Freddie Fitzsimmons
| Birthdate | 7/28/1901 |
| Death Date | 11/18/1979 |
| Debut Year | 1925 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | Athletics, Braves, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants, Phillies |
| Positions | Coach, Manager, Pitcher |
Freddie Fitzsimmons won 217 games while pitching in the hitters’ era of the 1920s and 30s; he posted 16 or more wins in seven different seasons.
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Durable and consistent, Freddie Fitzsimmons received MVP votes in three seasons
Durable and consistent, Freddie Fitzsimmons received MVP votes in three seasons
Freddie Fitzsimmons broke in with John McGraw’s New York Giants in 1925 and was effective from the start. He posted a 6-3 record with a 2.65 ERA in ten games. Fitz’s rookie season included six complete games and a shutout.
Standing at 5’11”, Fitzsimmons weighed 215 pounds or more during his career. The portly righthander’s first 13 years came with the Giants with whom he appeared in two World Series.
A knuckleballer by trade, he posted double-digit win totals each season from 1926-1934. He averaged more than 16 wins per year during the run. In 1933 Fitz’s 35 starts led the league. That year he went 16-11 with a 2.90 ERA to help crown the Giants champions of baseball.
Fitzsimmons suffered an arm injury in 1935, limiting him to 15 starts. It was the first time since his rookie season that he made less than 35 starts. Despite this, he tied for the NL lead with four shutouts.
On June 11, 1937 the Giants traded him to Brooklyn for whom he spent his final seven seasons. His Dodger highlights included a 16-2 campaign in 1940 that resulted in a top-5 finish in MVP voting. The following season the portly righthander helped Brooklyn reach the World Series.
Fitzsimmons’ big league playing career came to an end when the Dodgers released him in July of ’43. According to Baseball Reference similarity scores the three pitchers most closely matching Fitz are in the Hall of Fame. Each of the ten most-similar pitchers are 200-game winners.
In the collection is this index card signed by 217-game winner Fred Fitzsimmons.
In the off season Fitz pitched on barnstorming teams that faced Negro League All Stars
In the off season Fitz pitched on barnstorming teams that faced Negro League All Stars
Despite the color barrier, Negro Leaguers often faced off against their MLB counterparts. These contests took place in the off-season and helped augment the income of the players involved.
Shown here is a lineup of Negro League stars called the Philadelphia Royal Giants. They squared off against Dizzy Dean’s All Stars on October 31, 1935. Satchel Paige started the game against a star-studded lineup.
PCL legend Jigger Statz played centerfield and led off, Hall of Famer Arky Vaugnan batted third and played shortstop. NL home run champion and four-time All Star Wally Berger played left and hit in the cleanup spot.
Dolph Camilli who won the 1941 NL Most Valuable Player Award played first and Cooperstown hurler Dean got the start on the hill.
Ole Diz faced a batting order that included three men who went on to get their Cooperstown plaques: Turkey Stearnes, Mule Suttles, and Biz Mackey. The Cardinals hurler went 7 innings, giving up five hits and a pair of runs.
Satchel struck out 7, allowed two runs on two hits, and left with a no-decision after four innings. The MLB crew pushed across three more runs off of Chet Brewer to gain a 5-4 victory.
Five men have adorned their signatures to the lineup including Paige, Vaughan, Camilli, Berger, and 217-game winner Freddie Fitzsimmons. In the image Fitz’s autograph appears upside down near the ad to smoke Camel Cigarettes.
The knuckleballing Fitzsimmons served as a starting pitcher on Dean’s All Stars and did not appear in this contest.
When his playing career ended in the 1940s Fitzsimmons managed and coached until 1966
When his playing career ended in the 1940s Fitzsimmons managed and coached until 1966
Freddie Fitzsimmons was roundly loved and respected during his 19-year playing career. After putting the ball down he remained in the game for nearly a quarter of a century as a manager and coach.
In 1942 his penultimate as a player, he was named player/coach for the Dodgers under skipper Leo Durocher. He remained in that position until his release as a pitcher on July 27, 1943. The very next day the Phillies named him manager.
From there he was a pitching coach for the Boston Braves, New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, and Kansas City Athletics. Fitzsimmons earned a ring as a coach with the 1954 Giants.
His final season as a big league coach came at age 65 in 1966 with Durocher’s Cubs. He died in 1979. According to SABR the cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
In the collection is this page featuring the 1955 Golden Press book page featuring the New York Giants coaching staff. Featured prominently is Fitzsimmons who signed the page.
It reads in part, Fitzsimmons “…came to the club in 1949 and is second in command under Manager Leo Durocher…A great knuckle-ball pitcher in his day…”, he “finished with a grand total of 217 victories to his credit.”
