Frank Wickware
American baseball player

Frank Wickware

The basics
Quick facts
Intro
American baseball player
Gender:
Male
Work field:
Birth:
8 March 1888(Coffeyville, Montgomery County, Kansas, U.S.A.)
Death:
2 November 1967(Schenectady, Schenectady County, New York, U.S.A.)
The details
Biography

Frank Wickware (March 8, 1888 in Coffeyville, Kansas – November 2, 1967 in Schenectady, New York) was a baseball pitcher in the Negro Leagues from 1909 to 1925.

In a nationally syndicated article written in 1915, it was said that Wickware "is another negro pitcher who would rank with the Walter Johnsons, Joe Woods or Grover Alexanders if he were a white man." In the previous year, another article announced Wickware was striking out an average of 11 players per game, and in two games in a row struck out 34 batters.

Wickware's signature pitch seems to be a curveball that appeared to be a beanball, but "his control is so perfect" that it was said he never "hit a batter in the head." But batters would jump away from the plate, only to have his curveball arch into place over the plate.

Wickware served in the military during World War I. He played for the Mohawk Giants of Schenectady, New York.

At age 64, Wickware received votes listing him on the 1952 Pittsburgh Courier player-voted poll of the Negro Leagues' best players ever.