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

Frank Coggins made his mark with a short but memorable career in Major League Baseball. He mainly played as a second baseman for the Washington Senators and Chicago Cubs from 1967 to 1972.

Born in Griffin, Georgia, this switch-hitting infielder stood 6 feet 2 inches tall. He brought versatility to every team he joined during his five-year professional run.

Coggins finished with a .215 career batting average, 1 home run, and 15 RBI in 87 games before he retired in 1972. He got off to a promising start with the Senators in 1967, batting .307 in 19 games.

He wrapped up his MLB journey with a short, six-game stint for the Chicago Cubs in his final season. It wasn’t a long ride, but he made it count.

Frank Coggins’ story gives us a look at the challenges players faced in the late 1960s and early ’70s. The “Year of the Pitcher” in 1968, for example, really hurt offensive stats across the league.

He hit the first triple ever at Oakland Coliseum, which is pretty cool if you think about it. Coggins navigated a changing, sometimes ruthless, baseball landscape.

Early Life and Background

Franklin “Frank” Coggins was born on May 22, 1944, in Griffin, Georgia. That’s a small city just south of Atlanta.

He grew up in a family that encouraged his athletic dreams. At Fairmont High School, he started building his baseball skills.

Family and Upbringing

Frank was born to the Coggins family in Griffin, Georgia. Back in the 1940s and ’50s, Griffin was your classic Southern town, tight-knit and full of community spirit.

His family always had his back when it came to baseball. Growing up in Georgia during the golden age of the sport, Coggins got to experience baseball when it really was America’s pastime.

The Coggins family stayed in Georgia for most of Frank’s life. After his professional baseball days ended, he never lost touch with his home state.

Frank passed away in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1994 at just 50 years old. They buried him at Griffin Memorial Gardens, right back in his hometown.

Education and Amateur Baseball

Frank Coggins went to Fairmont High School in Griffin. That’s where he really started to hone his baseball game during his teenage years.

At Fairmont, he played baseball and learned to switch-hit. That ability to bat from both sides would become a big asset for him.

He mostly played second base and shortstop in high school. Those spots demand quick reflexes and solid defense.

Scouts noticed his skills during those years. By age 19, in 1963, he kicked off his pro baseball career in the minor leagues.

The leap from high school to the pros happened fast for Coggins. He spent four years working on his game in the minors before he got his shot at the majors in 1967.

Professional Career Overview

Frank Coggins played pro baseball for 11 seasons, from 1963 to 1973. He spent three of those years in the big leagues.

His MLB run stretched from 1967 to 1972 with the Washington Senators and Chicago Cubs. In 87 games, he posted a .215 average, 1 homer, and 15 RBI.

MLB Debut and Early Years

Coggins made his Major League debut on September 10, 1967, at age 23. He faced the California Angels and picked up a hit in three at-bats.

His rookie year looked promising, even though he didn’t play a ton. In 19 games, he hit .307 with 23 hits in 75 at-bats.

He knocked in eight runs and hit one homer that season, mostly playing second base. Not a bad start at all.

The 1968 season got a lot tougher for him. Coggins played 62 games but hit just .175.

He managed 30 hits in 171 at-bats, with six doubles and a triple. The numbers just weren’t there.

His strikeouts went up, too—33 Ks with only nine walks. That left him with a .215 on-base percentage, which, let’s be honest, isn’t great.

Peak Seasons and Key Moments

Coggins’ top year was definitely his 1967 debut with the Senators. Batting .307 in his first taste of the majors was the high point.

He passed rookie limits in 1968, but the struggles continued. Even with the rough stretch, he stuck with the Senators through that season.

After four years away from the majors, Coggins got a brief shot with the Chicago Cubs in 1972. He played just six games in that final MLB stretch and didn’t get a hit.

His last appearance came on July 30, 1972, against the St. Louis Cardinals. He didn’t get an at-bat in that final game.

Minor League Tenure

Coggins spent most of his pro career in the minors, from 1963 to 1973. Those years in the minors sandwiched his short MLB stints.

He kept working on his skills in the minors between big league chances. His minor league journey lasted eight seasons after his time in the majors.

He played mostly second base and shortstop throughout his career. Coggins, a right-handed thrower from Griffin, weighed 187 pounds when he played.

His pro baseball days ended in 1973 after 11 seasons. Frank passed away on October 30, 1994, at age 50.

Highlights with the Washington Senators

Frank Coggins had his biggest MLB moments with the Washington Senators from 1967 to 1968. His first year showed real promise, but the second year was a struggle.

Notable Performances

Coggins stepped onto the MLB stage on September 10, 1967, at 23 years old. That first season with the Senators was his career highlight.

He played 19 games and hit .307 with a home run. That performance earned him a spot on the 1968 roster.

The Senators gave him his best shot that year, letting him play 62 games at second base. But 1968 was tough—his average fell to .175.

He did pick up 30 hits in 171 at-bats, including six doubles and a triple. Those extra-base hits showed flashes of what he could do, but it wasn’t enough to keep him in the majors.

After the season, the team sent him down to AAA.

Teammates and Club Culture

Coggins joined the expansion Senators while they were still figuring things out. The team was new and trying to build an identity in the late ’60s.

The Senators gave young players like Coggins a chance. His late-season call-up in 1967 showed the team wanted to see what he could do.

He got a full season to prove himself in 1968. Playing for an expansion team meant competing with other developing players.

The club focused on building for the future, and Coggins was part of that effort. Most of his major league experience came with the Senators.

Their support let him play his most games at baseball’s top level.

Final Season and Retirement in 1972

Frank Coggins finished his MLB career with the Chicago Cubs in 1972. He played just six games before retiring at age 28.

Chicago Cubs Tenure

Frank joined the Cubs in 1972 after his time with the Senators. Chicago brought him in as a utility infielder, hoping he’d add depth at second and short.

His stint with the Cubs was short—just six games that season. That was the briefest run he had with any big league team.

The Cubs didn’t use him much. He mostly sat on the bench and pinch-hit now and then.

His role was a big change from the more regular time he got in Washington. Breaking into the Cubs’ lineup proved tough.

Chicago had other second basemen who were performing better. That cut down his chances to show what he could do.

Last MLB Games and Statistics

Coggins played his last major league game on July 30, 1972, at 28 years old. That season, he barely had any offensive numbers.

In six games with Chicago, he got just two plate appearances and one at-bat. He didn’t get a hit, so he finished with a .000 average for the year.

He did draw one walk, bumping his on-base percentage to .500, oddly enough. His career stats: .215 average, 87 games, 53 hits, nine doubles, a triple, and one home run.

He drove in 15 runs in his MLB career. The 1972 season was his last—he retired at 28.

With a .215 career average and limited playing time, he decided to step away from the majors.

Career Achievements and Batting Statistics

Frank Coggins’ three years in the majors produced modest stats. He hit a single home run and posted a .215 career batting average in 87 games.

Home Run Record and Notable Hits

Coggins hit just one home run during his MLB run from 1967 to 1972. That lone homer came with the Senators, either in ’67 or ’68.

His best season at the plate was his rookie year in 1967. In 19 games, he racked up 23 hits in 75 at-bats for a .307 average.

He added three doubles and his only big league homer that year. Over his three seasons, Coggins totaled 53 hits.

His best games came during that rookie campaign when he flashed real contact ability. After that, things got rough.

In 1968, he managed only 30 hits in 171 at-bats, dropping his average to .175. His short time with the Cubs in 1972 didn’t yield any hits.

Career Batting Average Analysis

Coggins finished with a .215 batting average in the majors. The jump from minor league success to big league pitching proved tough.

His .307 average as a rookie was his peak. The drop to .175 in 1968 showed just how hard the sophomore year can be.

He struck out 33 times in 183 plate appearances that season and walked only nine times. His career on-base percentage was .249—not exactly plate discipline territory.

In total, he drew just 12 walks in 263 plate appearances. If you project his numbers over a full 162-game season, you’d get about 99 hits, two home runs, and 28 RBIs.

Those are utility player numbers, not everyday starter stats.

Frank Coggins’ Legacy and Influence

Frank Coggins’ brief MLB career from 1967 to 1972 still has a little ripple effect in how teams scout and develop players. His climb from small-town Georgia to the majors shows just how much the baseball world has changed—and maybe still is changing—when it comes to finding and growing talent.

Impact on Future MLB Draft Prospects

Coggins’ career path really shows some key lessons for modern draft evaluation. He brought switch-hitting ability and defensive versatility at second base and shortstop—qualities teams still want.

The Washington Senators picked Coggins in 1963. He spent four years working through the minors before finally making his debut in 1967.

That kind of development timeline feels pretty familiar to anyone following baseball now. Teams pour a lot of resources into player development systems.

His batting stats paint a tough picture for utility players:

• .215 career batting average
• 1 home run in 87 games
• 15 RBIs across three seasons

Modern scouts keep cases like Coggins in mind when evaluating 2025 MLB draft prospects. Teams now lean on advanced metrics that just didn’t exist in Coggins’ day.

With today’s analytics, people might have valued his defensive skills differently.

Coggins played professionally for 11 seasons, from 1963 to 1973. That’s a lot of persistence, and honestly, plenty of current prospects face similarly long stretches in the minors.

Connection to Modern Baseball

These days, the MLB draft process really reflects what teams learned from players like Coggins. There’s a bigger focus now on defensive versatility and switch-hitting.

The 2025 MLB draft probably will spotlight prospects who remind people of Coggins. Teams love guys who can handle several infield spots.

When Milwaukee traded Coggins to Cleveland in 1970, it showed that teams have always looked for ways to move versatile players around. Front offices still use this approach when building depth.

Coggins’ quick stint with the Chicago Cubs in 1972 kind of sums up the journeyman path a lot of players experience. Teams today try to get more out of utility players through better coaching and development.

Now, advanced stats can actually measure defensive contributions in a way Coggins never saw. If those metrics had existed back then, teams might have seen his value quite a bit differently.

Personal Life, Net Worth, and Death

Franklin Coggins kept things pretty private after his baseball career ended in 1972. There’s not much public information about his personal life.

He died in 1994 at age 50 in Atlanta, Georgia. He left behind a modest baseball legacy.

Life After Baseball

After his last MLB game with the Chicago Cubs in July 1972, Franklin Coggins stepped away from pro baseball. His career stretched across 11 seasons, from 1963 to 1973, though he only spent three of those years in the majors.

Not much is out there about what Coggins did after baseball. He seemed to keep a low profile once he retired.

Financial Status

People estimate Coggins’ net worth at about $1 million, at least according to various online sources. Honestly, those numbers are just guesses, so take them lightly.

Most of his income during his playing days came from contracts with the Washington Senators and Chicago Cubs. Salaries back in the late ’60s and early ’70s were a whole lot lower than what players get now.

Passing and Recognition

Franklin Coggins died on October 30, 1994, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was 50 years old.

Public records didn’t widely report the cause of his death.

His family buried him at Griffin Memorial Gardens in Griffin, Georgia. That’s the same town where he was born on May 22, 1944.

Choosing that burial spot really shows how much Georgia meant to him.

Coggins didn’t have a long major league career, but people still remember him as part of baseball history.

He put up a .215 batting average, hit one home run, and had 15 RBIs during his time in the majors.

Back in 1968, he played his most memorable season with the Washington Senators. He appeared in 62 games and picked up 30 hits in 171 at-bats.