s career really connected some important eras in American sports. He played right during that tricky shift from amateur to professional athletics, and not just in baseball—he did it in basketball too.

World War II put his athletic journey on hold. He joined the Navy as an officer and actually saw combat in the Pacific, including at Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

People recognized his impact even decades later. On February 4, 1995, Ohio University retired his basketball jersey number 54. He was the first Bobcats athlete to ever get that distinction.

Baumholtz showed everyone that elite athletes could actually thrive in more than one professional sport. That idea really opened the door for future generations of multi-sport athletes, who honestly became a lot more common later on.