| Frank Shellenback | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: December 16, 1898 Joplin, Missouri, U.S. | |
| Died: August 17, 1969 (aged 70) Newton, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 8, 1918, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 5, 1919, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 10–15 |
| Earned run average | 3.06 |
| Strikeouts | 57 |
| Teams | |
Frank Victor Shellenback (December 16, 1898 – August 17, 1969) was an American pitcher, pitching coach, and scout in Major League Baseball. As a pitcher, he was famous as an expert spitballer when the pitch was still legal in organized baseball; however, because Shellenback, then 21, was on a minor league roster when "trick pitches" was outlawed after the 1919 season, he was banned from throwing the pitch in the major leagues.[1]
As a result, Shellenback spent 19 years (1920–38) — the remainder of his active career — throwing the spitball legally in the Pacific Coast League. He won a record 296 PCL games and was elected to the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame in 1943.
Shellenback was a born in Joplin, Missouri, the son of a machinist. When he was 11 years old, his family moved to Los Angeles,[1] where he graduated from Hollywood High School.
- ^ a b Caldwell, Bill (January 18, 2020). "Frank Shellenback's Spitball Kept Batters Guessing". joplinglobe.com. The Joplin Globe. Retrieved September 25, 2022.